A Culture Of Corruption, Continued

But this involves a Democrat, so let's all keep it on the Q.T., savvy?

A Kentucky technology executive pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to bribing a congressman in charges stemming from an investigation of a Louisiana House member.

Vernon Jackson, 53, chief executive of Louisville-based iGate Inc., pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official and conspiracy to bribe a public official.

The congressman was not identified in court documents or during Wednesday's plea hearing, but documents make clear that the congressman whom Jackson admits bribing is Rep. William Jefferson, a Democrat who represents New Orleans.

Jackson faces a maximum of 20 years when he is sentenced July 27. The plea agreement calls for a sentencing guideline range not to exceed seven to nine years, but the judge is not bound by those guidelines.

Prosecutor Mark Lytle said Jackson paid roughly $360,000 over a four-year period to a company controlled by the congressman's wife in exchange for Jefferson's help promoting iGate technology in Africa. Jackson also gave the company a 24 percent stake in iGate and paid for $80,000 in travel expenses on the congressman's trips to Africa to promote iGate.

This is the same guy who demanded emergency-responders help him get into his NO residence to recover incriminating documents from his home, in order to avoid their recovery by feds investigating him for corruption.

Now, Duke Cunningham is a "scumbag," as the GOP acknowledges. This guy did the same thing -- with a bonus. He diverted critical emergency resources that could have been out saving human lives to help him avoid getting caught in a criminal investigation.

But notice the great din over Abramoff, Cunningham, DeLay, et al., and the relative media radio-silence on this one.

I guess the idea of a Congressman using emergency-rescuers to rid his house of incriminating evidence just isn't a juicy enough story to pique media interest.

Yeah, that must be it.

Thanks to Jack Straw. And thanks to KevinJ. for finding that previous story.

posted by Ace at 01:40 PM

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