William Jefferson (politician)

William Jefferson (born March 14, 1947) is an American former politician and lawyer who represented Louisiana's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Jefferson's political career was significantly impacted by a federal investigation into bribery and corruption. In 2007, he was indicted on sixteen federal felony counts, including bribery, racketeering, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. The investigation involved the discovery of $90,000 in marked bills found in his freezer by FBI agents.

In 2009, Jefferson was convicted on eleven of the sixteen counts. He was initially sentenced to thirteen years in prison, which at the time was the longest sentence ever handed down to a member of Congress for bribery. The conviction was later partially overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, which vacated some of the bribery convictions. He was subsequently resentenced to a lesser term.

Jefferson maintained his innocence throughout the legal proceedings, arguing that he was engaged in legitimate business activities in Africa. After serving time in prison, he was released in 2017. Since his release, he has largely remained out of the public eye.