Jefferson hits House Dems up for cash — on Congressional letterhead
posted at 3:05 pm on January 5, 2007 by Allahpundit
I’ll give him a standing ovation for this. Just for having the sheer balls to do it.
Some Democratic aides were downright aghast at Jefferson’s audacity at using franked envelopes, official letterhead and the House internal mail service in a blatant violation of House rules…
Another, only slightly snarkier, Democratic House chief of staff pitched in with: “He’s got $90,000 in his freezer, why can’t he buy some stationery and stamps?” (Answer: Because the Feds took the money!) The chief of staff added, “Some people will never learn. Can’t he go away already?”
Jefferson, who has not been indicted (yet) in the bribery scandal, sent out the letter by mistake, according to his office. His staff apparently meant to use campaign stationery, but instead used the boss’s “Congress of the United States” letterhead, which, by the way, still lists Jefferson as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee…
“It was just a tremendous — tremendous — staff error,” [Jefferson's spokesman] said.
Who was responsible for stripping him of that membership on the Ways and Means Committee? Right: the same people he sent the fundraising letter to.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Priceless.
infidel on January 5, 2007 at 3:08 PM
Is this FIRST 100 HOURS almost over yet?
shooter on January 5, 2007 at 3:08 PM
Five will get you ten that you’ll only hear about it on Fox, maybe, only a few if any Republicans will say anything and the whole thing will quietly disappear.
.
GT on January 5, 2007 at 3:09 PM
He must have all the (gum)balls the ‘Rats have. Why did he waste them on this instead of something like supporting the War on Terror, or tax cuts, or fortifying the border with Mexico?
steveegg on January 5, 2007 at 3:09 PM
Isn’t it always.
Slublog on January 5, 2007 at 3:09 PM
Neener-Neener!
LOL. There is nothing that is “over the top” anymore, the threshold is infinite… for the next two years, anyway. Then we’ll find out if the majority in America really has gone insane or abdicated to “conventional wisdom” memery.
MostlyHarmless on January 5, 2007 at 3:10 PM
Please, just arrest this man already. Lets see… Fundraising letter goes in envelope clearly marked with a notice that fines and/or jail await those who misuse them… staffer think to self… Ah what the hell!
Gwillie on January 5, 2007 at 3:11 PM
Rove set him up – that devil.
Rick on January 5, 2007 at 3:14 PM
No…I couldn’t handle the sight of Dennis Hastert and other GOP leaders loudly defending his right to commit crimes in his Congressional office again.
A guy’s system can only take so much.
Slublog on January 5, 2007 at 3:16 PM
Mistakes were made.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on January 5, 2007 at 3:18 PM
I question the timing. It’s all Bush’s fault. The sun was in my eyes. My shoes are too tight. It’s all part of the vast right-wing conspiricy.
The excuses keep on coming…
rmgraha on January 5, 2007 at 3:19 PM
When is this guy going to take some responsibility?
Stop blaming staff. Don’t think an apology will get you off.
WE need to stop letting congressional criminals get off with an apology (usually a non-apology apology if that).
Were these types born without ‘embarrassment genes’? Does he have no concept of right and wrong?
WTF, over.
shooter on January 5, 2007 at 3:21 PM
Dayum, the Malkins on that guy.
When exactly does the “most ethical Congress in history” start, Speaker Pelousi?
ReubenJCogburn on January 5, 2007 at 3:22 PM
Waaa! They took my Ninety thousand cold hard cash and now I have to pay it back! Waaa!
E L Frederick (Sniper One) on January 5, 2007 at 3:28 PM
I suppose we could consider it an attempt at phased redeployment of funds.
.
GT on January 5, 2007 at 3:39 PM
and the beat goes on..
Wade on January 5, 2007 at 3:46 PM
……….and they should be forced to immediately reimburse the cost to the taxpayers.
Well, the rules don’t seem to apply as long as you’re a Democrat.
BacaDog on January 5, 2007 at 3:54 PM
Stand by for comments from Speaker Pelosi…
*Crickets chirping*
BacaDog on January 5, 2007 at 3:55 PM
The buzz, among crawfish, is that the Congressional Black Caucus is pressing for Jefferson’s return to Ways and Means. How. Surprising.
Aunt B on January 5, 2007 at 3:58 PM
3 words…
Culture of Corruption.
EEprom on January 5, 2007 at 3:58 PM
Someone please snag a copy of this and put it online.
can do a whole “Most ethical Congress ever” fundraiser !
Put Mollohan and a few other democratic crooks on it as well.
William Amos on January 5, 2007 at 4:10 PM
Are they going to give him a standing ovation for this too?
Rick on January 5, 2007 at 4:13 PM
Of course.
.
GT on January 5, 2007 at 4:17 PM
Locusts! It wasn’t my fault!
mikeyboss on January 5, 2007 at 4:17 PM
I’m in tears from laughing, GT!!
tickleddragon on January 5, 2007 at 4:24 PM
Cool Dollar Bill strikes again. I’m perplexed at why, when it is SO obviously against the rules, it matters WHO in the office did it.
tickleddragon on January 5, 2007 at 4:29 PM
That is cold.
seejanemom on January 5, 2007 at 4:32 PM
all hail the most ethical government leadership … ever.
