Will Jefferson Go Down?

    Will one of the CAFTA 15 go down? That likelihood grew a bit--though not as a result of an election-related development. You may remember, back in August, the F.B.I. raided the offices of William Jefferson, Democrat of Louisiana--allegations surfaced about potential corruption.

    Yesterday, Jefferson's former legislative director, Brett Pfeffer, pleaded guilty to "aiding and abetting bribery of a public official and conspiracy," according to a story by the Associated Press. The AP story leads with this paragraph: "A Louisiana congressman demanded bribes in exchange for his help in promoting a pair of business deals in Africa, according to court documents filed Wednesday with a guilty plea by a former aide."

    So, it looks like the prosecution flipped this aide (who is trying to avoid a long prison sentence). Next up could be an indictment of Jefferson, who would have to prove that Pfeffer is not telling the truth.

    In any case, this now opens the door for a progressive challenger to Jefferson--one who would be more reliable when it comes to trade votes.

    As an aside, the talk about labor supporting a challenger against Ed Towns in New York, another of the CAFTA 15, is still very strong--it comes up in conversation. The question still remains as to who would be the best candidate. More soon.