Ex-Jefferson aide contradicts self
Print
Email
Save
Reprints
Twitter
Share
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — In a secretly recorded conversation played for the jury in the bribery trial of former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson on Wednesday, an ex-aide told the FBI’s key witness his old boss was doing nothing wrong in pushing a Nigerian telecommunications deal.
The recording contradicts statements made earlier in the week by Brett Pfeffer, a former Jefferson legislative assistant, who told the jury that Jefferson demanded a bribe of 5 percent to 7 percent of a company that they thought would earn “hundreds of millions” of dollars.
In the recorded conversation with Virginia businesswoman Lori Mody, who was wearing an FBI wire, Pfeffer refers to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff in explaining Jefferson’s involvement. Abramoff is in prison after pleading guilty three years ago in part for showering lawmakers with extravagant gifts in return for legislative favors.
“They were trying to change legislation, but we’re not,” Pfeffer tells Mody.
Defense lawyers contend Pfeffer’s comments aid Jefferson’s defense that he was acting as a private businessman in the Nigerian deal and did not conduct official duties such as appropriating government money, voting or introducing legislation.
On the witness stand, Pfeffer replied to the recording saying he told Mody the deal was OK in order to keep it from falling apart. Pfeffer pleaded guilty to bribery-related charges in the case and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors against Jefferson as part of his plea deal in hopes of getting his eight-year sentence reduced, he said.
“I lied to make sure I got business deals,” said Pfeffer, who has served two years. “I’m not lying as part of this deal.”
Pfeffer acknowledged to defense attorney Amy Jackson that he has met with prosecutors 10 to 15 times about the case since his arrest.
Jefferson has pleaded innocent to 16 counts of public corruption including bribery, conspiracy, racketeering and money laundering. Government prosecutors said the New Orleans Democrat used his congressional influence and office to promote African business deals in return for payments to himself and family members.
Most of the day in federal court on Wednesday was filled with both sides jousting over which secretly recorded conversations could be admitted at the trial. The prosecution said it has 120 clips that it intends to play.
Jefferson’s attorneys objected to Wednesday testimony by the lead FBI agent in the case, Timothy Thibault. The prosecution does not intend to call Mody to testify and plans to rely on Thibault to say that the recordings between Mody and other parties, including Jefferson, were authentic.
But Jefferson’s attorneys said that Thibault cannot talk about the recordings on the tape because he wasn’t at the Mody meetings.
Thibault is expected to take the stand again today
 | ||||
| Most Popular | Most Emailed | Hot Topics | ||
