It was June 2007 that the U.S. House passed a resolution (373-26 votes) to investigate Rep. William Jefferson (DLA), who was indicted on corruption charges. Today, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported:
"Former Rep. William Jefferson was sentenced Friday to serve 13 years in prison for what the lead prosecutor described as "the most extensive and pervasive pattern of corruption in the history of Congress."
"While the sentence by federal Judge T.S. Ellis III fell well short of the 27 to 33 years recommended by the government, it is by the far the stiffest jail term ever imposed on a member or former member of Congress for crimes committed while in office.
"Jefferson, 62, was found guilty Aug. 6 on 11 charges, including soliciting bribes, depriving citizens of honest service, money laundering and using his office as a racketeering enterprise."
"Justice" ain't quick, is it?
Racial disparity: All active ethics probes focus on black lawmakers(http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29055.html)
The House ethics committee is currently investigating seven African-American lawmakers — more than 15 percent of the total in the House. And an eighth black member, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), would be under investigation if the Justice Department hadn’t asked the committee to stand down.
Not a single white lawmaker is currently the subject of a full-scale ethics committee probe.
( ... )
A document leaked to The Washington Post last week showed that nearly three dozen lawmakers have come under scrutiny this year by either the House ethics committee or the Office of Congressional Ethics, an independent watchdog created in 2008 at the insistence of Pelosi. While the list contained a substantial number of white lawmakers, the ethics committee has not yet launched formal investigative subcommittees with respect to any of them — as it has with the seven African-American members.
Posted by: flowerplough | November 18, 2009 at 05:29 PM
Could it be that members of one group are more likely to be unethical?
Posted by: John | November 24, 2009 at 02:14 PM