Mose Jefferson, the eldest brother and chief political strategist of embattled U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, is expected to be indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges that he repeatedly bribed Ellenese Brooks-Simms, the former president of the Orleans Parish School Board, to ensure her support for a computer-based algebra curriculum he was selling.
U.S. Attorney Jim Letten has scheduled a news conference for 11 a.m. to discuss what a press release described as "a significant development in a city corruption case." Letten would not discuss the precise subject matter of the news conference, but a source close to the investigation said it will involve Mose Jefferson.
Mose Jefferson's lawyer, Ike Spears, did not return calls seeking comment.
The charges come as little surprise: Brooks-Simms pleaded guilty last summer to accepting the bribes from a businessman described in court documents as "Mr. A" and identified by sources close to the case as Mose Jefferson.
Also, in at least two subsequent filings in Brooks-Simms' case, Jefferson was identified by name. And officials from JRL Enterprises -- the makers of "I CAN Learn," the algebra tutorial Jefferson was peddling -- have acknowledged that the congressman's brother was working for them.
All told, Mose Jefferson was paid about $900,000 in commissions for selling roughly $9 million in product to the School Board, according to court documents and interviews.
The charges have no direct bearing on William Jefferson, who is awaiting trial in Virginia on 16 unrelated corruption charges. But the case does have close links to him. JRL Enterprises founder John Lee has held fund-raisers for the congressman, who in turn has been a big supporter of "I CAN Learn." Rep. Jefferson arranged for at least some of the $45 million in congressional earmarks the company has received.
The exact amount of money William Jefferson set aside for the company is unclear, because until recently bills containing earmarks that were passed by Congress did not identify which member inserted the request.
The alleged payments from Jefferson to Brooks-Simms were passed through intermediaries, according to court documents. Two people have pleaded guilty to playing a role in transferring the money: Norco businessman Burnell Moliere, an ally of the congressman, and Brooks-Simms' daughter, Stacy Simms.
Both of them, along with Brooks-Simms herself, are expected to testify against Mose Jefferson if the case against him goes to trial. Sources close to the case also have said that Brooks-Simms' secretly recorded several conversations she had with Mose Jefferson after she had signed a plea agreement with the government.
Moliere pleaded guilty in January to a crime called "structuring," which means he helped conceal the bribes by cashing checks from Jefferson and doling out money to Brooks-Simms and various designees in smaller portions to avoid triggering federal notifications.
Simms admitted that she allowed a bank account to be opened in her name and "used as a clearinghouse for bribe payments" to her mother.
Neither Simms nor Moliere is accused of profiting directly from those transactions. However, Moliere's janitorial company, AME Services Inc., did get a hand from Brooks-Simms during her tenure on the School Board, when she led a successful push to broadly expand the company's contract. Her son-in-law worked for the firm.
A sprawling federal probe of the School Board has netted nearly 30 convictions to date.
In the 16-count indictment of William Jefferson, Mose Jefferson emerged as a key player who was hired by firms that the congressman, allegedly helped with trade deals.
Separately, local FBI officials in 2006 announced an investigation of taxpayer-supported nonprofit organizations with close ties to Mose Jefferson and other family members after he wound up behind the wheel of a $30,000 car that had been donated to the city after Katrina. Jefferson's longtime companion, former City Councilwoman Renee Gill Pratt, likewise with one of the new cars. Both vehicles have since been returned.
Several of the nonprofits tied to the Jeffersons, as well as the city of New Orleans, had been paying high rents for a Central City office building owned by B.E.P. Consulting, a company Mose Jefferson incorporated. That company figures into the Brooks-Simms case as well.
A document filed by prosecutors earlier this year in the Moliere case stated that "Mose Jefferson paid Ellenese Brooks-Simms a 'kickback' . . . in the form of a $40,000 B.E.P. corporate check."
It is not clear whether the investigation into the nonprofits led authorities to the Brooks-Simms bribes.
Prosecutors have not indicated whether they believe that JRL Enterprises, which hired Mose Jefferson, did anything wrong.
JRL Enterprises president John Lee has said the company did not. In a previous interview, Lee described the commissions paid to Mose Jefferson as the going rate for "introductions to the decision-makers." Lee has said he does not know which members of Congress arranged for JRL's earmarks; regardless of who inserted them, the company's hiring of Mose Jefferson was unrelated to the earmarks, he said.
For more Times-Picayune stories:
Brooks-Simms' daughter admits role in bribe payoffs, March 11
Norco business owner is charged in bribery case, Jan. 23
Jeff Parish official got $500,00 from firm, July 15, 2007
Bribery discussion recorded, June 21, 2007
Ex-school official admits bribes, June 20, 2007
........
