H. Res. 452 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

June 5, 2007. 

Whereas clause one of House rule XXIII (Code of Official 

Conduct) states ‘‘A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer or employee of the House shall conduct 

himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect 

creditably on the House.’’; 

Whereas on June 4, 2007, the United States Department of 

Justice filed an indictment by a grand jury against the 

gentleman from Louisiana, the Honorable William J. Jefferson, in the United States Court for the Eastern District of Virginia; 

Whereas in the aforementioned indictment of Representative 

Jefferson, the grand jury specifies 16 counts, including 

but not limited to Solicitation of Bribes by a Public Official, Violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, 

Money Laundering, Obstruction of Justice and Racketeering; 

Whereas in the aforementioned indictment, the grand jury alleges that Representative Jefferson did knowingly engage 

in an unlawful conspiracy ‘‘to provide for the unjust enrichment of Defendant Jefferson and his family members 

by corruptly seeking, soliciting, and directing that things 

of value be paid to him and his family members in return 

for Defendant Jefferson’s performance of official acts’’; 
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Whereas in the aforementioned indictment, the grand jury 

further alleges that ‘‘Defendant sought to and, did conceal his and his family members’ expected or actual receipt of things of value by directing congressional staff 

members, family members, and others to form nominee 

companies that entered into business agreements to receive things of value sought by Defendant Jefferson while 

not referencing him or disclosing his involvement in obtaining the agreements’’; 

Whereas in the aforementioned indictment, the grand jury 

further alleges that ‘‘Defendant Jefferson failed to disclose his and his family’s financial interests in these business ventures by omitting this material information from 

travel and financial disclosure forms required to be filed 

by the Rules of the House of Representatives and, in 

some cases, by failing to make any of the required filings’’; 

Whereas in the aforementioned indictment, the grand jury 

further alleges that ‘‘On or about July 30, 2005, in Arlington, Virginia, Defendant Jefferson received $100,000 

in cash from [cooperating witness]’’ for use in an illegal 

bribery scheme; 

Whereas in the aforementioned indictment, the grand jury 

further alleges that ‘‘On or before August 3, 2005, at his 

residence in Washington, DC, Defendant Jefferson secreted in his freezer $90,000 of the $100,000 in cash 

provided by [cooperating witness] as part of the front-end 

bribe to Nigerian Official A, which was separated into 

$10,000 increments, wrapped in aluminum foil, and concealed inside various frozen food containers’’; 

Whereas on February 27, 2007, the House Democratic Caucus unanimously approved the recommendation of House 
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Democratic leaders that Representative Jefferson be 

elected to the Committee on Homeland Security, a position in which he would have had access to highly sensitive 

Top Secret information concerning national security matters; 

Whereas on June 5, 2007, Representative Jefferson resigned 

from the Committee on Small Business to which he was 

elected by vote of the House on January 23, 2007; 

Whereas the Constitution of the United States authorizes the 

House of Representatives to ‘‘determine the rules of its 

Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a 

Member’’; 

Whereas the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct is 

charged with enforcing the Code of Official Conduct and 

related rules of the House governing the Conduct of 

Members and staff; 

Whereas during the 109th Congress, on May 17, 2006, the 

Committee on Standards of Official Conduct issued a 

public statement which noted ‘‘[t]he Committee has voted 

to establish an investigative subcommittee to conduct an 

inquiry regarding Representative William J. Jefferson’’; 

Whereas absent any subsequent public statements by the 

committee concerning Representative Jefferson and in 

light of press accounts describing the Jefferson inquiry as 

‘‘halted’’ and ‘‘stalled’’ it is essential that the House act 

to ensure that appropriate and timely action is taken to 

complete the Jefferson inquiry and protect the integrity 

of the House; 

Whereas clause 5(a)(4)(A) of House rule X states ‘‘At the beginning of a Congress, the Speaker or his designee and 
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the Minority Leader or his designee each shall name 10 

Members, Delegates or the Resident Commissioner from 

his respective party who are not members of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to be available 

to serve on investigative subcommittees of that committee 

during that Congress. The names of Members, Delegates 

or the Resident Commissioner so named shall be announced to the House.’’; 

Whereas Republican Leader Boehner, having chosen 10 Republican Members for the ethics pool for the 110th Congress earlier this year and Speaker Pelosi only having 

named the Democrat Members of the pool earlier today: 

Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the Committee on Standards of Official 

Conduct is directed to investigate without further delay alleged illegal conduct and violations of House rules by Representative William J. Jefferson and report its findings and 

recommendations to the House, including a recommendation 

regarding whether Representative Jefferson should be expelled from the House. 

Attest: 

Clerk.