by Jeff Davis

Who would have ever thought a politician whose name started out “William Jefferson” would ever get into trouble over corruption? Seemed like William Jefferson Clinton had a “get out of jail free” card (or more likely the FBI files on his political enemies). This other William Jefferson from New Orleans apparently hasn’t got the same Teflon coating as Slick Willie.

A recent news story reports “The FBI’s most incriminating evidence in the trial of [black] former Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) were the tapes gathered by cooperating witness Lori Mody, who wore a wire for that purpose during several meetings with the New Orleans corruptocrat. Mody, you may recall, was business associate who served as the conduit for $100,000 of FBI cash, $90,000 of which wound up in the freezer! of Jefferson’s Washington home. Mody was not proffered as a witness in Jefferson’s bribery and racketeering trial; the defense planned to call her mental stability into question. Jefferson was ultimately convicted on 11 of 16 counts back in August.”

I wonder if the average corrupt black politician upon finding out he was convicted of 11 ot 16 charges might declare to the public that he has been “vindicated”. After all, they didn’t convict him of everything.

Seriously though, if you can’t convict a Congressman with a refrigerator full of cash bribes, who can you convict?

The story notes “Now comes news that Mody’s FBI ‘handler’ (double entendre intended) left the Bureau last December rather than answer questions about his relationship with Mody. The Bureau kept the relationship quiet, rather than telling the judge about it, and has thereby handed Jefferson one more issue to pursue on appeal. Rather than spending the rest of his life in stir where he belongs, I have this horrific vision of Nancy Pelosi et al welcoming Dollar Bill the Prodigal Congressman back to the seat that he occupied for 9 terms. Aaarrrrrrgggghhhh!”

Another news article reports “As the corruption case against former Rep. William Jefferson was about to go to trial in June, prosecutors learned from their star witness that she had had a sexual relationship with the undercover FBI agent who drove her to all the meetings where she secretly taped and delivered cash to the New Orleans Democrat. But according to court documents unsealed last week, the FBI and its Office of Professional Responsibility knew at least as far back as last December that the agent, John Guandolo, had had an intimate relationship with a confidential source that he thought could damage an investigation. But they never passed that information to the U.S. attorney’s office…”

So a government investigation of governmental corruption may be derailed by the corrupt behavior of a government agent. Frankly, I don’t see the sexual relationship in this case as relevant. Maybe the FBI has rules against their agents fooling around with witnesses. Well, give the agent a reprimand for having too much fun and a gold star if the case against the Congressman isn’t overturned.