Senior Dem staffers called in corruption trial

Two senior House staffers have received subpoenas for testimony in the corruption trial against former Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.).

Roberta Hopkins, deputy chief of staff to Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), and Angelle Kwemo, an attorney for Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), notified the House of the subpoenas before the Memorial Day recess. Hopkins and Kwemo had served as Jefferson’s acting chief of staff and legislative director, respectively, as late as December 2008.

{mosads}The Department of Justice called Kwemo as a witness; it is unclear whether Hopkins will be testifying for or against Jefferson.

“Our office was aware of the subpoena and Ms. Kwemo is in full compliance of the law. It is my understanding Angelle was subpoenaed as a former staff member of Congressman Jefferson, and we are unaware of the extent of her role in any investigation,” said a Rush spokeswoman. “Since joining Congressman Rush’s staff she has done outstanding work and has been an exceptional employee.”

Towns’s office could not be reached for comment Friday.

Jefferson’s trial is set to begin Tuesday at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria. The former Louisiana Democrat lost his final pretrial appeal in mid-May when the Supreme Court refused to take up his request to throw out most of the criminal charges against him.

The DoJ has accused Jefferson of conducting a massive international bribery, money-laundering and racketeering operation that involved promoting business interests in Africa in return for bribes for his family members. Jefferson has maintained his innocence, arguing that it was all private business and did not involve official congressional acts on his part.

Jefferson lost his reelection to Joseph Cao (R) in November.