William J. Jefferson, former congressmember from Louisiana, was convicted on August 5, 2009 of 11 federal charges including solicitation of bribes, wire fraud, money laundering, racketeering, conspiracy and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Federal prosecutors proved during trial that Mr. Jefferson used his congressional office and position to seek, solicit and direct items of value to be paid to himself and family members in exchange for Jefferson’s performance of official acts to advance the interests of the businesses and people from whom he received bribes.
“We have been reminded today that we are a nation of laws, and not men,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “It should be a clear signal that no public official
—and certainly not a U.S. Congressman—can put their office up for sale and betray that office. It cannot be tolerated. It cannot just be another cost of doing business. And today, a jury of his peers held Congressman Jefferson accountable for his actions.” Ultimately, the former congressman was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison, of which he served five, and forfeiture of almost a half million dollars in bribe money.
In office from his election in 1991 until his conviction in 2009, Mr. Jefferson served Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District for nine terms. The violations and crimes he committed happened from 2000 through 2005. Had term limits been in place during that time the former congressman would not have been eligible to hold office after his first three terms which would have ended his reign in 1998 thereby denying him the opportunity for and access to foreign corruption.