William Jefferson (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Jefferson
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 2nd district |
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| In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Lindy Boggs |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Cao |
| Member of the Louisiana Senate from the 5th district |
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| In office January 1980 – January 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Frederick Eagan |
| Succeeded by | Diana Bajoie |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Jennings Jefferson
March 14, 1947 Lake Providence, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Andrea Jefferson |
| Children | 5, including Jalila |
| Education | Southern University, Baton Rouge (BA) Harvard University (JD) Georgetown University (LLM) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1969–1975 |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Unit | United States Army Reserve |
William Jennings Jefferson (born March 14, 1947) is a former American politician from Louisiana. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms, from 1991 to 2009. He was part of the Democratic Party. He represented the area around New Orleans. He was the first African-American congressman from Louisiana since the Reconstruction period after the Civil War.
His political career ended after he faced legal issues. In 2009, he was sentenced to a long prison term for bribery. He began serving his sentence in 2012. Later, a court reviewed his case. In 2017, a judge ordered his release. He was sentenced to "time served," meaning he had already spent enough time in prison.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William Jefferson was born on March 14, 1947, in Lake Providence, Louisiana. This town is the main city in East Carroll Parish. He grew up on a farm with his eight brothers and sisters. They worked hard with their father. Their family was one of the few African-American families in the area who owned their land. This was special because many others were sharecropping, which meant they worked on land owned by others.
After high school, William Jefferson went to Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This is a historically black college. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1969. While there, he was part of the Army ROTC. He even led a student protest and helped solve a problem with the governor. After college, he became a second lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve until 1975.
He continued his education, earning a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1972. Later, in 1996, he received another law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He started practicing law in 1972.
William Jefferson has five daughters with his wife, Andrea Jefferson. Three of his daughters also went to Harvard College and Harvard Law School.
Political Journey
William Jefferson began his political career by working for a U.S. Senator from Louisiana from 1973 to 1975.
Starting in State Politics
In 1976, he moved to New Orleans. He was elected to the Louisiana Senate in 1979 and served there until 1990. During this time, he tried twice to become the Mayor of New Orleans. He was a rising star in Louisiana politics. Some people even thought he might become the state's second African-American governor.
Serving in Congress
In 1990, the congresswoman for Louisiana's 2nd district decided to retire. William Jefferson ran for her seat in the United States House of Representatives. He won the election and became a U.S. Representative. This was a big step in his career. He was reelected seven times, serving in Congress for many years.
While in the House, he joined the Congressional Black Caucus. This group works to support the interests of African-American communities. In 1999, he ran for governor of Louisiana but did not win.
Community Impact
William Jefferson and his family had a strong political group called the New Orleans Progressive Democrats. This group was very good at helping people vote in South Louisiana. His brother, Mose Jefferson, was key in running this group.
This organization helped other family members get elected. For example, his sister, Betty Jefferson, became a municipal assessor. His daughter, Jalila, also became a state representative.
After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, many people left the city. This changed how people voted. After the hurricane, William Jefferson used a Louisiana National Guard team to get some of his personal items from his home. A Guard helicopter also helped him while rescue operations were still happening in the city.
Elections and Challenges
In the 2006 election, William Jefferson faced many challengers for his congressional seat. At this time, he was being investigated for legal problems. He did not win more than 50% of the votes in the first round. This meant he had to go into a second round of voting, called a runoff election.
In the runoff, he faced Karen Carter. Many local politicians and newspapers supported her. However, William Jefferson won the election. After he was reelected, the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said he would not get his seat back on an important committee until his legal issues were resolved.
In 2008, William Jefferson ran for re-election again, even though he was still facing legal charges. The election was delayed because of Hurricane Gustav. He won the Democratic nomination in a runoff election. However, in the main election, he was defeated by Anh "Joseph" Cao, a Republican. This was a big surprise because his district usually voted strongly for Democrats. William Jefferson was the third African-American congressman to lose his seat in a general election.
Legal Issues
In 2005, an investigation began into William Jefferson. A person involved in a technology company admitted to paying $400,000 in bribes to a public official. This official was later said to be William Jefferson. The bribes were supposedly paid so that William Jefferson would help the company get contracts with the U.S. Army. He was also accused of trying to influence officials in other countries like Nigeria and Ghana to help the company.
In 2006, the FBI searched William Jefferson's offices in Congress. In 2007, a federal grand jury charged him with many serious crimes related to his political work. These included bribery, racketeering, and money laundering.
In 2009, he was found guilty of eleven of the sixteen charges. On November 13, 2009, he was sentenced to thirteen years in federal prison. This was one of the longest sentences ever given to a congressman for such crimes.
He appealed his case. In 2012, a court upheld his conviction on most of the charges. He began serving his sentence in May 2012 at a prison in Beaumont, Texas. He was supposed to be released in 2023. In 2015, he was permanently prevented from practicing law in Louisiana.
Later, a U.S. Supreme Court case about similar issues led to a review of William Jefferson's case. In 2017, a judge dismissed seven of the ten charges against him. The judge ordered him to be released from prison while his case was reviewed further. On December 1, 2017, the judge sentenced him to "time served." This meant he had already spent enough time in prison. He had served about five and a half years of his original thirteen-year sentence.
Family Members and the Law
Some of William Jefferson's family members also faced legal problems. In 2009, his sister Betty Jefferson, his brother Mose Jefferson, and other relatives were charged with crimes. They were accused of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
In 2010, Mose Jefferson was found guilty of bribery and sentenced to ten years in prison. Betty Jefferson and another relative pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge.
Images for kids
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In the August 2005 raid, cash was found wrapped in aluminum foil and hidden in a box for pie crusts.
