U.S. Congressman Indicted for Bribery of Foreign Officials

IMPORTANT: The full content of this page is available to premium users only.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Author: 
Bruce Zagaris
Volume: 
23
Issue: 
8
300
Abstract: 
On June 4, 2007, in a historically unprecedented development, a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia returned an indictment against Congressman William J. Jefferson on charges of bribery and racketeering. According to prosecutors, Jefferson used his office to solicit bribes in exchange for his performance of official acts. The indictment is the first time a sitting member of Congress has been charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which is usually used against U.S. companies caught bribing foreign officials ... [more]