Date Published: 06/17/09

Jefferson: $100,000 bribe meant for Atiku -Prosecutors

Abubakar Atiku

Former U.S Rep. William Jefferson fully intended to deliver a $100,000 bribe to the Maryland home of the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, in July 2005, but bad timing pre-empted the exchange and prompted Jefferson to stash most of the cash in his freezer, the government’s chief prosecutor said yesterday.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Lytle said the former Democratic congressman from New Orleans became involved in various illegal schemes as he tried to deal with mounting personal debts.

He said Jefferson and his wife, Andrea, owed $62,000 on credit cards at one point and had 70 overdrafts of their bank accounts, along with the accompanying penalties and interest payments.

But instead of choosing an honest way to meet his obligations, Lytle said, Jefferson "chose corruption."

A 16-count indictment against Jefferson alleges that he engaged in bribery, racketeering, money laundering and other crimes by using his influence as a member of Congress to broker business deals in Africa. Jefferson has pleaded innocent.

Lytle delivered the government’s opening statement in the case today. Defense attorney Robert Trout is expected to lay out Jefferson’s defense after the court recessed for lunch. The prosecution may then call its first witness later today.

Lytle’s explanation of the "cold cash" recovered by FBI agents in a raid of Jefferson’s home goes to what some had seen as a possible weakness in the federal case, the fact that the marked money had never been delivered to Atiku, meaning that the former congressman was not using it as a bribe.

Lytle said the prosecution will show that Abubaker was in the process of leaving the country and that Jefferson was unable to deliver the payment when he first intended.

The money was given to Jefferson by Virginia businesswoman Lori Mody, who became a cooperating witness for the government after complaining to the FBI that Jefferson was trying to defraud her.

Lytle confirmed to the jury that he did no plan to call Mody as a witness in the trial, but said the many tapes of conversations between her and Jefferson "will put you in the room with Lori Mody and the congressman."

He said the tapes will show a relationship with Jefferson as the "teacher" and Mody as the student and the course is "lessons in crime." He called the impact of the tapes, "Simply stunning."

A jury of eight women and four men was seated for the trial last week. Judge T.S. Ellis III has said he expects the trial to last four to six weeks.

Jefferson served nine terms in congress representing the New Orleans-based 2nd Congressional District before being defeated last December by Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao.

Jefferson’s defense team is expected to argue that what the government describes as schemes were private business dealings between Jefferson and others and not subject to the federal bribery statutes. They also are expected to attack Mody’s credibility and motives in helping the government with its surveillance.