Breaking - FBI Raids House Of Reps. Offices

Reuters via Yahoo News:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - FBI officers raided a House of Representatives office building on Saturday night, and NBC television said it had searched the offices of Louisiana Democratic Rep. William Jefferson.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed the unusual raid at the Rayburn House Office Building on Washington's Capitol Hill but would not say whose office was searched.

"Agents of the FBI's Washington field office executed a search warrant this evening at Rayburn at approximately 7:15," Debbie Weierman, a spokeswoman for the FBI's Washington field office, said.

Weierman said the search warrant was sealed and she could not confirm whose office was being searched.

But two lawmakers under investigation in separate bribery scandals have offices in the Rayburn building -- Jefferson and Ohio Republican Rep. Bob Ney.

I guess we will find out which one it was tomorrow.

Jefferson has, amazingly, tried to pretend innocence while a technology company executive has pleaded guilty to bribing him and a former Jefferson aide has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting bribery of the congressman.

Ney also says he is innocent of any wrongdoing in the face of a probe during which his former chief of staff has pleaded guilty to conspiring to corrupt the congressman on behalf of Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist at the center of the influence-peddling probe that has gripped Capitol Hill for months. Neil Volz enumerated 16 actions he said his old boss took on behalf of Abramoff clients and acknowledged he conspired to corrupt Ney, his staff and other members of Congress with trips, free tickets, meals, jobs for relatives and fundraising events.

As one academic put it, "We have an entire generation who imagines their member of Congress in an orange jumpsuit."

Note - the NY Times and others seem to have gone with NBC and said the raid was on Jefferson's office. However, it seemed to me Reuters had the correct report in saying the FBI wouldn't confirm which office under a sealed warrant so I've gone with that one.

Update Looks like it was indeed Jefferson. His lawyer has called the search "outrageous". No, what is outrageous is his trying to maintain a facade of innocence when there are guilty pleas from the briber and Jefferson's aide on record.