Every Man For Himself
At this point Elbert Jefferson has to primarily be looking out for himself. He may have started out running interference for Willie Herenton but all that has changed. I'm sure when he accepted his job back after he tried to resign. He never expected all this heat. It looks like the Feds strategy is to pit one man against the other one. Only time will tell, but I think it might work. Every man for himself.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/oct/28/elbert-jefferson-appear-grand-jury/
posted by Common at
11:34 PM
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Former city attorney Elbert Jefferson appears before federal grand jury
By Alex Doniach, Amos Maki
Posted October 29, 2009 at 10:25 a.m. , updated October 29, 2009 at noon
Former Memphis city attorney Elbert Jefferson heads to a federal grand jury hearing on Thursday October
Jefferson produced “documents, records, whatever he had” related to an ethics investigation of former mayor Willie Herenton, said his attorney, Ted Hansom.
But Hansom was adamant that, at this point, Jefferson is not the target of the investigation.
“He is a witness,” Hansom said. “Anybody who is subpoenaed is a witness until otherwise advised…. Who the target is I wouldn’t have any knowledge.”
Jefferson remained silent until reporters asked him about his health.
“I’m just taking it a day at a time, working with my doctors,” said Jefferson, who is a diabetic.
Jefferson said this was his first appearance before the grand jury.
Jefferson, Hansom and another attorney, Herschel Rosenberg, were seen holding a pow-wow outside City Hall.
Accompanied by his two attorneys, Jefferson went into the grand jury offices around 9:40 a.m.
City Council attorney Allan Wade also was sitting in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, usually a precursor to a trip to the grand jury room.
Jefferson said the last few months of drama that have swirled around him have been difficult and that he is appearing before the grand jury investigating former mayor Willie Herenton’s business practice to tell the truth.
“That’s what I’ve always done,” said Jefferson before heading into the building, which was surrounded by news personnel. “In my whole career, that’s what I’ve always tried to do.”
Jefferson and Hansom said Wednesday that Jefferson would be bringing documents and audio recording proving that Jefferson conducted an ethics investigation of Herenton, his former boss.
Jefferson has been under fire for weeks following revelations that he authorized city payment of $55,000 to a private lawyer who gave Herenton advice regarding the federal probe. At the time he resigned earlier this month, Jefferson was facing a lawsuit by Shelby County Dist. Atty. Bill Gibbons, who aimed to oust Jefferson from office for alleged misconduct.
Hansom said Wednesday the subpoena isn't aimed at Jefferson's conduct but rather seeks documents Jefferson produced in conducting an ethics probe of Herenton -- an investigation that paralleled the federal probe of the former mayor.
For more than a year now, a federal grand jury has been exploring private business deals that Herenton engaged in as mayor, including one involving the Greyhound bus station Downtown.
Herenton, who said Tuesday that he's received a target letter, is under investigation for a $91,000 payment he received. Herenton received the money by obtaining and then selling an option to purchase the Greyhound property at a time he was publicly urging the bus company to leave Downtown and move into a new publicly financed $16.5 million station near the airport.
Following news accounts of the federal probe in September 2008, Herenton asked Jefferson, then the city's chief ethics officer, for an internal probe to determine if he violated any local rules or laws.
According to Hansom, Jefferson interviewed several witnesses, including Herenton, in conducting that investigation. Jefferson conducted a "long interview" of Herenton that was captured on a cassette tape recording that will be delivered to the grand jury today, said Hansom, who declined to discuss details of the records.
Wade, the council attorney, authored an opinion released earlier this year saying Herenton had done nothing wrong and that the Greyhound transaction did not conflict with his duties as mayor or violate state law.
Even though the federal investigation of Herenton started months before the former mayor announced his interest in running for the 9th Congressional District seat held by Steve Cohen, Herenton has said the probe is politically motivated.
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