Democrats want Rep. Jefferson out of post

Democratic leaders worked to strip embattled Rep. William Jefferson (news, bio, voting record) of his committee assignment on Thursday after the Louisiana lawmaker rebuffed repeated calls to step aside pending completion of a federal bribery investigation.

Jefferson, at the center of an increasingly complicated legal and political controversy with racial overtones, insisted he would not go quietly. "I can guarantee" he will not voluntarily step aside, said Melanie Roussell, his spokeswoman.
The congressman has not been indicted and has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. He is a member of the Ways and Means Committee, with authority over taxes, Medicare, trade,
Social Securityand more.

Several officials said Jefferson had rebuffed a final appeal to step aside in a meeting with three fellow Democrats dispatched by party leaders. They spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the delicate nature of the conversation.
Within hours, the same leadership group met and voted to remove him from the panel, at least temporarily, according to officials familiar with the deliberations. These officials said the vote was not unanimous, reflecting at least some disagreement about the case. Ominously for Jefferson, the entire Democratic rank and file was summoned to an evening meeting to ratify the action.

"I'm planning to call an emergency meeting of the caucus to talk among ourselves and make some determination as to what we should do," said Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, the caucus chairman. A vote by the full House would be required to force Jefferson to step aside. The maneuvering capped a determined attempt by the Democratic leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) of California, to ease Jefferson from his position. "I feel he should step aside," she told reporters but declined further comment.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060608/ap_on_go_co/raid_on_congress

He's had a long time on it while he was under investigation.