Congress freezes Jefferson ethics probe at Justice Department request

Avatar http://rawstory.com Posted by admin 380 days ago



The House Ethics Committee stopped its probe into the actions of Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) upon the request of the Justice Department. The Justice Department had warned that the investigation would interfere with the government's prosecution of Jefferson, who was indicted on 16 public corruption counts in June.

"[A]fter careful deliberation, the Investigative Subcommittee has voted to refrain at this time, [emphasis original] from attempting to interview or depose witnesses linked to the criminal proceedings involving Representative Jefferson," according to a Friday, Aug. 3 press release from the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

The Committee added that it had received 'multiple communications' from the Department of Justice, "expressing concern that such investigative actions might create legal or factual issues that would complicate or impede the criminal prosecution and related law enforcement efforts in this matter."

But the ethics investigators also said that they would "consider pursuing avenues of inquiry that it concludes do not interfere with the criminal indictment" of Jefferson.

The Ethics Committee's action was first reported by Roll Call's Susan Davis.

While Congress has deferred to the Justice Department on its ethics investigation, the move comes on the heels of a federal appeals court's Friday ruling that the Justice Department overstepped constitutional boundaries when the FBI raided Jefferson's Congressional office in 2006.

The House Ethics Committee resumed its investigation of Jefferson in June after Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed a 'pool' of House members who were able to serve on 'investigative subcommittees.' House Republican Leader John Boehner had criticized Pelosi for failing to continue the investigation of Jefferson that was first initiated in the 109th Congress.

RAW STORY also reported at the time that two of Pelosi's picks for the investigative 'pool' had donated to Jefferson's political campaign or legal defense fund. The Democratic member ultimately chosen for the investigative subcommittee, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), has not donated money to Jefferson. Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA), the Republican member appointed to the investigative subcommittee by Rep. Boehner, has donated to the campaign of Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ). Renzi is currently the subject of a federal investigation, and recently stepped down from his seat on the House Appropriations Committee.

The Ethics Committee's report can be downloaded at this link.

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