Jefferson pleads not guilty to bribery

Jefferson pleads not guilty to bribery

	Published : Fri, 08 Jun 2007 17:25 By : Agencies Print this Story

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - Rep. William Jefferson pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of soliciting more than $500,000 in bribes while using his office to broker business deals in Africa.

Jefferson, D-La., said he understood the charges during the federal court hearing. He was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.

'I am absolutely innocent of the charges that have been leveled against me,' Jefferson said afterward. 'I'm going to fight my heart out to clear my name.'

As conditions for his release, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III denied the congressman access to shotguns and rifles in his Louisiana home. Jefferson said the guns were used for hunting.

Ellis also ordered Jefferson to surrender his passport.

Jefferson, 60, will be allowed to travel in the Washington area and in Louisiana, but he will need approval for any other domestic or international travel, the judge said.

A 94-page indictment, handed down Monday, details 11 separate bribery schemes and 16 criminal counts, including racketeering, soliciting bribes, wire fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice.

If convicted, Jefferson faces a possible maximum sentence of 235 years. His trial is scheduled for January.

Robert Trout, Jefferson's lawyer, said the complexity of the case required Jefferson to waive his right to a speedy trial.

'This has been investigated for two years,' Trout said.

Prosecutor Mark Lytle said the government had compiled evidence filling eight file cabinets and had extensive tape recordings. The prosecution's case could take up to a month to present, he said.

According to court records, FBI agents videotaped Jefferson picking up a $100,000 cash bribe in 2005 from an informant in a hotel parking garage. Two days later, FBI agents raided Jefferson's home in Washington and found $90,000 in cash stuffed in a box in his freezer.

Jefferson alluded to that money on Friday, but he declined to answer any questions.

'The $90,000 was the FBI's money,' he said. 'The FBI gave it to me as part of its plan -- part of their plan -- that I would give it to the Nigerian vice president, but I did not do that. When all the facts are understood, I trust that I will be vindicated.'

According to court records, Jefferson told associates he needed cash to pay bribes to the country's vice president, Atiku Abubakar. Abubakar has denied the allegations.

Jefferson was re-elected last year. After his indictment, he resigned from the House Small Business Committee while maintaining his innocence.

On Thursday, a federal judge froze Jefferson's assets and the House ethics committee voted to expand its own investigation of Jefferson to include any subject in the 16-count corruption indictment.

Jefferson is the first U.S. official to face charges under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits corporate bribery overseas.