Dollar Bill back in the news

As a warning to readers, this column has nothing to do with the Treasury. One of the most persistent, puzzling questions in Congress these days (at least for yours truly) is how Congressman William “Dollar Bill” Jefferson (D – Louisiana) hangs on to his day job in the legislature. While we all fully understand that everyone – even congressional critters – are innocent until proven guilty, this is a member of Congress who is not only under investigation for a raft of fraud, bribery and corruption charges, but was found to have nearly $100,000 in his freezer at home, wrapped up in tin foil parcels. One might think there comes a point where the circumstantial evidence is enough to simply end the charade. And now, via Ed Morrissey at Hot Air, it seems that more trouble may be brewing for the controversial congressman.

Businessman Robert Guidry made about $100 million from one of those [fraudulently obtained casino licenses], and then testified against [Governor Edwin] Edwards. But Guidry’s plea bargain raised eyebrows across the state. Not only did Guidry receive only five months in a halfway house, but prosecutors also allowed him to keep more than $96 million of the $100 million he made from the illegally obtained license.

As a local columnist opined: “The abiding mystery of the Edwards trial is how come Guidry got such a sweet deal.”

Perdigao says he can solve the mystery: Guidry bribed the feds. And, Perdigao says, he did so through William Jefferson.

Read the rest of at the link, but Morrissey touches on some very valid questions. The Democrats swept into power in 2006, at least in part, on a promise to clean up the “culture of corruption” among Republicans in Congress. Granted, Jefferson has been stripped of some of his former committee leadership roles, but he remains in his seat. Should there not, at least, be some sort of deeper ethics committee investigation going on here? Particularly in such a hotly contested election year when Democrats are licking their lips in anticipation of even bigger gains in their majority status, this would seem to be exactly the wrong message to send to voters.

Money and power… power and money – the two are completely interchangeable. And without proper oversight, corruption is all too often their partner in the parade. This is in no way an implication that such problems are unique to Louisiana or the Democratic party, but an opportunity to set an example of real, meaningful reform is going to waste here. Congressional approval ratings are currently only a few points higher than the popularity of herpes, and leaving a problem like this to fester in the People’s House won’t do anything to inspire additional confidence.