Gravitymaster 0 #1 November 8, 2006 Congressman Jefferson Probe Leads to Crisis in Nigerian Government Brian Ross and Joseph Rhee Report: Nigerian officials say the bribery investigation of Congressman William Jefferson (D-La.) has uncovered a massive corruption scheme involving several members at the highest levels of the Nigerian government. Acting on information provided by the FBI, Nigerian fraud investigators have now indicted Vice President Atiku Abubakar on 14 counts of corruption, involving tens of millions of dollars allegedly diverted from government accounts. According to Nuhu Ribadu, head of a new anti-corruption squad created by Nigeria's president, $23 million of the diverted money is still missing. Ribadu said $6.7 million of the missing funds has been traced to a U.S. company tied to Congressman Jefferson's family. Ribadu said, "He, as a congressman of the U.S.A., he used that position to initiate and transact business in Nigeria, and as a result of it, money was taken out from the government of Nigeria, and that money was lost." During the case, Nigerian investigators discovered that their vice president was living part of the year in a $2 million mansion outside Washington, D.C., purchased in the name of his fourth wife, an American. It was here in July of 2005, investigators say, that Jefferson met with Vice President Abubakar to allegedly discuss steering a Nigerian telecommunications contract to the U.S. firm. According to the FBI, at that meeting Abubakar demanded up to half of the future profits in the deal in exchange for his assistance. In August, $90 thousand of marked FBI cash was found in Jefferson's freezer, money that the FBI says was the first installment of a $500,000 bribe to the Nigerian vice president to help further the business deal. Jefferson has not yet been charged with a crime and is running for re-election. Maintaining that he is innocent, Jefferson said, "I never intended to dishonor my office...and I certainly did not sell my office." In an interview with ABC News, Vice President Abubakar denied any wrongdoing, saying, "The allegations against me have no substance because it cannot be proved." He said he neither asked for nor received a kickback or a bribe and said that Jefferson was using his name to defraud American investors. According to Abubakar, "He betrayed my trust, and he betrayed the trust of my country." Several other top Nigerian officials, including a state governor, have also been implicated in the scheme to divert government funds, triggering a political crisis in Parliament. Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo was forced to go on television to declare a state of emergency after the indicted governor apparently fled the country. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hmmmmmmm.....I wonder if this will get investigated? - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,148 #2 November 8, 2006 Quote Hmmmmmmm.....I wonder if this will get investigated? - Ney. Sorry, I meant "Nay".... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 102 #3 November 8, 2006 QuoteHmmmmmmm.....I wonder if this will get investigated? Also, let's see how deep it gets buried in the newspapers, if it gets reported by the drive by broadcast media. He was reelected. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 102 #4 November 8, 2006 QuoteQuote Hmmmmmmm.....I wonder if this will get investigated? - Ney. Sorry, I meant "Nay". Ney faced the wrath of his colleagues, and also from Democrats, they wanted him to resign a long time ago. However, Jefferson did not face such pressure. I think you would call that hypocritical, I would also. Thans for reminding us of another sleezy Democratic politician that won't resign, and how the Democrats are hypocritical. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gravitymaster 0 #5 November 8, 2006 This is clearly a double standard. Had Jefferson specifically railed against taking money from Nigeria, it would be hypocracy. Had he railed against taking money from China and then taken money from Nigeria, that too would be a double standard. (Actually, he'd be thought of as a hero for taking money from the Chinese. It would be looked as as engaging the enemy in useful business transactions with the long term goal of bringing them around on human rights issues). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NCclimber 0 #6 November 8, 2006 QuoteNey faced the wrath of his colleagues, and also from Democrats, they wanted him to resign a long time ago. However, Jefferson did not face such pressure. I think you would call that hypocritical, I would also. Thans for reminding us of another sleezy Democratic politician that won't resign, and how the Democrats are hypocritical. I seem to recall that right after the feds found the $100K in his freezer, a number of leading Democrats distanced themselves from him. While I don't recall if any Dems spoke against him, I did notice no one (except a few members of the Black causus) was defending him. