Rep. William Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat who's facing an ongoing federal corruption probe, is being granted a spot on the Homeland Security Committee, according to Democratic aides.
The appointment will be announced Friday, according to one aide who requested anonymity because the decision isn't yet official.
Jefferson was removed from his seat on the Ways and Means Committee, one of the most important panels in Congress, by Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) last summer in an attempt to show how seriously Democrats viewed the allegations of corruption.
But the move by Pelosi, who was still minority leader at the time, infuriated members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who said Jefferson shouldn't be punished unless he is indicted; federal prosecutors have yet to bring an indictment, despite an FBI raid 18 months ago on his home that yielded $90,000 in cash in his freezer.
This is how the Democrats clean up Congress? They give corrupt individuals who are under federal criminal investigations seats on committees that determine homeland security? Pelosi must think that people aren't paying attention to this move as the House is busy debating the war in Iraq, but it shows that it is business as usual in Congress. The Democrats are more concerned about power than they are in doing the right thing.
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