Rep. William Jefferson Accuses FBI Agent Of Lying

Shame on the FBI for hollering at poor William "Dollar Bill" Jefferson. You know he is sensitive and you hurt his feelings. For that, all charges should be dismissed against Jefferson because it is illegal for an FBI agent to raise his voice to the man who needs to urinate often...yeah right!!!

That bad FBI agent should have let poor William "Dollar Bill" Jefferson pee in private or he should have at least offered to go to the drugstore and buy the Congressman a box of Depend Diapers. For that, all evidence against the Congressman should be dropped...yeah right!!!!

Now Congressman....why would you make this statement?

"If I got up from that sofa, may my children and grandchildren be struck dead. I never moved from that sofa," Jefferson said after the four-hour hearing in U.S. District Court. "I'm amazed an FBI agent would put his hand on a Bible and lie. It's scary."

You are the one that is scary, Jefferson. Wow, you gave the judge the proof he needed that you were not lying by offering into evidence your children and grandchildren as sacrificial lambs. What did you learn in law school?

Rep. William Jefferson Goes On A Tirade When Family Members Are Mentioned In His Corruption Scheme

Rep. William Jefferson, who comes across as Minnie Mouse on sleeping pills, suddenly turned into Hercules on steroids when federal prosecutors mentioned his wife, brother and son-in-law's name during a hearing yesterday. Their names were mentioned in reference to contracts and bank records as it relates to the corruption probe against Jefferson. The mere mentioned of his daughters invoked the following comment about his family:

His daughters are highly educated professionals with degrees from major universities, and he called son-in-law Jones a "six-year Ph.D. in environmental chemistry," to underscore their qualifications for the contracts they secured or companies they were put in charge of.

Well, Andrea Jefferson, Mose Jefferson, Philip Jones and the Jefferson daughters; continue on with your bad selves. It appears that the master has taught you well: corruption can run in families and even the educated can be corrupt.

Rep. William Jefferson's Hearing Continues Today

The embattled Rep. William Jefferson will give his song and dance today as he tries to have the government's evidence tossed in the garbage along with the statements he made to federal agents.

The congressman is expected to testify. Perhaps he may claim dementia or the devil made him do it during his testimony. Maybe he should take note from a script from Oliver Thomas' notebook: Forgive me for a lapse in judgment.

Although his trial is scheduled for February 25, we do expect his attorneys to dig deep into their bag of tricks to come up with new ideas to postpone the scheduled trial date.

New Orleans Inspector General Allowed To Hire Staff

The T-P has reported that the New Orleans' new inspector general can begin recruiting specialized investigators and legal staff.

Civil Service staffers agreed to create three new job classifications for auditing, criminal investigations and so-called "forensic engineering," specialists who evaluate the quality of public construction projects.

The commission approved 19 positions in those three main groups Monday. It also allowed the Ethics Review Board to hire three management-level positions: an executive director, legal counsel and a first assistant inspector general for legal affairs. The first assistant will report directly to Cerasoli.

Cerasoli and his new staff should now examine all of the old contracts, awarded to the City, if they want to stamp out corruption. This would make the citizens of New Orleans feel that this new watchdog group is moving in the right direction.

Can Jindal Change The "Corrupt Culture"?

I am a little pessimistic as to whether or not governor elect Bobby Jindal can change the corrupt culture here in New Orleans. It is so deep rooted and there is no strong incentive to make corrupt individuals stop their behavior.

If they do get caught, they can plea bargain in order to reduce their sentence. Later they are released from prison early and no one can truly say why. ( Remember Glen Haydel). They usually have strong political connections that allow them to do so much harm before they ever serve time. (Remember Henry Dillon). They can give their friends and relatives city contracts that only benefit those friends and relatives. (Remember Marc Morial). So forgive me if I do not have high hopes that things will change.

