He was convicted on two counts of bribery and two counts of obstruction of justice and was cleared of one count of bribery, one count of conspiring to bribe Brooks-Simms and one count of conspiring to commit money laundering.

Jefferson faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years on each obstruction of justice count.

Jefferson, in a  statement made outside of the court room, said he felt it was impossible to get a good, fair trial in New Orleans.

“I still maintain I am not guilty,” he said. “I have never bribed a person in my entire life.”

Jefferson’s defense attorney Mike Fawer believes that his client has a “good shot at getting the verdict reversed on appeal.”  He maintains that in no way, does he feel that the government can count this as a victory.

“On balance, the government cannot view this as a victory. He (Jefferson) was acquitted on the major counts.

The verdict comes two weeks after former Congressman William Jefferson was found guilty in Alexandria, Va of 11 of 16 counts of public corruption.

Brooks-Simms was arrested in 2007 and spent more than two years cooperating with federal investigators. She agreed to wear a wire during two conversations with Mose Jefferson in May 2007.

At issue in the trial was whether three checks Jefferson wrote to Brooks-Simms totaling $140,000 constitute a gift or a bribe. 

Brooks-Simms served as school board president for two years.

On Friday morning, the jury requested additional copies of transcripts of the secretly recorded conversations between Jefferson and former Orleans Parish School Board President Ellenese Brooks-Simms. The transcripts reportedly included portions of the conversation where Jefferson encourages Brooks-Simms to take the Fifth Amendment if federal agents talked to her.

The jury began deliberating Thursday after several days of testimony. Unlike, his brother, former Congressman William Jefferson, Mose Jefferson took the stand in his own defense.

During the trial, Jefferson tried to paint Ellenese Brooks-Simms as a friend he tried to help rather than a public official he tried to bribe to gain her support for a contract bid.

The defense has tried to no avail to exclude that portion of the transcripts. Despite Jefferson’s attorney’s efforts, Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon made those transcripts available.

Jefferson was accused of paying Brooks-Simms $140,000 in kickbacks to have a computer learning program installed in New Orleans schools. He earned $900,000 in commission from the contracts that were voted on in 2003 and 2004. 

Mose Jefferson testified last week that he and Brooks-Simms were lovers and that the money was simply a favor to a friend who needed cash to offset her financial difficulties.

Former Congressman William Jefferson, was convicted in an unrelated case on corruption charges. Mose’s name was brought up numerous times during that case.

This article was originally published in the August 24, 2009  print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper