Rep. Jefferson Indicted--Call Me Surprised

After finding $90,000 in the Congressman's freezer related to a bribery probe, you would think an indictment would be a slam dunk. Well, it was:

Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., was indicted Monday on federal charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes and money-laundering in a long-running bribery investigation into business deals he tried to broker in Africa.

The indictment handed up in federal court in Alexandria., Va., Monday is 94 pages long and lists 16 alleged violations of federal law that could keep Jefferson in prison for up to 235 years, according to a Justice Department official who has seen the document.

Among the charges listed in the indictment, said the official, are racketeering, soliciting bribes, wire fraud, money-laundering, obstruction of justice, conspiracy and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case.

Jefferson is accused of soliciting bribes for himself and his family, and also for bribing a Nigerian official.

Of course, a decent prosecutor can get someone indicted, and there is still a matter of a trial to prove Jefferson guilty, but it doesn't lend itself to the cause that the Democrats are running a clean ship.