New Orleans' Crime Problems

Yes, New Orleans has a crime problem but so do other major cities. The problem will soon grow, however, when former residents, who are criminals, return to the "Big Easy" once they complete their sentences in other jurisdictions. How will New Orleans handle the influx of criminals from other states?

One criminal in particular comes to mind. This criminal is presently serving a sentence in Federal Way, Washington but as soon as he is done serving his time, he will be heading back to New Orleans.

The Feds Made A Big Mistake

When the federal government dropped money laundering charges against Stan "Pampy" Barre, that was the biggest mistake they could have ever made. They would have made out better if they dropped the mail fraud charge in lieu of the money laundering charge.

As a result of this blunder, they will never be able to pursue charges against his relatives who bragged about having a hand in his money laundering schemes. Since Mr. Barre is now a government informant, he has no incentive to discuss how those individuals laundered the ill gotten gains that he stole, from the City, for decades.

Is New Orleans On The Mend?

The City of New Orleans has hired an engineering management firm to oversee the repair of public assets and keep residents updated on the work.

MWH, formerly known as Montgomery Watson Harza, will earn an estimated $6 million to coordinate the work of architects, engineers and building contractors hired by the city to fix flood-damaged police and fire stations, streets, recreation centers, court buildings, museums, libraries and parks.

What Does Stan "Pampy" Barre & Marc Morial Have In Common?

They both have relatives serving time on home detention:
JACQUES MORIAL
Jacques Morial, brother of former Mayor Marc Morial, was sentenced to six months of home detention for failure to pay income taxes.
STAN "PAMPY" BARRE, III


Stan "Pampy" Barre, III, son of convicted felon Stan "Pampy" Barre, was sentenced to three months of home detention for residential burglary after reaching a plea agreement and having New Orleans Civil Sheriff Paul Valteau write him a "good boy" letter.
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Lessons Learned:
Jacques Morial apologizes for his actions.
Stan "Pampy" Barre, III tries to blame others for his actions.

Ethics Group Vaguely Accuse Sen. Mary Landrieu of Bribery

It appears that a watchdog group is trying to accuse Sen. Mary Landrieu of bribery. The T-P, however, mildly states the accusation:

An ethics watchdog group Tuesday asked the Justice Department and Senate Ethics Committee to investigate whether Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., violated federal bribery laws in getting a $2 million earmark for a reading program whose executives and lobbyists donated to her 2002 re-election campaign.

The money was earmarked for a Washington, D.C., public schools reading program operated by Voyager Expanded Learning, a Dallas company then headed by Randy Best.

The request for investigations came from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington via letters to the Senate Ethics Committee, the Department of Justice and the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana and the Northern District of Texas.

Was this some form of bribery?

"Sen. Landrieu appears to have traded a $2 million earmark for $30,000 in campaign contributions," said Melanie Sloan, the group's executive director. "It was a win-win situation for Best and Sen. Landrieu, but a lose-lose for the taxpayers and D.C. schoolchildren."

Be careful when making accusations.

Rep. William Jefferson Decides To Keep Corruption Running Smoothly In His Family

When it comes to Family Corruption In The Big Easy, the Jefferson Clan is now running front and center. It appears that his wife, brother, and son-in-law had their hands in the cookie jar:

The Justice Department is for the first time disclosing the names of family members it says are connected to the public corruption case against Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans.

The government brief says that "Family Member A" referred to in the 16-count criminal indictment of the congressman, is Andrea Jefferson, the congressman's wife; "Family Member B" is Mose Jefferson, the congressman's brother; and the congressman's son-in-law Philip Jones had a 2003 contract for 5 percent of each $7 million garbage-to-energy incinerator he helped LETH Energy, now Global Environmental Inc., sell in Nigeria.

William Jefferson, and his clan, has decided to bring new meaning to IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR.

