Jefferson’s district director subpoenaed

The district director of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) has been subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury in the federal investigation that has been dogging Jefferson since last year.

The district director, Stephanie Butler, notified the Clerk of the House that she has received a subpoena to appear before a grand jury meeting in the Eastern District of Virginia, which is headquartered in Alexandria. Butler’s announcement was read on the floor Wednesday evening.
   
{mosads}Subpoenas issued by executive branch agencies, like the Justice Department, must be reported to the House Clerk because of separation of powers and speech-and-debate clause issues. Jefferson has claimed in court that a raid on his office last year was unconstitutional because it trampled on congressional independence.
   
The subpoena is part of a 16-month international bribery investigation of Jefferson, who allegedly accepted $100,000 from a telecommunications businessman. Of that, $90,000 was later recovered in a freezer in the congressman's D.C. home.