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 Commis-
sioner, 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. Jef-
ferson, in the United States Court for the Eastern Dis-
trict 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 Offi-
cial, Violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, 
Money Laundering, Obstruction of Justice and Racket-
eering; 
Whereas in the aforementioned indictment, the grand jury al-
leges that Representative Jefferson did knowingly engage 
in an unlawful conspiracy ‘‘to provide for the unjust en-
richment 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’’;
•HRES 452 EH 
Whereas in the aforementioned indictment, the grand jury 
further alleges that ‘‘Defendant sought to and, did con-
ceal his and his family members’ expected or actual re-
ceipt of things of value by directing congressional staff 
members, family members, and others to form nominee 
companies that entered into business agreements to re-
ceive things of value sought by Defendant Jefferson while 
not referencing him or disclosing his involvement in ob-
taining the agreements’’; 
Whereas in the aforementioned indictment, the grand jury 
further alleges that ‘‘Defendant Jefferson failed to dis-
close his and his family’s financial interests in these busi-
ness 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 fil-
ings’’; 
Whereas in the aforementioned indictment, the grand jury 
further alleges that ‘‘On or about July 30, 2005, in Ar-
lington, 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 se-
creted 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 con-
cealed inside various frozen food containers’’; 
Whereas on February 27, 2007, the House Democratic Cau-
cus unanimously approved the recommendation of House
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Democratic leaders that Representative Jefferson be 
elected to the Committee on Homeland Security, a posi-
tion in which he would have had access to highly sensitive 
Top Secret information concerning national security mat-
ters; 
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 behav-
iour, 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 be-
ginning of a Congress, the Speaker or his designee and