U.S. Attorney Jim Letten has scheduled a news conference for 11 a.m. to discuss what a press release described as "a significant development in a city corruption case." Letten would not discuss the precise subject matter of the news conference, but a source close to the investigation said it will involve Mose Jefferson.
Mose Jefferson's lawyer, Ike Spears, did not return calls seeking comment.
The charges come as little surprise: Brooks-Simms pleaded guilty last summer to accepting the bribes from a businessman described in court documents as "Mr. A" and identified by sources close to the case as Mose Jefferson.
Also, in at least two subsequent filings in Brooks-Simms' case, Jefferson was identified by name. And officials from JRL Enterprises -- the makers of "I CAN Learn," the algebra tutorial Jefferson was peddling -- have acknowledged that the congressman's brother was working for them.
All told, Mose Jefferson was paid about $900,000 in commissions for selling roughly $9 million in product to the School Board, according to court documents and interviews.
The charges have no direct bearing on William Jefferson, who is awaiting trial in Virginia on 16 unrelated corruption charges. But the case does have close links to him. JRL Enterprises founder John Lee has held fund-raisers for the congressman, who in turn has been a big supporter of "I CAN Learn." Rep. Jefferson arranged for at least some of the $45 million in congressional earmarks the company has received.
The exact amount of money William Jefferson set aside for the company is unclear, because until recently bills containing earmarks that were passed by Congress did not identify which member inserted the request.
The alleged payments from Jefferson to Brooks-Simms were passed through intermediaries, according to court documents. Two people have pleaded guilty to playing a role in transferring the money: Norco businessman Burnell Moliere, an ally of the congressman, and Brooks-Simms' daughter, Stacy Simms.
Both of them, along with Brooks-Simms herself, are expected to testify against Mose Jefferson if the case against him goes to trial. Sources close to the case also have said that Brooks-Simms' secretly recorded several conversations she had with Mose Jefferson after she had signed a plea agreement with the government.
Moliere pleaded guilty in January to a crime called "structuring," which means he helped conceal the bribes by cashing checks from Jefferson and doling out money to Brooks-Simms and various designees in smaller portions to avoid triggering federal notifications.
Simms admitted that she allowed a bank account to be opened in her name and "used as a clearinghouse for bribe payments" to her mother.
Neither Simms nor Moliere is accused of profiting directly from those transactions. However, Moliere's janitorial company, AME Services Inc., did get a hand from Brooks-Simms during her tenure on the School Board, when she led a successful push to broadly expand the company's contract. Her son-in-law worked for the firm.
A sprawling federal probe of the School Board has netted nearly 30 convictions to date.
In the 16-count indictment of William Jefferson, Mose Jefferson emerged as a key player who was hired by firms that the congressman, allegedly helped with trade deals.
Separately, local FBI officials in 2006 announced an investigation of taxpayer-supported nonprofit organizations with close ties to Mose Jefferson and other family members after he wound up behind the wheel of a $30,000 car that had been donated to the city after Katrina. Jefferson's longtime companion, former City Councilwoman Renee Gill Pratt, likewise with one of the new cars. Both vehicles have since been returned.
Several of the nonprofits tied to the Jeffersons, as well as the city of New Orleans, had been paying high rents for a Central City office building owned by B.E.P. Consulting, a company Mose Jefferson incorporated. That company figures into the Brooks-Simms case as well.
A document filed by prosecutors earlier this year in the Moliere case stated that "Mose Jefferson paid Ellenese Brooks-Simms a 'kickback' . . . in the form of a $40,000 B.E.P. corporate check."
It is not clear whether the investigation into the nonprofits led authorities to the Brooks-Simms bribes.
Prosecutors have not indicated whether they believe that JRL Enterprises, which hired Mose Jefferson, did anything wrong.
JRL Enterprises president John Lee has said the company did not. In a previous interview, Lee described the commissions paid to Mose Jefferson as the going rate for "introductions to the decision-makers." Lee has said he does not know which members of Congress arranged for JRL's earmarks; regardless of who inserted them, the company's hiring of Mose Jefferson was unrelated to the earmarks, he said.
For more Times-Picayune stories:
Brooks-Simms' daughter admits role in bribe payoffs, March 11
Norco business owner is charged in bribery case, Jan. 23
Jeff Parish official got $500,00 from firm, July 15, 2007
Bribery discussion recorded, June 21, 2007
Ex-school official admits bribes, June 20, 2007
........