William J. Jefferson
William Jennings "Bill" Jefferson (born March 14, 1947) is a former American politician from the U.S. state of Louisiana. 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 Louisiana'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 handed down to a congressman for bribery or any other crime. He began serving that sentence in May of 2012 at a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility in Beaumont, Texas.
Read more about William J. Jefferson: Early Life and Family, Political Career in New Orleans, Local Influence, 2006 Election, 2008 Campaign, Corruption Case, Accusations Against Relatives, Electoral History
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