STATEMENT FROM CREW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MELANIE SLOAN ON INDICTMENT OF REP. WILLIAM JEFFERSON

4 Jun 2007 // "Today’s 16 count indictment makes it abundantly clear that Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) can no longer effectively represent his constituents. As a result, he should resign immediately; anything less is unacceptable. Rep. Jefferson, who has already been kicked off the Ways and Means Committee, will be further marginalized now that he has been indicted. At a time when the citizens of Louisiana face so many serious challenges, they deserve a member of Congress dedicated to serving their needs rather than focused on his own criminal defense. It would be a welcome change if for once, a member of Congress would do the right thing and step aside, allowing someone untainted by scandal to take his seat.

The evidence against Rep. Jefferson, as laid out in today’s indictment and in the plea agreements of Vernon Jackson and Brett Pfeffer, is quite strong. It just goes to show that Rep. Jefferson’s legal wrangling over the search of his congressional office was merely an attempt to delay his inevitable prosecution. Thankfully, the Justice Department has not allowed Rep. Jefferson’s tactics to subvert its efforts to hold a corrupt member of Congress accountable for his crimes."

The full complaint is posted on the right

Rep. Jefferson was named one of the 20 most corrupt members of Congress in CREW's report, Beyond DeLay.

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Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions.

For more information, please visit www.citizensforethics.org or contact Naomi Seligman Steiner at 202.408.5565/press@citizensforethics.org.

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