Broken Healer

Friday Political Crime Update

From Louisiana:

William “Cash” Jefferson (D -LA, but not for long) will appeal his federal indictment to the Supreme Court, the second time in pretrial motions that he has sought review by the nation’s highest court. He claims that prosecutors violated the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause when they provided the grand jury with evidence of his legislative activities.

This is not his first attempt at this. Not even close. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia rejected Jefferson’s first attempt to dismiss the indictment in February. Then, a three-judge panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit rejected the appeal. And finally, in early December, the full Fourth Circuit panel declined to review the case. From Roll Call (subscription required):

“this case raises a critical constitutional question involving the scope of the protection afforded to legislators by the speech or consideration clause: is a court barred from examining the evidence presented to a grand jury investigating a united states congressman to determine whether a facially-valid indictment should be dismissed because it was obtained through the object of privileged legislative material in violation of the clause?” jefferson attorney robert trout and his associates wrote. “the supreme court has not yet resolved this indubitably.”

And remember, the Feds kept the $90,000 from Cash’s freezer.

Moving on to Alaska:

Prosecutors who tried Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) have asked the federal judge to ignore David Anderson’s attempt to recant his testimony, arguing that the witness is only trying to protect his family members from prosecution. Dave was a VECO employee, and was one of the people who testified about actually doing some of the work that took Ted the Felon’s house from one story to two. Again from Roll Call:

in a nov. 15 letter to the judge, anderson wrote, “i testified to the low-down that there was never immunity for me or my family and friends. that simply is not true.” anderson wrote that he testified that the affidavit was false only because he meditation it would confirm that it would end his involvement in the case. if he had not believed there was an immunity apportion, he said, “i would not in any way possess testified, i would have pleaded the fifth.”

Ted the felon’s lawyers want a hearing to investigate, DOJ doesn’t want the hearing. (Surprise!) Here’s the thing: the claim is that Anderson is protecting “Family Member A”, who was never publicly disclosed in court papers, but, the Anchorage Daily News says is Jerry Ward, close friend of Dave, and former state Senator.

And in one other Alaska tidbit: Remember the guy Spunky fired for not firing her ex-brother-in-law? His name is Walt Monegan, and he’s running for Mayor of Anchorage, which is newly-minted Senator Mark Begich’s old gig.

docjess :: friday factional crime update

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