Brad Pitt's "Make It Right Project" Shines

Let us give thanks to Brad Pitt and to all of those who contributed to this effort. New Orleans truly appreciate their contributions. Some of the donors are:

Angela Bassett, Bill Cosby, Tom Cruise, Carrie Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Laurence Fishburne, Will Ferrell, Goldie Hawn, Salma Hayek, Ethan Hawke, Angelica Huston, Samuel L. Jackson, Quincy Jones, Lenny Kravitz, Jack Nicholson, Keanu Reeves, Ving Rhames, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, Meg Ryan, Kevin Spacey, David Spade, Oprah Winfrey, Forest Whitaker, Denzel Washington, Barbra Streisand, Russell Simmons, brothers Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez, and brothers Branford and Wynton Marsalis.

May New Orleans' corrupt politicians and political operatives take note: You get more when you do the right thing.

New Orleans' Police Dept. Should Stop Shifting Responsibility

This wonderful editorial, from the T-P, needs to be preserve for future reference.

EDITORIAL: A more peaceful future
Sunday, January 06, 2008

New Orleanians understand very well the historic failings of the city's public schools, the scourge of the drug trade and the hardship of poverty.

Residents have watched for more than a decade as murderers got younger and some neighborhoods became killing zones for drug lords.

What they need to hear from the New Orleans Police Department is what it plans to do about violence in the city. Instead, Deputy Chief Marlon Defillo talked New Year's Eve about the obstacles presented by social ills. The problem "is far greater than the Police Department or the criminal justice system," he said.

That is true, but it is not a sufficient explanation for the city's high murder rate. Other cities face the same societal problems, but all of them reported fewer murders per capita than New Orleans did in 2007. The murder rates in Chicago and New York are the lowest they have been in years. Even historically violent cities like Detroit, Baltimore and Birmingham had a much lower per capita murder rate than New Orleans did last year.

At least some of the credit must go to the police in those cities. The same ought to be true here.

Let's agree that the crime rate is not the fault of any one agency or person. But the Police Department has a vital role in reducing crime no matter what the difficulties may be.
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To the New Orleans Police Force: Please do your job.

Corps Study Urges New Wall For Kenner

What about New Orleans?

The best method of defending Kenner's western flank from storm surges out of Lake Pontchartrain is to build a taller, sturdier wall near the existing West Return Canal floodwall, a new engineering analysis suggests.

Under that scenario, a new wall likely would be erected some 35 feet west of the current structure along the canal's east bank, which engineers said would have to be enlarged to enable construction.

The engineering study is part of the Army Corps of Engineers' commitment to provide 100-year protection throughout southeast Louisiana by 2011. In the case of the West Return Canal, corps engineers have already concluded that the existing wall -- finished in the early 1990s -- is not high enough to meet the new 100-year standards.

New Orleans' residents need protection from much more than storm surges.

Another Oliver Thomas Update

From the T-P:

Former New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas reported to an Atlanta federal prison Thursday to begin a three-year sentence for accepting $20,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Stan "Pampy" Barre who was seeking to retain a public parking garage contract, federal officials said.

Thomas, 50, was sentenced by a federal judge in November to serve 37 months for the felony, which he plead guilty to last summer. Thomas, whose resignation in August ended his 13-year career on the council, can reduce his stay behind bars by about 5 1/2 months through good behavior.

Under the so-called "good time'' provision, a well-behaved inmate can shave 54 days per year from a sentence.

Thomas entered the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta shortly after 12:30 p.m. Thursday, according to Felicia Ponce, a Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman

Former New Orleans Councilman Oliver Thomas Reports To Prison Today

Former New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas reports to a federal prison, in Atlanta, at noon today.

According to the Times Picayune, Thomas has said the following:

I just want to pay my debt to society,"; "I'm not angry at anybody. I've asked God to forgive me and I'm working to forgive myself. I want to move on with my life."

What the former Councilman failed to realize is that his debt to society will never be paid since he failed to cooperate with the federal governments' probe into political corruption. Yes, God will forgive him but can he really move on if deception remains a large part of his life?

