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ALEXANDRIA — The woman who triggered an investigation of former congressman William Jefferson and eventually gave him a suitcase stuffed with $100,000 in cash won't be called as a prosecution witness at Jefferson's trial on bribery and other charges.
Jefferson is on trial in U.S. District Court accused of bribery, racketeering and other crimes for allegedly receiving more than $400,000 in bribes and soliciting millions more in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa.
The Democrat from Louisiana has pleaded not guilty.
Lori Mody, a Northern Virginia businesswoman whose March 2005 complaint to the FBI launched the probe, will not be called in the government's case, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Lytle. She had been expected to be a key witness on the stand, but prosecutors did not explain their decision.
Authorities said she had become suspicious that Jefferson was ripping her off defrauding her off in some joint business deals, and approached federal agents with her concerns.
She agreed to wear a wire, and eventually federal agents videotaped her giving Jefferson a suitcase stuffed with $100,000 cash at a northern Virginia hotel, according to court documents. A few days later, $90,000 of that cash was found by federal agents in Jefferson's freezer, authorities said.
Jefferson's lawyer, Robert Trout, said Wednesday that he was surprised by the government's decision not to call Mody.
In court papers, prosecutors accused defense lawyers of trying to embarrass and harass Mody by delving into issues like her mental health.
Defense lawyers countered that they have a right to cross-examine potential witnesses and explore their credibility and reliability.
Lytle did not rule out that he might seek to call Mody as a rebuttal witness, after the defense presents its case.
The trial resumes Thursday with additional jury selection, while opening statements are expected early next week.
