Jefferson-Nigerian taped talks offered

• By GERARD SHIELDS
• Advocate Washington bureau
• Published: Jul 7, 2009 - Page: 5A

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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Federal prosecutors spent Monday trying to tie former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson to the Nigerian vice president he allegedly intended to bribe.

FBI agent Timothy Thibault also told jurors in Jefferson’s bribery trial that he orchestrated from behind the scenes what the agency’s informant should say and do in instructing Jefferson.

Jefferson told the informant, Lori Mody, that then-Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar was critical to getting approval in a telecommunications deal in that country with a Kentucky firm that Jefferson was promoting.

“He can make everything work,” Jefferson said of Abubakar. “We need him.”

Federal prosecutors say Mody gave Jefferson $100,000 in marked FBI money to give to Abubakar.

The money, which Jefferson instructed her to pay, became infamous when FBI agents raided Jefferson’s Washington home in August 2005 and found $90,000 of it in his freezer.

The court day ended with testimony about Mody and Jefferson riding to Abubakar’s home and meeting with him.

The conversations between Jefferson and Mody going to and from the meeting were secretly recorded by Mody, as was the meeting with Abubakar.

Mody, who was wearing an FBI recording device, could be heard clearly in the recordings played in the courtroom Monday. Jefferson’s comments and Abubakar’s were inaudible.

Jurors were given transcripts of the exchanges.

Jefferson has pleaded innocent to 16 public corruption counts, including bribery, conspiracy, racketeering and money laundering.

The federal government said Jefferson used his congressional office and influence to push African business ventures in returns for payments to himself and family members.

Jefferson contends he was acting as a private businessman in the arrangements and he committed no official congressional acts for the companies such as appropriating money, voting or introducing legislation.