Tuesday, July 11, 2006

FBI search of Rep. William Jefferson's Capitol offices was perfectly legal

No word yet on why Congressman Jefferson likes his bribe money on ice...

A federal judge in Washington yesterday said the FBI's search of Rep. William J. Jefferson's Capitol Hill offices in a bribery investigation -- which ignited a firestorm of protest in Congress -- was legal and denied efforts by defense attorneys to have the seized documents returned.

U.S. District Chief Judge Thomas Hogan, in a 28-page opinion, described the "facts and questions of law presented" by the May 20 weekend raid on the Louisiana Democrat's office as "indeed unprecedented," but said it was "well-established" that a member of Congress was as bound to criminal laws "as are ordinary persons."

Judge Hogan set aside complaints by House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, Illinois Republican, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, who vigorously argued that the seizure of legislative papers from Mr. Jefferson's office violated the legislative branch's independence and protections afforded members by the "speech or debate" clause of the Constitution.


Memo to the government, Democrats and Republicans. The people of the US don't like corrupt government officials. We. Don't. Like. Corrupt. Officials. Period.

This is news to Republican Hastert and Domecrat Pelosi, apparently. If the FBI catches you taking bribes you're in deep shit. It may be "unprecedented" and it's certainly disgusting, but it better lead to jail time.

Adios Jefferson. Hopefully you can live without a freezer for your cash in prison...