维吉尼亚州著名“冷钱门”案件重新开审

 

A court in the state of Virginia is reviewing a legal case against a congressman¹ who had $90,000 in his freezer.

Former U.S. Congressman William Jefferson has been in prison since 2012 after being found guilty of corruption². He is asking a federal court to overturn the guilty ruling against him.

After a jury found him guilty, a judge sentenced Jefferson to 13 years in prison. It was the longest prison sentence ever given to a member of Congress.

Jefferson is a Democrat³ who represented New Orleans, Louisiana in Congress.

He was found guilty of trying to influence leaders in Nigeria and other African nations to help an American business that provided his family with money and stock. The American business wanted to set up cable television, telephone and internet services in Africa.

“Cold cash’ in food boxes

The case received a lot of attention in Nigeria. One reason was that $90,000 in $100 bills was found in food boxes in a freezer in the congressman’s Washington D.C. apartment. The case became the subject of jokes on American and Nigerian television. Television hosts called the money, “cold cash," or “cold money.”

During the trial, the government said Jefferson was recorded saying he needed money to persuade Nigeria’s vice⁴ president, Atiku Abubakar, to approve the American company’s business deals.

Asked if he delivered the money during a secretly recorded discussion, Jefferson said he had given the “African art” to the Nigerian vice president. The government said those words were “code" for cash.

But Jefferson and his wife, Andrea, later wrote that they never were asked and never gave money to any government official.

During his trial, the government played a video of Jefferson accepting a briefcase⁵ that the government said was filled with $100,000 in $100 bills. It was that money -- missing $10,000 -- which was found in Jefferson’s freezer, the government argued.

John Campbell is a former United States ambassador to Nigeria. Campbell said the case received “attention” in Nigeria because it had so many unusual details and Abubakar was a senior government official.

Abubakar twice ran unsuccessfully for president and is reported to be a possible presidential candidate in the next Nigerian national elections.

Why the case did not get more attention

Campbell said the case might have gotten even more attention if corruption was not common in Nigeria.

Now, Jefferson is appealing the guilty ruling, which he wants overturned. His lawyers argue that the U.S. Supreme⁶ Court last year redefined how corruption cases should be decided⁷.

In 2016, the Supreme Court overturned the guilty ruling against former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell.

McDonnell and his wife were found guilty of corruption in 2014. The government charged that McDonnell received an expensive watch and his wife was given a shopping spree, among other gifts, from the owner of a Virginia business.

But the U.S. Supreme Court said the jury in the McDonnell case was given a definition of official acts that went too far. The definition, it said, would make government leaders worry about scheduling needed meetings out of fear of facing criminal charges. The court said there was testimony⁸ that McDonnell set up meetings for the Virginia businessman, but none that he provided direct benefits in return for the gifts.

During his 2009 trial, Jefferson’s lawyer Robert Trout⁹ argued that Jefferson’s actions of trying to get African officials to grant business to an American company were not part of his official duties. A congressman’s job, Trout said, is to vote on bills, introduce bills, and attend committee meetings.

Trout said the trial judge, T.S. Ellis III, gave the jury a definition of official acts that was too broad.

Federal officials who brought the case said the guilty ruling against Jefferson should remain.

Ellis will decide what to do with Jefferson’s appeal.

Jefferson is serving his 13-year sentence in a prison in Louisiana. He is to be released on August 30, 2023, when he would be 76 years old.

Words in This Story

stock - n. a share of the value of a company which can be bought, sold, or traded as an investment

cable television - n. a system in which television signals are sent through cables rather than through the air

host - n. a person who is entertaining guests socially or at a club or on television

briefcase - n. a flat case that is usually used for carrying papers or books

shopping spree - a phrase meaning to do a lot of shopping over a short period of time

watch - n. a device that shows what time it is and that you wear on your wrist

testimony - n. statement made under oath in court

broad - adj. wide in range or amount

1 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

2 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

3 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 briefcase   

n.手提箱，公事皮包

参考例句：

• He packed a briefcase with what might be required.他把所有可能需要的东西都装进公文包。
• He requested the old man to look after the briefcase.他请求那位老人照看这个公事包。

6 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

9 trout   

n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属)

参考例句：

• Thousands of young salmon and trout have been killed by the pollution.成千上万的鲑鱼和鳟鱼的鱼苗因污染而死亡。
• We hooked a trout and had it for breakfast.我们钓了一条鳟鱼，早饭时吃了。