Posted by denised in 
William Jefferson with wife Andrea (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
…what’s $90,000 in a freezer? At least that’s what the Rev. Aubrey Wallace, an assistant pastor and supporter of former Louisanna Congressman William Jefferson thinks. Jefferson, the really bad polticial boss famously known for getting busted at home with $90,000 wrapped in foil and hidden in boxes of pie crust in his freezer, was convicted Wednesday of accepting $400,000 in bribes and seeking millions more for brokering business deals in Africa.
The FBI has been investigating Jefferson since 2005 and found that the former congressman hid his crimes by disguising bribe money as consulting fees “earned” through sham companies controlled by his wife and brother. The prosecutor in the case says the 62 year old Jefferson could face more than 20 years in prison.
As is par for the course in these kinds of cases, despite a freezer full of evidence, Jefferson supporters are screaming conspiracy and citing his “good” work in the community. We see it differently. When really bad political bosses commit crimes in the communities they purport to help, they irreparably damage those communities, regardless of the number of babies they kiss or kids’ programs they support. It sends the wrong message to the children, and it says to the adults ‘you deserve less than honest, law abiding representation from our country’s government. ‘ Essentially, it lowers the bar, and that’s a dangerous message to send to anyone, particularly those already underserved and disadvantaged.
Read the whole sordid, frozen pie crust story here.