One has to wonder: Why did Stan "Pampy" Barre feel so comfortable with approaching him in the first place? It is obvious that Stan "Pampy" Barre, did not feel that he could approach Nagin with such an offer. Stan "Pampy" Barre may be an ignorant individual but what did he see in Oliver Thomas? Apparently he felt that bribing Oliver Thomas would not be reported to the feds.

Additionally, it was reported several times that Oliver Thomas' guilty plea was part of a plea agreement between him and the U.S. attorney's office. At no time did he say that there was no plea agreement. Why would he later tell the judge that he could not "make up stuff"?

This statement is also troubling: On Wednesday, Thomas declined to elaborate on the matter but indicated he was at peace with the decision to maintain his silence.

If Oliver Thomas had no other information to provide to the feds, then why would he feel the need to "be at peace with the decision to maintain his silence"?

Lastly, Oliver Thomas should be placed in the Guinness Book of World Records if he want the citizens of New Orleans to believe that he will be serving a 37 month prison sentence for committing one crime. A criminal getting caught after their first crime is something that children may read about in fairy tales but adults know that that sort of thing NEVER HAPPENS.

Judgement Day for Oliver Thomas

Ollie will be reporting to the federal pen tomorrow as a result of accepting a bribe from Stan "Pampy" Barre. He will always be known for his refusal to cooperate with the government that would have helped the City rid itself of other corrupt individuals.

I hope he can live with that decision. One thing he should realize though is that the citizens of New Orleans will never forget "his lack of cooperation".

Happy New Year, New Orleans

I hope this year provide the city with hope and optimism. I believe the City will recover and become a great place to live. I would like to thank all of those who have not turned their backs on New Orleans. I am grateful for people like Brad Pitt who has devoted his time and money to help New Orleans rebuild.

I am also grateful for the U.S. Attorney's office who have worked diligently in cleaning out political corruption in our great city. Yes, we can rebuild; but we do need to attract businesses to the City. I believe we first must make corporations feel that they can do business, in our City, on an equal playing field if we are to succeed. Keep up the good work, Jim Letten, and I hope this is the year when more corrupt individuals are brought to justice.

Say It Ain't So Jefferson

Jefferson evidently had no idea how much legal danger he was about to get himself into. How could he have known that when he invited the FBI in for a chat a team of agents was positioned down the block, hidden from sight and ready to swarm his home to conduct a floor-to-ceiling search?

Did he think they were there for tea and crumpets?

"I said, 'Do you have time to speak to a couple of my agents? They want to talk to you,'¤" Bernazzani said. "He said fine .¤.¤. He was very gracious, very accommodating."

Bernazzani had nothing but kind words for the congressman.

"He was a gentleman. He's always a gentleman," the agent said.

With Jefferson's acquiescence, Bernazzani waved two other agents up from the street, introduced them to the congressman and left the Marengo Street house. Jefferson ushered agents Thibault and Daniel Evans into his living room and they all sat down.

We all have the FBI over, early in the morning, just for a chat. How did they ambush Jefferson with these tactics? It is time for William Jefferson to face the inevitable: A PRISON TERM

Could Sen. David Vitter Go To Jail?

Jail time is a possibility, for Senator David Vitter, if the D.C. Madam has her way:

The attorney for the "D.C. Madam" wants Sen. David Vitter, R-La., held in contempt of court for failing to adequately respond to a subpoena in her prostitution case. Lawyer Montgomery Sibley asked U.S. District Judge James Robertson to lock up the senator until he complies.

Vitter was subpoenaed to testify in mid-December at a hearing about telephone calls he placed to an escort service between 1999 and 2001, but the hearing was canceled. According to court papers, his attorney, Hank Asbill, said that the senator had no records requested by the defendant, Deborah Jeane Palfrey.

Nonetheless, her attorney told the court that Asbill "refuses to indicate what efforts were made by Sen. Vitter to comply with the subpoena of his documents" and that he wants the senator held in contempt. The judge has not ruled.

Should Vitter be held in contempt?