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Court rules against FBI for raiding Jefferson's congressional office;
Lawyer promises to clear indicted Rep.'s name
08/03/2007 @ 10:42 am
Filed by Michael Roston
A district court ruled that the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 2006 raid
of the Congressional office of embattled Louisiana Democratic Representative
William Jefferson was unconstitutional. The court will also require the FBI
to return all privileged materials seized to Jefferson.
"The review of the Congressman's paper files when the search was executed
exposed legislative material to the Executive," according to the ruling from
the US Appeals Court for the District of Columbia Circuit, reports AP's Matt
Apuzzo.
Jefferson was indicted in June on 16 counts stemming from a public
corruption investigation. He pleaded not guilty on all charges, and his
trial is set for January 2008.
The FBI referred all questions to the Justice Department, which had not yet
replied at press time.
Jefferson's attorney expressed his satisfaction with the ruling in a
statement released to RAW STORY.
"We are pleased with the DC Circuit's ruling that the unprecedented search
conducted by the FBI violated Congressman Jefferson's rights under the
Speech or Debate clause of the United States Constitution," Trout stated.
"[T]he court ruled that the Congressman had an absolute right to review his
records first and shield privileged legislative material from review by the
executive branch."
Trout went on to take a shot at the Justice Department, implying that it had
broken the law.
"Today's opinion underscores the fact that the Department of Justice is
required to follow the law, and that it is bound to abide by the
Constitution," he said.
And, he made it clear that Jefferson had no plan to back down, stating that,
"We are confident that as this case moves forward, and when all of the facts
are known, we will prevail again and clear Congressman Jefferson's name."
Lawyer promises to clear indicted Rep.'s name
08/03/2007 @ 10:42 am
Filed by Michael Roston
A district court ruled that the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 2006 raid
of the Congressional office of embattled Louisiana Democratic Representative
William Jefferson was unconstitutional. The court will also require the FBI
to return all privileged materials seized to Jefferson.
"The review of the Congressman's paper files when the search was executed
exposed legislative material to the Executive," according to the ruling from
the US Appeals Court for the District of Columbia Circuit, reports AP's Matt
Apuzzo.
Jefferson was indicted in June on 16 counts stemming from a public
corruption investigation. He pleaded not guilty on all charges, and his
trial is set for January 2008.
The FBI referred all questions to the Justice Department, which had not yet
replied at press time.
Jefferson's attorney expressed his satisfaction with the ruling in a
statement released to RAW STORY.
"We are pleased with the DC Circuit's ruling that the unprecedented search
conducted by the FBI violated Congressman Jefferson's rights under the
Speech or Debate clause of the United States Constitution," Trout stated.
"[T]he court ruled that the Congressman had an absolute right to review his
records first and shield privileged legislative material from review by the
executive branch."
Trout went on to take a shot at the Justice Department, implying that it had
broken the law.
"Today's opinion underscores the fact that the Department of Justice is
required to follow the law, and that it is bound to abide by the
Constitution," he said.
And, he made it clear that Jefferson had no plan to back down, stating that,
"We are confident that as this case moves forward, and when all of the facts
are known, we will prevail again and clear Congressman Jefferson's name."
