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“People who have more money should be free to buy more cars, more homes, more vacations, and more gizmos than the rest of us. They should not be able to buy more democracy." -Bill Moyers |
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For Immediate Release:
January 11, 2006 TheRestofUs.org Calls for the Immediate Resignation of Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson Former Jefferson Aide Pleads Guilty to Bribery, Conspiracy Charges In response to the guilty plea filed today in federal court by former Jefferson aide Brett Pfeffer, campaign watchdog TheRestofUs.org called for the immediate resignation of Congressman William Jefferson of Louisiana. "In light of the guilty plea of his former aide and alleged co-conspirator Brett Pfeffer, sufficient evidence has been presented of Mr. Jefferson's corruption and utter disregard for his constituents as to render impossible his continued representation of the people of Louisiana, if indeed it can be said that Mr. Jefferson was representing them at all," said Ned Wigglesworth, analyst for TheRestofUs.org. "We call on Representative Jefferson to resign immediately, that his constituents might receive the representation they deserve and so desperately need right now." Pfeffer pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and aiding and abetting the solicitation of bribes by a member of Congress. Although Rep. Jefferson's name is not mentioned in the plea, it is clear from the surrounding facts that it is Jefferson is the member of Congress in question. Pfeffer worked for Jefferson from 1995 to 1998, according to press accounts. In his guilty plea, Pfeffer states that in exchange for the congressman's help in obtaining loans and contracts in Africa for two telecom companies, Jefferson demanded a 5-7% stake in the companies. Jefferson is currently traveling in Europe and could not be reached for comment. "It should come as no surprise that an electoral system that emphasizes money over integrity, ideas, or leadership produces a series of representatives that value money over integrity, ideas, or their constituents," said Derek Cressman, director of TheRestofUs.org. "Cunningham, Jefferson, Ney, and DeLay are the end result of the stranglehold that wealthy interests have placed over representative democracy in this country. No progress will be made to uproot this problem without a comprehensive overhaul of our nation's campaign finance laws." #-#-#
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