ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson was a political rock star in West Africa who was willing to wield his influence for financial benefit, but that is not a crime, his defense lawyer told a jury Wednesday.
Jefferson, a Democrat who represented parts of New Orleans before losing last year, is accused of receiving more than $400,000 in bribes and soliciting millions more in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa.
When FBI agents searched his Washington home in August 2005, they found $90,000 cash hidden in his freezer, wrapped in foil in boxes of frozen pie crust, which a prosecutor said was just the tip of the iceberg in the bribes.
Defense attorney Robert Trout told a jury during closing arguments that bribery laws are constructed narrowly and that while Jefferson may have engaged in unethical influence peddling, he never acted illegally.
He said providing access in Africa to top government leaders “is not an official act” under the bribery laws.
Under the defense theory, a bribe occurs only if Jefferson accepted money in exchange for conducting official duties such as voting a certain way or influencing legislation.
Prosecutors argue that using his influence to advance business deals falls within the settled duties of a congressman, akin to providing constituent service, and therefore qualifies as an official act under the bribery laws.
Prosecutor Rebeca Bellows said in her closing argument that Jefferson concocted numerous bribery schemes. The money was found in the freezer just days after authorities videotaped him accepting a suitcase at a northern Virginia hotel filled with $100,000 cash from a disgruntled businesswoman, Lori Mody, who became a cooperating witness for the FBI. Prosecutors say Jefferson intended to use the money to pay a bribe to the vice president of Nigeria.
The jury will begin deliberating today. If convicted on all 16 counts, which include money laundering, racketeering and obstruction of justice, Jefferson faces up to 235 years in prison.
