Black Caucus turns on Pelosi over Jefferson scandal

RAW STORY
Published: Thursday May 25, 2006

House Minority Leader (D-CA) is facing a minor insurrection from members of the Black Caucus after asking Representative William Jefferson (D-LA) to step down from his post on the Ways and Means Committee, according to today's Roll Call.

Excerpts from the Roll Call story follow:

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But hours after Pelosi sent her letter to Jefferson on Wednesday, a members-only CBC lunch meeting produced an emotional consensus that Pelosi had overreached, since Jefferson has not been charged with any crimes. One after another, CBC members rallied behind their colleague, arguing that he was being singled out. Some noted that another Democrat recently entangled in an ethics controversy, Rep. Alan Mollohan (W.Va.), was forced to step aside as the ranking member of the ethics committee but permitted to keep his coveted Appropriations Committee perch.

“There’s no precedent for doing this to someone who has not been indicted,” Rep. Al Wynn (Md.) said afterward.

Said Clyburn, also a CBC member: “I would say that the people who spoke were very vehement in their opposition.”

Late in the day on Wednesday, Watt led a delegation of six senior CBC members — including Reps. Rangel, John Conyers (Mich.) and John Lewis (Ga.) — to a private meeting with Pelosi to inform the Leader that the CBC will publicly oppose her effort.

“I think she’s taking us down to the point where on Nov. 8 she’ll still be the Minority Leader,” an aide to a CBC member said. “Why act now and split the Caucus when there’s no precedent for it? Why not wait until there’s an indictment, when you could have unanimity behind you?”

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Read the full, registration-restricted story here.