Former Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) Convicted on 11 of 16 Counts of Bribery by Federal Jury

Former Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) has been convicted by a federal jury of taking bribes on 11 of 16 counts in a case in which FBI agents found $90,000 in his freezer during a search in August, 2005. The money was found in a freezer in his Washington, D.C. home, wrapped in foil and hidden in frozen food containers, including a box for pie crusts and another for veggie burgers. He was accused of taking more than $400,000 in bribes and seeking millions in exchange for brokering business deals in Africa, especially in Nigeria. It took jurors five days to reach a verdict after an eight week trial. Prosecutors accused the former congressman of hiding the bribes by funneling money disguised as consulting fees through sham companies, which were controlled by his wife and brother.

Much of the case, legally speaking, turned on whether Jefferson's deal-brokering constituted an "official act" under federal bribery laws. Jefferson has disputed a claim by prosecutors that the freezer cash was bribe money. How does one justify having so much money hidden in the freezer in such a meticulous manner?

Jefferson graduated from Harvard Law School and represented Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District, which includes most of the New Orleans area. He held office for 18 years, or nine terms, before he lost his House seat in the December 2008 election. During his term in office, he served on the House Ways and Means Committee's subcommittee on trade and he also served on the Budget Committee and co-chaired the caucus on Africa Trade and Investment and the caucus on Nigeria. What a shameful end to a long political career.