William Jefferson - Constitutional Crisis?

[Joseph]

Re: William Jefferson - Constitutional Crisis?

Originally posted by Ogie Oglethorpe
OK heres what I think happened, Congressman William Jefferson was apparently surveilled in a sting operation and was found to accept $100,000 in bribes from an FBI informant.

FBI found $90000 in his home and got a warrant from the judicial to search Jeffersons Congressional office.

Both Demonrats, Repugs, and pundits of boths sides are completely over the edge claiming consitutional intrusion on the separation of powers of executive, judicial and legislative.

Question 1) Where does the consitution provide that the legislative is immune to criminal investigation? Or more to thepoint where does the constitutionprovide that congressional offices are sacrosanct from criminal investigation?

Question 2) On the matter of criminal investigation and separation of powers, I beleive this defense was part and parcel of Nixons attempts to avoid turning over his tapes. The judical ruled accordingly that in the matters of criminal investigation Presidential priveldge doesn't hold. Why then would the legislative have sancturary?


Can someone help me understand on what legal basis the legislative attempts to base their arguements?


On side notes, the fact that this is supported by both Dems and Repugs only furthers my revulsion of the legislative and convinces me they all have something to hide.

I likewise am extremely dissapointed in Newt Gingrich, author of contract for America, who has lately supported the constitutional separation of powers arguement members of the legislative are pushing. Afterall, it was Newt who authored

The main problem here is, Mr. Jefferson may have a list of names of others who are also on the take. The last thing the others want is their name to show up on any list in his office.

[Sava]

Politicians found guilty of corruption should be sent to Gitmo.

Same with the people who bribe them.



I'm completely serious, BTW.

It's time to clean up this ****ing country. Clearly, the current methods are insufficient.

We send terrorists to Gitmo... but who does more damage to this country, some guy herding sheep in Afghanistan? Or a corrupt politician wasting billions of our tax dollars?

If you ask me, we are hunting down the wrong people.

[Berzerker]

Hastert said the order would "give us some time to step back and try to negotiate with the Department of Justice."

He means time to destroy or hide evidence...

Congress declares war based on Executive branch BS and not a peep, but now the FBI is investigating congressional corruption and Congress gets mad

Righto. Although I doubt the Abramoff scandal has much by way of legs anymore. Or if it has legs, it might hit some interesting random targets (like Reid).

Yup, Reid and Hastert sent letters off to Gale Norton at the Interior to block the construction of an Indian casino in Louisiana within days of getting big money from Abramoff and his clients. Turns out Sam Brownback of Kansas got big money from Abramoff to block a casino near Kansas City. This is a big crisis, not the constitutionality of FBI investigations, but the widespread corruption touching so many bigshot pols and their attempts to block justice. If they win the rule of law is a joke and we're no better than Putin...

[DanS]

I think they'll negotiate a settlement whereby the executive swears not to raid a congressional office again except under extraordinary circumstances (which Jefferson's case does not rise to) and the evidence in Jefferson's office is admitted.

[DinoDoc]

Why should Congressmen be free to conduct illegal enterprises out of thier offices with impunity?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Why should Congressmen be free to conduct illegal enterprises out of thier offices with impunity?

I thought that was there job description .

[DinoDoc]

Well there is a difference between honest and dishonest graft, Imran.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yeah, that honest **** is too wierd for me.

[DanS]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Why should Congressmen be free to conduct illegal enterprises out of thier offices with impunity?

Presumably, the congress could punish its own in this regard.

[DinoDoc]

Well, where's the punishment? Has this guy even lost the committee seat?

[DanS]

Definitely. Although he might not acknowledge it yet. As far as this guy's office is concerned, he's toast.

[Ned]

I understand that the Attorney General and the FBI Director will resign if they are forced to return the materials siezed from the criminal's House office.

"WASHINGTON, May 26 — Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, the F.B.I. director, Robert S. Mueller III, and senior officials and career prosecutors at the Justice Department told associates this week that they were prepared to quit if the White House directed them to relinquish evidence seized in a bitterly disputed search of a House member's office, government officials said Friday."

NY Times, May 27, 2006.

[GePap]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Why should Congressmen be free to conduct illegal enterprises out of thier offices with impunity?

Why is the president?

After all, an independent prosecutor can;t just storm the White House and take documents from the President. I doubt that if Congress began impeachment proceedings it could order White House files searched at rabdom.

Members of government aren't like you and me. That has always been the case.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Winston
But then it struck me, the guy's a Democrat! Of course it would take someone as unprincipled and shameless as Ogie to even raise the issue.

Actually, the Democrats have been very quiet about this, asking Jefferson to resign behind closed doors. It's the Repugs who are up in arms about the Seperation of Powers, and rumor has it, because Speaker Hastert is also on the Fed's chopping block.

[Ned]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


Actually, the Democrats have been very quiet about this, asking Jefferson to resign behind closed doors. It's the Repugs who are up in arms about the Seperation of Powers, and rumor has it, because Speaker Hastert is also on the Fed's chopping block.

I agree. Che. Bush and Hastert are creating ANOTHER problem for Republicans by supporting corruption in Congress.

I say Bully for the Dems and the AG and the FBI Director.