Mr. Cold Cash To Get Homeland Security Seat? (Wizbang)

Greg Tinti is blogging on the most ethical Congress in history:

After being videotaped accepting a $100,000 cash bribe by the FBI and busted with $90,000 worth of loot in his freezer, Democratic Congressman William Jefferson--currently facing an ongoing federal corruption probe--is being awarded a seat on the House Homeland Security Committee.

Paul Kane at the Washington Post is reporting:

The appointment will be announced Friday, according to one aide who requested anonymity because the decision isn't yet official.

Jefferson was removed from his seat on the Ways and Means Committee, one of the most important panels in Congress, by Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) last summer in an attempt to show how seriously Democrats viewed the allegations of corruption.

But the move by Pelosi, who was still minority leader at the time, infuriated members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who said Jefferson shouldn't be punished unless he is indicted; federal prosecutors have yet to bring an indictment, despite an FBI raid 18 months ago on his home that yielded $90,000 in cash in his freezer.

Other lawmakers were angling for the seat on Homeland Security, which was the last slot available on the panel, according to another Democratic aide.

I won't believe this one until it is official. If this comes to pass, chalk it up to fear of the CBC. If Jefferson gets a seat on the House Homeland Security Committee, Republicans will have an irresistible target.

Comments (12)

p'p' will be along in a min... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by jhow66 | February 16, 2007 1:08 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

jhow66:

p'p' will be along in a minute.

Posted on February 16, 2007 01:08

*waiting on the trolls with... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by Ran | February 16, 2007 2:42 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Ran:

*waiting on the trolls with the old "But look at your guys!"*........SOS...... different thread.

Posted on February 16, 2007 02:42

Like I have said before... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by Rob LA Ca. | February 16, 2007 5:47 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Rob LA Ca.:

Like I have said before , The "CRIMINAL" Democrat Party of Perpetual Fraud. They prove me right all by themselves.

Posted on February 16, 2007 05:47

Hey, at least the bad guys ... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by nikkolai | February 16, 2007 7:01 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

nikkolai:

Hey, at least the bad guys know his price. With Nancy and the rest, they have to guess. "Jeff" will never get security clearance--he'll be shut out of any closed door meetings.

Posted on February 16, 2007 07:01

Good point nik. Real smart... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by epador | February 16, 2007 8:46 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

epador:

Good point nik. Real smart way to load a committee with a guy who won't know what he's voting for. Its the Democratic Way.

Posted on February 16, 2007 08:46

I am a native New Orleanian... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by doctorj | February 16, 2007 9:50 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

doctorj:

I am a native New Orleanian and think the lack of help to the area by this administration is corrupt, immoral and incompetent. That being said Mr. Jefferson belongs in jail, not in Congress. How long will it take to get him there?

Posted on February 16, 2007 09:50

Maybe we can buy him off th... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by drjohn | February 16, 2007 10:06 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

drjohn:

Maybe we can buy him off the committee....

Posted on February 16, 2007 10:06

Yeah...let's go after the D... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by catcall | February 16, 2007 10:38 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

catcall:

Yeah...let's go after the Democrat who looks guilty (and probably is), while forgetting about the Repub's that are already in jail. Looks like standard operating procedure on the hill.
If you complain about the corrupt Democrat's, you should at least acknowledge that the Repub's set the bar pretty high in the last few years in terms of bribes. Don't want to admit or believe it? Just crack open the Duke Cunningham case and take a look at all of the things the #3 at the CIA helped him get. Ya know, a Rolls Royce, yacht, and oh yeah, hookers in Hawaii.
I will admit having Jefferson on the House Homeland Security Committee makes no sense. But, what is scarier, Democrat's putting Jefferson in a place where he will not able to do anything or the Repub's putting Rep. Foley in as chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children?
Both sides are corrupt, stop being blinded by partisanship.

Posted on February 16, 2007 10:38

Anybody know why they haven... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by Falze | February 16, 2007 10:53 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Falze:

Anybody know why they haven't indicted him, yet? Is there so much that they're still coming up with more stuff to bring to a grand jury? This seems like an awful long time - but maybe it's not.

Posted on February 16, 2007 10:53

Say what you will, with a j... (Below threshold)

10. Posted by madmatt | February 16, 2007 1:16 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

madmatt:

Say what you will, with a justice department run by rethugs he is still unindicted...can't say the same for some rethug politicians.

Posted on February 16, 2007 13:16

"Republicans will have an i... (Below threshold)

11. Posted by Devil's Advocate | February 16, 2007 2:16 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Devil's Advocate:

"Republicans will have an irresistible target."

Dems: 1 under investigation -- Repugnicans: 21 either convicted, under indictement, or under investigation, and counting...

Posted on February 16, 2007 14:16

I'm a little disturbed that... (Below threshold)

12. Posted by iaintbacchus | February 16, 2007 6:58 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

iaintbacchus:

I'm a little disturbed that he go re-elected given the evidence against him. But since he did, and he is getting paid to be there, he needs to be serving on some commitee or he's just an elected welfare recipient.
Given the performance of the executive branch's homeland security arm, I'd say they chose the right one.

Posted on February 16, 2007 18:58