Justice Dept: Jefferson tried to Hide Papers

This makes you think of Sandy Berger (Clinton's former national security adviser) stuffing papers into his pants, socks and briefcase. (oh yeah, an honest mistake but when he was found guilty it was intentional) Perhaps Congressman Jefferson learned from Berger!! The "Culture of Corruption" goes way back.

Via Washington Post

The Justice Department yesterday vigorously defended the recent weekend raid of Rep. William J. Jefferson's Capitol Hill office as part of a bribery investigation, asserting that the Democratic lawmaker attempted to hide documents from FBI agents while they were searching his New Orleans home last August.
The government questioned in a 34-page motion filed in U.S. District Court here whether it could have obtained all the materials it had sought in a subpoena if it had not launched the surprise raid on Jefferson's congressional office May 20. According to the government filing, an FBI agent caught Jefferson slipping documents into a blue bag in the living room of his New Orleans home during a search.

Sounds deliberate to me by Jefferson..... This is ridiculous making the Justice Dept the bad guys for investigating the crooks!!

"It is my belief that when Congressman Jefferson placed documents into the blue bag, he was attempting to conceal documents that were relevant to the investigation," FBI agent Stacey E. Kent of New Orleans stated in an affidavit that was part of the government's court submission. The document was filed in response to Jefferson's lawsuit demanding that the government return to him documents seized during the raid on his Capitol Hill office 11 days ago.
Robert P. Trout, Jefferson's attorney, said he would refrain from commenting pending further review of the government's documents. Meanwhile, the recent FBI raid spurred new tensions between Congress and the administration, as a House committee chairman vowed to interrogate top Justice Department officials.

Why not the opposite? Let the top Justice Dept question the House committee? This is the kicker.....Now, a threat of drafting a bill for a new law to protect Congress and their offices at the Capital.

Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) said he wants Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III to appear "up here to tell us how they reached the conclusion" to conduct the raid, which Sensenbrenner called "profoundly disturbing" on constitutional grounds. The chairman also said that his committee "will be working promptly" to draft legislation that would clearly prohibit wide-ranging searches of lawmakers' offices by federal officials pursuing criminal cases.

How short is our memory? A.G. Gonzales is working hard and keeping our nation safer.

Via DOJ - April 14, 2005 -25th anniversary of National Victims' Rights Week- Operation FALCON has led to the highest number of arrests ever recorded for a single initiative of its kind.
Via DOJ - April 27, 2006 - For the week beginning April 17, more than 9000 fugitives were arrested and more than 10,000 felony warrants were closed.
The Marshals Service, joined by many federal, state, and local partners, targeted the worst-of-the-worst fugitive felons in the country. Among those arrested were more than 1100 fugitives wanted for committing felony sex offenses or violent sexual assaults, or for failing to register as sex offenders.

Speeches of Atty General Alberto Gonzales.

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