Jefferson Case To Proceed Despite Supreme Court Refusal

In The Courts

By Associated Press
April 1, 2008

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court yesterday refused to step into a high-stakes legal fight between the Justice Department and indicted Rep. William Jefferson about the unprecedented raid on the lawmaker's Capitol Hill office. The Justice Department said the court's action would not impede the bribery case against the Louisiana Democrat.

The justices declined to review an appeals court ruling that said that, while the office search itself was legal, the FBI reviewed legislative documents in violation of the Constitution.

Other documents seized in the raid were provided to prosecutors and were used to support a 16-count indictment of Mr. Jefferson in June 2007.

Mr. Jefferson has pleaded not guilty to charges of soliciting more than $500,000 in bribes while using his office to broker business deals in Africa. His trial has been delayed indefinitely.

Mr. Jefferson has asked the trial judge in Alexandria, Va., to suppress all paper and electronic documents seized in the May 2006 raid. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III has yet to rule on the request, which prosecutors oppose.

The international bribery investigation of Mr. Jefferson had produced a mountain of evidence against him when the FBI carried out the search of his office in the Rayburn House Office Building.