(Ju-u-u-u-st great...) Filing: Tape Shows Lawmaker Taking $100G

A congressman under investigation for bribery was caught on videotape accepting $100,000 in $100 bills from an FBI informant whose conversations with the lawmaker also were recorded, according to a court document released Sunday. Agents later found the cash hidden in his freezer.

At one audiotaped meeting, Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., chuckles about writing in code to keep secret what the government contends was his corrupt role in getting his children a cut of a communications company's deal for work in Africa.

As Jefferson and the informant passed notes about what percentage the lawmaker's family might receive, the congressman "began laughing and said, 'All these damn notes we're writing to each other as if we're talking, as if the FBI is watching,'" according to the affidavit.

Jefferson, who represents New Orleans, has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060522/ap_on_go_co/congressman_probe_11

Should the House leadership make him resign, or should they wait until he's proven guilty?

Not sure what they can do without the ethics committee taking some sort of vote. They wouldn't do anything for DeLay and won't do anything for Ney so, hard to see how they'll magically do something just for this guy.

...by commissioning a third party to do a thorough investigation and asking Jefferson to cooperate. If he obstructs or if the investigation proves him dirty, the Dems should kick him out of the Democratic caucus and run a primary challenger against him or just (gulp) give up on the seat.

We CANNOT play the same "Ethics? We don' need no stinking ethics!" games as the GOPpies. If they refuse to allow a competent, effective, nonpartisan ethics committee to operate, we have to demonstrate how it SHOULD be done.

adamantly,
Bright