William Jefferson (politician)
William Jefferson | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 2nd district | |
| In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Lindy Boggs |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Cao |
| Member of the Louisiana Senate from the 5th district | |
| In office January 1980 – January 1991 | |
| 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 an American former politician from Louisiana whose career ended after his corruption scandal and conviction. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms from 1991 to 2009 as a member of the Democratic Party. He represented Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, which includes much of the greater New Orleans area. He was elected as the state's first black congressman since the end of Reconstruction.
On November 13, 2009, Jefferson was sentenced to thirteen years in federal prison for bribery after a corruption investigation, the longest sentence ever given to a congressman. He began serving that sentence in May 2012 at a Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facility in Beaumont, Texas.
He appealed his case after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on similar issues. In light of these findings, on October 5, 2017, Jefferson was ordered released, pending sentencing or other action, after a U.S. District judge threw out seven of ten charges against him. On December 1, 2017, Judge T. S. Ellis III accepted his plea deal and sentenced Jefferson to time served.