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By Frank James

A federal jury has convicted William Jefferson, the former congressman from New Orleans, of accepting bribes.

Jefferson became infamous and a national punchline after the Federal Bureau of Investigation agents found $90,000 in the freezer section of the refrigerator his Washington, DC-area home.

The Associated Press is reporting:

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) – A jury in suburban Washington has convicted a former Louisiana congressman on 11 of 16 counts including bribery in a case in which agents found $90,000 in his freezer.

Former Rep. William Jefferson is accused of accepting more than $400,000 in bribes and seeking millions more in exchange for brokering business deals in Africa. He is a Democrat who had represented parts of New Orleans.

The jury deliberated five days before returning the verdict Wednesday. It was an eight-week trial.

Given the strength of the evidence, the conviction doesn’t come as a surprise.

This story is filed under: Politics

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