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. He was a member of the Democratic Party from 1991 to 2009.
Jefferson represented the 2nd Congressional District of Louisiana. This area includes much of greater New Orleans. He was the first African-American congressman from Louisiana since the Reconstruction period. His political career ended after he faced legal issues.
In 2009, Jefferson was sentenced to prison. This was after an investigation into his actions while in office. He began serving his sentence in 2012. Later, a U.S. Supreme Court decision affected his case. In 2017, a judge ordered his release. The judge also dropped some of the charges against him. On December 1, 2017, he was sentenced to "time served." This meant he had already spent enough time in prison.
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Early Life and Family Background
William Jefferson was born on March 14, 1947. His birthplace was Lake Providence, Louisiana, in northeastern Louisiana. He grew up on a farm with his eight brothers and sisters. They worked alongside their father. William also operated heavy equipment for the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
His family was one of the few African-American families in the area who owned their land. This was unusual in the mid-20th century. They were respected, even though they faced poverty.
Education and Military Service
Jefferson graduated from G. W. Griffin High School in Lake Providence. In 1969, he earned a bachelor's degree from Southern University. This is a historically black college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was part of the Army ROTC program there.
After graduating, Jefferson became a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He served in the reserves until 1975. In 1972, he earned a law degree from Harvard Law School. Later, in 1996, he received a master's degree in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.
Jefferson started practicing law in 1972 and 1973. He first worked as a clerk for Judge Alvin Benjamin Rubin.
Jefferson's Family Members
William Jefferson has several siblings. These include Betty Jefferson, Mose Jefferson, Archie Jefferson, and Brenda Jefferson Foster. His niece is Angela Coleman.
William and his wife, Andrea Jefferson, have five daughters. Their names are Jamila Jefferson-Jones, Jalila Jefferson-Bullock, Jelani Jefferson Exum, Nailah Jefferson, and Akilah Jefferson. Three of his daughters, Jamila, Jalila, and Jelani, attended Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Nailah studied at Boston University and Emerson College. Akilah went to Brown University and later to Tulane University School of Medicine.
Political Career in Louisiana
From 1973 to 1975, Jefferson worked for U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston of Louisiana. In 1976, he moved to New Orleans. He was elected to the Louisiana Senate in 1979. He served there until 1990.
Jefferson ran for Mayor of New Orleans twice but did not win. In 1982, he challenged Dutch Morial. In 1986, he lost to Sidney Barthelemy in a runoff election. Despite these losses, he was seen as a rising political figure in Louisiana.
Joining the U.S. House of Representatives
In 1990, while still in the state senate, Jefferson ran for the Louisiana's 2nd congressional district seat. The previous representative, Lindy Boggs, was retiring. Jefferson won the first round of voting. He then defeated Marc Morial in the runoff election. This made him a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was reelected seven times after that.
In the House, Jefferson joined the Congressional Black Caucus. He considered running for governor in 1995 but decided not to. He did run for governor in 1999. However, he lost to Republican Mike Foster. He only won in New Orleans and his home parish, East Carroll Parish.
Community Influence and Elections
William Jefferson and his family had a strong political organization. It was called the New Orleans Progressive Democrats. This group was very good at encouraging people to vote in South Louisiana. His brother, Mose Jefferson, helped run the group's local operations.
In 2002, the Progressive Democrats helped elect Renée Gill Pratt to the New Orleans City Council. Jefferson's daughter, Jalila Jefferson-Bullock, also became a state representative. His sister, Betty Jefferson, was elected as a municipal assessor multiple times.
Impact of Hurricane Katrina
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, New Orleans changed a lot. Many residents did not return, which affected voter demographics. A few days after the hurricane, Jefferson used a Louisiana National Guard team. They helped him get personal items from his home. This caused some controversy because rescue efforts were still ongoing.
2006 and 2008 Elections
In the 2006 election, Jefferson faced many challengers. He was under investigation for his actions. He won the first round of voting with 30% of the vote. He then faced Karen Carter Peterson in a runoff election. Many thought Carter would win. However, Jefferson won the runoff with 57% of the vote.
After his reelection, Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi announced that Jefferson would not get his seat back on the Ways and Means Committee. This was because of the ongoing federal investigation.
In 2008, Jefferson ran for reelection again. He was still facing legal issues. He won the Democratic primary runoff against Helena Moreno. However, in the general election on December 6, 2008, he lost to Republican candidate Joseph Cao. This was a big surprise because his district usually voted strongly Democratic. Jefferson was the third African-American congressman to lose his seat in a general election.
Legal Challenges and Outcome
In 2005, an investigation began into William Jefferson's activities. It was alleged that he had received money in exchange for helping a technology company. The FBI searched his Congressional offices in 2006.
In 2007, a federal grand jury formally accused Jefferson of several serious charges. These included issues related to his conduct in office. He was found guilty of eleven of these charges in 2009. On November 13, 2009, he received a thirteen-year prison sentence. This was a very long sentence for a congressman.
On March 26, 2012, a court upheld his conviction on ten of the eleven counts. On April 20, 2012, a judge ordered him to report to prison. He began serving his sentence in May 2012 in Beaumont, Texas. He was originally expected to be released in August 2023.
Jefferson faced financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy. In 2015, he was no longer allowed to practice law in Louisiana.
In 2016, a U.S. Supreme Court case affected similar legal issues. Because of this, Jefferson appealed his case. On October 5, 2017, a U.S. District Judge dropped seven of the ten charges against him. The judge ordered his release while the government decided what to do next. On December 1, 2017, the judge sentenced Jefferson to "time served." This meant he was released, having spent about five and a half years in federal prison.
Legal Issues for Relatives
Some of William Jefferson's relatives also faced legal issues. In 2009, his sister Betty Jefferson, brother Mose Jefferson, niece Angela Coleman, and Renée Gill Pratt were accused of various offenses. They pleaded not guilty.
In 2010, Mose Jefferson was found guilty of some charges and sentenced to ten years in prison. Betty Jefferson and Angela Coleman later pleaded guilty to a single charge.
Images for kids
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Evidence found during an investigation.
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- List of American federal politicians convicted of crimes
- List of federal political scandals in the United States
