Ex-Representative Jefferson's Freezer Burn

Former Representative from Louisiana William Jefferson (D) was sentenced to a long term in prison today on eleven of the counts brought against him.

No other Ex Representative has been sentenced to a term as long as William Jefferson, he now holds the record for prison terms, at 13 years. As reported by the AP, his attorney also sought to allow the Ex Representative to remain free on bond while seeking an appeal to his sentence. While Jefferson was acquitted of the one most publicly noted offense of hiding over $90,000 of bribe money in his freezer in an investigation by the FBI in August 2005, he was found guilty on eleven counts of misconduct, including bribery and racketeering. Jefferson faced U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III who has reportedly called public corruption the most heinous of crimes. An editorial in a Luisiana newspaper the News Star bemoans the loss of confidence in public figures and rails against Jefferson for the crimes he committed and was found guilty of. From the Editorial:

Jefferson is a man who shamed himself before his constituents, his congressional colleagues and the world. Entrusted by voters with working for the good of his poverty-stricken district, he spent his time peddling his congressional influence and scamming people in the United States and Africa in elaborate and illegal efforts.

Interestingly, the voters who originally placed Jefferson in office remained loyal despite the charges and he was re-elected in 2006, although he lost to Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao in December of 2008.