House Democrat accused of post-Katrina misconduct
By Amy Fagan
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
April 13, 2006
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington released an ethics complaint yesterday against a congressman from Louisiana, charging that he played a role in a conspiracy and bribery scheme and misused federal resources in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Rep. William J. Jefferson, Louisiana Democrat, is one of a few congressional Democrats who have come under fire lately from misconduct charges. Former aides to John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, have said they were treated like personal gofers and valets and had to baby-sit his children and work on political campaigns among other chores, the Detroit Free Press and the weekly newspaper the Hill reported last month.
Federal investigators are looking into the finances of Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, West Virginia Democrat, the Wall Street Journal reported last week. The story said Mr. Mollohan helped steer $178 million in federal money to nonprofit groups in his district run by people who are regular contributors to his political campaigns. Republicans promptly called for Mr. Mollohan to step down from his post as the top Democrat on the House ethics panel.
Mr. Jefferson is the subject of an ongoing investigation in which his former aide, Brett Pfeffer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and aiding an abetting such bribery, states the complaint released yesterday. A U.S. District Court issued subpoenas to six Jefferson aides, the Associated Press reported earlier this month.
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