Brother of ex-U.S. Rep. Jefferson on trial

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- The older brother of former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., appeared in a federal court in New Orleans on bribery charges, authorities say.

The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune Thursday said Mose Jefferson stands accused of bribing former Orleans Parish School Board member Ellenese Brooks-Simms in order to secure her vote on a computer program purchase by the school board.

The school board purchase, which was worth more than $13 million, involved JRL Enterprises, which employed Mose Jefferson as a consultant.

Brooks-Simms testified that the elder Jefferson gave her three checks totaling $140,000 in 2003 and 2004. Brooks-Simms alleges Jefferson wrote the checks out to her daughter, Stacy Simms, and Rosa Dickerson, a church friend, and requested the women claim to have been employees of his companies.

Brooks-Simms cooperated with an FBI investigation into Jefferson after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery associated with a program that gets federal funds, the newspaper reported.

Jefferson has denied the allegations he was using the checks to funnel funds to Brooks-Simms in return for her school board support.