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gravitymaster 0 #7 November 8, 2006 QuoteQuoteNey faced the wrath of his colleagues, and also from Democrats, they wanted him to resign a long time ago. However, Jefferson did not face such pressure. I think you would call that hypocritical, I would also. Thans for reminding us of another sleezy Democratic politician that won't resign, and how the Democrats are hypocritical. I seem to recall that right after the feds found the $100K in his freezer, a number of leading Democrats distanced themselves from him. While I don't recall if any Dems spoke against him, I did notice no one (except a few members of the Black causus) was defending him. Their usual tactic is to criticize enough to be PC, get on the record, and then let it fade away because they know people have short memories. - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,148 #8 November 8, 2006 Ney waited until after his conviction to resign. Delay didn't step aside as House GOP leader until after he was indicted. Jefferson hasn't even been indicted. Why do you have such a double standard?... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #9 November 8, 2006 Quote Ney waited until after his conviction to resign. Delay didn't step aside as House GOP leader until after he was indicted. Jefferson hasn't even been indicted. Why do you have such a double standard? He's trying to shift a bit Left? Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 102 #10 November 8, 2006 Quote Ney waited until after his conviction to resign. Delay didn't step aside as House GOP leader until after he was indicted. Jefferson hasn't even been indicted. Why do you have such a double standard? Delay was willing to talk about the details of his assertion that he wasn't guilty. Ney has claimed innocence, but wasn't willing to discuss it, and his own party didn't believe him at all, they wanted him to resign a long time ago. Has Jefferson tried to explain how he isn't guilty of corruption? I think that Jefferson is around because the Dems are completely defiant in the face of scandal, almost no matter how bad it looks. But they attack Repubs at the slightest hint of scandal, then have the nerve to claim hypocrisy. The scandalous matters at hand are not revolving around Christian values and such, so I don't think the claim that "Republicans claim to be the party of moral values" works to deflect my assertion of hypocrisy.People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #11 November 8, 2006 Quote Ney waited until after his conviction to resign. Delay didn't step aside as House GOP leader until after he was indicted. Jefferson hasn't even been indicted. Why do you have such a double standard? In all reasonable fairness, I'm still waiting for his explanation of what the F#(k that money was doing in his freezer. Sometimes management makes bad decisions on hiring, firing and retaining employees. You've all seen me recently post my opinion that a vote for a legislator is usually best cast "for the team". Well, this is the exception. The voters are Jefferson's management. His re-election doesn't pass my smell test for a good management decision. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,148 #12 November 8, 2006 QuoteQuote Ney waited until after his conviction to resign. Delay didn't step aside as House GOP leader until after he was indicted. Jefferson hasn't even been indicted. Why do you have such a double standard? In all reasonable fairness, I'm still waiting for his explanation of what the F#(k that money was doing in his freezer. Sometimes management makes bad decisions on hiring, firing and retaining employees. You've all seen me recently post my opinion that a vote for a legislator is usually best cast "for the team". Well, this is the exception. The voters are Jefferson's management. His re-election doesn't pass my smell test for a good management decision. No-one ever claimed that US voters have good taste. However, asking for a non-indicted Dem congressman scum to step down when a GOP congressman scum has waited until after conviction to step down IS a double standard. "Not so fast, buckaroo. Here in America, one is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty.", John Rich 9/28/2005 "Perhaps you should withhold judgement until you see what happens in court.", John Rich, 9/28/2005... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 102 #13 November 8, 2006 QuoteHowever, asking for a non-indicted Dem congressman scum to step down when a GOP congressman scum has waited until after conviction to step down IS a double standard. You are mistaking the position of an individual for the position of the leadership. The Republicans wanted Ney to resign, but he refused, and the leadership can't make him do it. Big difference.People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
