Judge Upholds Jefferson Search

A judge has ruled that a search of Representative William Jefferson's office was constitutional:

WASHINGTON, July 10 — While acknowledging the unprecedented nature of the F.B.I. search of Representative William J. Jefferson’s legislative offices, a federal judge ruled Monday that the seizure of records there was legal and did not violate the constitutional separation of powers between Congress and the executive branch.

The search, the first of a Congressional office, touched off a firestorm on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers joined in bipartisan protests to the Bush administration over the Justice Department’s decision to seek evidence of bribery on legislative ground. President Bush personally intervened and ordered the seized documents temporarily sealed.

The constitutional battle will not end with the decision Monday by Judge Thomas F. Hogan of Federal District Court. Mr. Jefferson’s lawyer, Robert F. Trout, quickly announced that he would appeal. And while Judge Hogan said the documents seized in an overnight raid May 20 and 21, including computer hard drives and boxes of records, could now be turned over to investigators, the defense is likely to seek a stay of that release.

The longer the case drags, the more ridiculous the donks "culture of corruption" rhetoric seems. The guy had $90,000 in his freezer for crying out loud. He still is a sitting representative. That speaks volumes about the culture of corruption on both sides of the aisle.

Washington needs a serious enema and I imagine a few incumbents will face tough reelection battles.