Anh “Joseph” Cao denied alleged criminal William J Jefferson a 10th term to present Louisiana in Congress

 Update: 8/5/09

Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana was convicted Wednesday on 11 of the 16 corruption charges against him in a case that included the discovery of $90,000 in his freezer.

A federal court jury convicted Jefferson on four bribery counts, three counts of money laundering, three counts of wire fraud and one count of racketeering. He was acquitted on five other counts including wire fraud and obstruction of justice.

Jefferson, a 62-year-old Democrat, was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 4, 2007, about two years after federal agents said they found the cash in his freezer. Authorities said the cash was part of a payment in marked bills from an FBI informant in a transaction captured on video.

Jefferson had pleaded not guilty. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 150 years in prison, with sentencing tentatively set for October 30.

Original story

America will have its first Vietnamese American in Congress.

Yesterday, Louisiana voted for Republican Anh “Joseph” Cao to represent them in Congress and ousted alleged criminal Dem. Rep. William J. Jefferson.

Forty-one year old Joseph Cao is an attorney who came to America in 1975 after the fall of Saigon.

Sixty one year old William Jefferson was indicted in 2006 on charges for bribery, money laundering and misusing his congressional office. Although he denied those charges, federal agents said they found $90,000 in alleged bribe money hidden in his freezer.