Patterico wants to know:
Did a prosecutor in the New Orleans U.S. Attorney’s Office commit misconduct which could jeopardize the conviction of former Louisiana governor Edwin Edwards? Did a defendant who turned state’s evidence against Edwards bribe Congressman William Jefferson to influence the former U.S. Attorney to get a better deal for himself? Did the Department of Justice ignore evidence of these claims?
These are the allegations made by James G. Perdigao, a Louisiana attorney indicted in 2004 on theft and fraud charges, when he filed a motion to recuse the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Louisiana from prosecuting his criminal case. Perdigao’s motion contains detailed allegations of corruption by members of the U.S. Attorney’s office. Perdigao claims he brought these allegations to the attention of higher level prosecutors in the Bush administration, who ignored them.
Patterico was able to at least partially verify one of the allegations. It’s a very tangled tale, not easily summarized, so RTWT.
Old pirates yes they rob I, ‘cept they made my pimp hand strong.
Redemption Bongs.
I would note that this is not exactly what happened. The current US Attorney has said a- this joker is a fruit loop and b- they forwarded all his “claims” to main justice
Oh, it’s far from tied up, which is why I think folks should RTWT.
Short answer: yes.
Longer answer: this will be one more thing that makes this administration’s Justice Department look amateurish, inept, wrong-headed, politically-biased, and otherwise unfit for the title. (Some of the players were old Clinton appointees, but still: who’s watching the store?)
It’s almost another OJ case: frame the guilty man, get caught, eventually lose, and then cry out that it was done For the Justice*.
*kinda like “For the Children”, only less vote-getty. And federal judges accept a lot less crap than voters in even the most lopsided districts.
Karl
You are right – it’s far from tied up – shouldn’t have been so quick, but if I am not mistaken
The loan paperwork was drawn up by the Adams and Reese law firm, where Perdigao was employed, the motion says.
I believe is the frim that he stole the 30 million from
pay attention to the “RTWT” – PATs points the “Adams and Reese law firm” thing out.
“Vote for the Lizard, not the Wizard.”
I was stationed at Keesler AFB on the Gulf Coast when David Duke and Edwin Edwards were going at it, back in the mid 1980s.
Say what you will about Ed, at least he kept a Grand Kleagle (or whatever the hell rank he had) out of office.
I lived in the Big Easy (aka The Chocolate City) for 8 years when the Cajun Prince was in his heyday. Malfeasance by a US Attorney there wouldn’t surprise. It would take 10 Elliot Nesses and 500 each of the Serpico and Buford Pusser models to clean up New Orleans, and then you’ve still got the rest of the state. I’d really like to see Jindal air-lifted out of there before he’s set up or goes the Willie Stark route.
FWIW, a scene in “Oh Brother” may have been Lousiana inspired. As a campaign stunt, John McKeithen, the governor before Edwards, once pardoned a convict band he’d brought on the stage with him at a political rally.
I’d just like to thank you for taking the time to create this internet website. It has been extremely helpful