Rep. William “Fridge” Jefferson indicted on 16 counts (MORE: WILL JEFFERSON BE EXPELLED FROM CONGRESS?)
This virtually ensures that he won’t take his seat on the Homeland Security Committee, a seat he was recommended to by none other than House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He’s been blocked from taking the seat because Republicans insisted on an up and down vote that the Democrats in the House don’t want to go on record as casting (scroll).
Evening Update: Patrick O’Connor at The Poltico reports that there is an effort underway from House Republicans to have Jefferson expelled from House:
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) moved quickly to force the expulsion of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) from Congress following his indictment Monday on federal corruption charges.
The Republican leader will ask members of the House to vote on a resolution requiring the ethics committee to review the indictment filed against him in order to seek his expulsion from the House, according to his office.
Boehner will offer a privileged resolution on the House floor as early as Tuesday calling for the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to review the 94-page indictment filed against Jefferson Monday. The House will then vote on his resolution calling for the ethics panel to act.
Stay tuned …