Kentucky man pleads guilty to bribing lawmaker (Dirty Dem)

[WhiteTara]

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyid=2006-05-03T181900Z_01_N03378209_RTRUKOC_0_US-CRIME-JEFFERSON.xml

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Kentucky businessman pleaded guilty on Wednesday to bribing Louisiana Democratic Rep. William Jefferson in an African Internet venture, the U.S. Justice Department said.

Louisville technology executive Vernon Jackson has pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery, and will help investigators as they examine Jefferson's dealings with Jackson's company, iGate Inc., the Justice Department said.
snip

According court records filed in the plea deal, Jefferson helped secure a deal with a Nigerian company, Netlink Digital Television, to deploy iGate's high-speed Internet technology throughout Africa and when that deal turned sour secured $45 million from a Virginia investment firm.

snip

Jefferson traveled to Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon to promote iGate's technology and sought financing through the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the documents say.

In return, Jefferson demanded payments to a company maintained in the name of his wife and children, according to the documents.

Get rid of the bum. We don't need any pigs feeding at the trough.

[SteppingRazor]

1. oh, heavy sigh... well, whattaya expect out of Louisiana?

I mean, say what you want about the state's political history, but "corruption-free" isn't the first word that comes to mind.

[papau]

2. Why are there no charges against the Congressman, even as the

fellow who did a bribe pleds out?

Do you really trust the Bush Justice Dept to not spin the news release and the write up of the "documents" released?

[Orsino]

3. Finally, a Congressman we can investigate! n/t

[WhiteTara]

4. so what are you saying here?

:shrug:

[papau]

5. Political choices in prosecutorial discretion have been known to happen

:-)