You'd have to be living under a rock to have not heard that former Congressman William Jefferson was convicted yesterday on 11 counts of public corruption. Here's some of the reaction that's come in from state officials
Gov. Bobby Jindal, quoted by the AP:
"An end to a sad chapter in Louisiana's political history. It shows that nobody is above the law and that the legal system works. It also shows the country that we're in a new Louisiana ... and public officials are finally being held accountable."
Congressman Joseph Cao:
“This is a difficult day for the people of New Orleans and Louisiana, but now we can turn the page on a negative past to focus on a positive future. My thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Jefferson and his family during this time.”
State Republican Party Chairman Roger Villere:
“Nearly four years ago, late night comedians began to joke about the $90,000 seized in Jefferson’s freezer and the American public had yet another opportunity to mock politics as usual in Louisiana.
But much has changed in the last four years. In 2007, Governor Jindal called the legislature into a special session to pass sweeping ethics reforms that vaulted Louisiana from near dead last to the top of the Center for Public Integrity’s rankings. Then, just last year, William Jefferson’s former constituents replaced him with Joseph Cao, a former ethics professor at Loyola University. Today’s verdict underlines the reality that public corruption is no longer tolerated in Louisiana.”