Louisiana Congressman Takes Helicopter for Own Use?

I just heard on MSNBC that the Louisiana Congressman William J. Jefferson commandeered a military helicopter to save his own personal belongings and ignored anyone else needing help?!?!?

This is insane, how could this happen?

[edit on 9/13/2005 by djohnsto77]

Usually a link would be good...

But what else is new..
We have been hearing all thru this Katrina situation all kinda crap. why should this be any diffrent.

Originally posted by ThichHeaded
Usually a link would be good...

If I had a link I would have put this on ATSNN, just heard it on live television, hopefully something on the Internet will be published soon.

I look forward to a link on this dj...but don't be surprised to hear more and more of this. The stinking bile that has existed in Louisiana politics is bubbling to the surface of the toxic waters left behind Katrina.

There's been scum down there longer than there's been flood waters.

Here's the link:

Sept. 13, 3005 — Amid the chaos and confusion that engulfed New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck, a congressman used National Guard troops to check on his property and rescue his personal belongings — even while New Orleans residents were trying to get rescued from rooftops, ABC News has learned.

On Sept. 2 — five days after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast — Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., who represents New Orleans and is a senior member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, was allowed through the military blockades set up around the city to reach the Superdome, where thousands of evacuees had been taken.

Full Story: ABC News

Not too surprising.....I found stories about FEMA truck drivers being arrested for looting....even some NO police officers......but this guy should have realized this behavior would not be over looked, in fact his position would cause his bad behavior to become front page news!!

Surely he must have done this early on, and it's just now surfacing! He'd have to be a real dummy to pull something like this after seeing the anger that has already been vented in the direction of other gov't officials!

(You might edit the title a bit...from the article, it seems he actually was taken to his home by truck.)

[edit on 14-9-2005 by frayed1]

Congressman William J. Jefferson claims that he just happened to be in the area surveying storm damage when the National Guard truck he was riding in just happened to turn down his street. So he decided since they were going by his house anyway that he would grab a few things. An hour later the truck is stuck in his front yard, a rescue helicopter is called in to help, pulling it away from saving people on roof tops and delaying it at the scene for 45 minutes or so. Another Guard truck is called in to pull the other truck out of the muck. Oh, did I mentioned that one of the rescuers from the helicopter had to break into a second story window, don't know why, but Congressman Jefferson is pissed cause they broke his window. Now normally I wouldn't mention this little fact but since so many people are screaming racism in the NOLA debacle, Congressman William J. Jefferson is an African/American and a Democrat.

[edit on 14-9-2005 by Yorga]

The Louisiana National Guard tells ABC News the truck became stuck as it waited for Jefferson to retrieve his belongings. [...]The soldiers signaled to helicopters in the air for aid. Military sources say a Coast Guard helicopter pilot saw the signal and flew to Jefferson's home. The chopper was already carrying four rescued New Orleans residents at the time.
A rescue diver descended from the helicopter, but the congressman decided against going up in the helicopter, sources say. The pilot sent the diver down again, but Jefferson again declined to go up the helicopter.
After spending approximately 45 minutes with Jefferson, the helicopter went on to rescue three additional New Orleans residents before it ran low on fuel and was forced to end its mission

faecum



He seems to be claiming that he was going to his district to check on his people, and then went to his house, and then the truck stayed to help his neighbhours. I can see him wanting to check on his people, and he is claiming that he didn't want the Nat. Guard with him but that they insisted.

However, this was September 2nd, only 5 days after the big mess. He should've declined to go to his area and occupy these troopers. I can understand checking out his house, since he's in the area, but the whole thing is pretty darn fishy.

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering if anything else might be going on:

In an unrelated matter, authorities recently searched Jefferson's property as part of a federal investigation into the finances of a high-tech firm.

Gosh, do you think he might've taken stuff outta his house for this purpose? Maybe he refused to be rescued by the evac copter because he had to make sure that his 'belongings' were out of this house?

The levee system that had protected New Orleans for hundreds of years had failed," he said on the House floor on Sept. 7. "Our city was inundated, 80 percent of it, with deadly water. Thousands of lives were lost, many drowned, trapped in their homes. Others were lost trying to escape the fury."

Gee congressman, do you think maybe you should've made a stink about this when there was time to actually do something about it? Perhaps he was too busy 'cooperating' with the federal investigation of himself.