One Angry Christian on January 5, 2007 at 4:34 PM
Throw this stinking crook the hell out and throw him out now!!! Then, put him in jail for a good, long time!
NEMETI IN SYRACUSE on January 5, 2007 at 4:36 PM
Yes, frigidly cold.
Rick on January 5, 2007 at 4:37 PM
And we are… surprised?
Let someone who has no conscience, no standard of morality or sense of subjection to the rule of law, be elected to Congress and you get what you deserve.
Madam Speaker, having fun yet? Which part of this is for the children?
Freelancer on January 5, 2007 at 4:42 PM
A shining example of the “most ethical and open Congress in U.S. history”.
Earth to Nancy, do you copy, over?
mountainmanbob on January 5, 2007 at 4:49 PM
Dear Nanc and Democratic Black Caucus,
Why not form a “Dumb as a Rock” Committee that Jefferson could chair? That way he would be free of any criticism and you could say he’s the most qualified man for the job.
It’s a win, win.
fogw on January 5, 2007 at 5:06 PM
I wish I had a siter where I could set up a big countdown for the first hundred hours. I’d have one counter under the clock would count the number of bills and rules changes passed. Another counter under the clock would count ethics violations. I wonder which would have the higher count?
taznar on January 5, 2007 at 5:18 PM
When do we finally, like that staffer said, get him to go away already?
The scum knew exactly what he was doing and I am and have been BEYOND patience and mercy at what these scum continue to do. “O, we made a mistake.” Damn. Have Barney the Frank call Bush a genocidal, ethnic cleansing bastard because Jefferson and his ilk screw up NO. Isn’t this enoungh already????????????? Maybe it will take the ‘swing’ voters in this counry another 2 years of their bulls**t to finally put the real conservatives back in office.
auspatriotman on January 5, 2007 at 5:40 PM
Do not, I repeat, Do not let this man leave office.
This is going to be a great year.
The Democrats, the party that keeps on giving.
right2bright on January 5, 2007 at 5:47 PM
I have no idea on this but his congressional staff was working on campaign fundraising? Is that something a staff with access to official letterhead normally does? I would have thought there was a wall of seperation between congressional office staff and campaign staff.
Just asking.
AndrewsDad on January 5, 2007 at 7:30 PM
They have their own set
Dem Rule #1 – Lie
Dem Rule #2 – Cheat and steal
Dem Rule #3 – Blame someone or something else when caught doing 1 and/or 2 (ie staff, republicans, race)
Dem Rule #4 – Party is to overall look other way and pretend it’s ok
Dem Rule #5 – Lie again
Dem Rule #6 – most important – REWARD DEMs Lie, cheat, steal or otherwise engage in unethical behavior – celebrate and promote to more prominent and powerful positions.
Topsecretk9 on January 5, 2007 at 7:36 PM
They have their own set
Dem Rule #1 – Lie
Dem Rule #2 – Cheat and steal
Dem Rule #3 – Blame someone or something else when caught doing 1 and/or 2 (ie staff, republicans, race)
Dem Rule #4 – Party is to overall look other way and pretend it’s ok
Dem Rule #5 – Lie again
Dem Rule #6 – most important – REWARD DEMs Lie, cheat, steal or otherwise engage in unethical behavior – celebrate and promote to more prominent and powerful positions.
Topsecretk9 on January 5, 2007 at 7:36 PM
So can we say that Congressman Jefferson is suffering from a STAFF infection ?
William Amos on January 5, 2007 at 8:41 PM
OH COME ON… it’s like having Mister Magoo as a crooked politician.
If the Dems had ANY ANY sense whatsoever, they would drop the hammer on Jefferson so hard his great-great-great-grandchildren would feel it.
I mean all they need to do is just put 1 crooked Dem. Politician on the coals, and they could make all their “See we’re the party of truthy-ness & Honest-ability” arguments.
But no, they just let their problems fester in the most public and absurd way.
Whatever. Just one step closer to a a change of congress in 2008.
Jones Zemkophill on January 5, 2007 at 9:53 PM
Congressman Jefferson…in a scandal? Not that ethics nut.
One more ethics scandal and he’s going to find himself chairman of the Appropriations committee.
Verbal Abuse on January 5, 2007 at 11:25 PM
Maybe WJ, DEMOCRAT, Louisiana drank too much ice tea and was in the bathroom when the mail was being sent.
Working on campaign issues in his federal office? Maybe there is no Controlling Legal Authority.
Check out the news on Conyers as well. Busy forcing his staffers to work on campaigns, babysit for him, do other personal chores and essentially allow a staffer to run her law practice out of his office…
…and he gets off with his wrist slapped.
I guess he did have to promise to write a letter to his staff pointing out they were not required to do any more of this.
91Veteran on January 6, 2007 at 12:22 AM
and everyone is deep down surprised – how?
It’s politics – no matter the party, it boils down to the person, and this one’s crooked like most.
Emmett J. on January 6, 2007 at 1:37 AM