Congressman Jefferson to Run for Re-Election

Indicted U.S. Congressman William Jefferson said he will run for re-election this fall despite an impending federal trial.

Jefferson sent out a press release Tuesday to announce his intentions.

“I will run on my record of effective service to the people of my district over the years and in particular over the last three years since Hurricane Katrina.”

Jefferson has been indicted on federal bribery charges and his trial is tentatively slated to start late this year.

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Jefferson said he is not deterred by the prosecution.

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The brother, sister, and niece of indicted Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) were indicted themselves today for allegedly skimming hundreds of thousands of dollars from non-profit groups they controlled, according to the Associated Press.

“U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said the family members used several non-profit and for-profit companies to obtain grants designed to help pregnant teens, at-risk youths and others in need of assistance. They allegedly deposited some of the grant money into personal checking accounts and used it for personal expenses.” the AP reported.

“A federal grand jury indicted New Orleans tax assessor Betty Jefferson, her brother, Mose Jefferson, and her daughter, Angela Coleman, on charges that include federal program fraud, identity theft and conspiracy to commit money laundering.” Betty and Mose Jefferson potentially face hundreds of years of prison under the 30-count indictment.

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Documents released by DOJ in Rep. Jefferson’s case claim that the veteran Democratic lawmaker involved multiple family members in his alleged criminal scheme, which involved proposed bribes to a Nigerian official in return for a potentially lucrative telecom contract for a firm secretly controlled by the congressman. Despite video of Jefferson reportedly accepting $100,000 in payments from an FBI informant, and an FBI raid on his house which yielded $90,000 hidden in the freezer, Jefferson has insisted he is innocent.