BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, whose Washington office was raided by the FBI amid a federal bribery investigation, will face a dozen challengers in the November election. The official sign-up period for Louisiana's Nov. 7 congressional election ended Friday. In Louisiana, there are no earlier party primaries; if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote on Election Day, the top two go to a December runoff.| Way to go Democrats, showing a united front as always, and everyone on-message. |
Although some are lesser-knowns, a few challengers carry significant name recognition, political ties and fundraising potential that could lead the eight-term Democrat into his first hard-fought race in years. Several candidates said the New Orleans-based district needs someone focused on hurricane recovery, rather than a federal investigation that has embroiled Jefferson. Jefferson framed his opponents as opportunists who won't succeed in unseating him.| They reelected Nagin, after all... |
Jefferson was accused of using his position to promote the sale of telecommunications equipment and services offered by iGate, a Louisville-based firm that sought contracts with African nations, and of soliciting bribes in return. The FBI said it found $90,000 stashed in a freezer in his home. Two men have been convicted as part of the scandal. A federal appeals court temporarily delayed the bribery investigation while Jefferson challenges the legality of the unprecedented FBI raid on his Capitol Hill office. Jefferson has not been charged with a crime and has denied wrongdoing, but was stripped of his seat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee because of the investigation. |