NEW ORLEANS -- It is an employment benefit afforded to members of Congress after five years of service -- a Congressional pension. Yet, despite his recent conviction on bribery, money laundering and racketeering charges and a subsequent 13-year prison sentence, former Congressman William Jefferson will still be able to receive his pension.
"Mr. Jefferson was abusing his office to steal from us, the people, and he's not now entitled to have us support him for the rest of his life," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
Two years ago, Congress passed a law that tried to change that. Both the House and Senate approved the Congressional Pension Accountability Act of 2007. It revokes the pensions of members of Congress if they are convicted of certain crimes, such as bribery, perjury and fraud.
For the law, though, it all comes down to timing.
"When they passed the law, they made it clear that it only applied to crimes that were committed after the enactment of the law," Sloan said. "So, no matter what you did before the enactment of the law, even if you get convicted of it several years later, you're going to get your pension."
That is what happened in Jefferson's case. He was convicted of crimes that happened before the 2007 law went into effect-- meaning he is still eligible for a Congressional pension, which could range from $40,000 to 55,000 a year.
"He, in effect, is grandfathered in," said Eyewitness News Political Analyst Clancy DuBos. "I'm sure it's a big disappointment to a lot of people, who feel that he should forfeit his pension for having used his office in the manner that he did."
The way lawmakers wrote the pension accountability law, comes as no surprise to some.
"The people who have to make the law are very conscious of the fact that, one day, they may be held accountable or punished by that law," said political analyst Dr. Silas Lee.
It is an imperfect law, critics say. However, they also point out that, despite the imperfections, the pension accountability act is a start.
"Better some law, than no law -- and that was really the choice at the time," Sloan said. "I would have had a really broad law that said any member of Congress who's convicted of a felony should lose their pension. Be that as it may, that's not what happened."
"If there is a silver lining to all this, is that going forward, anybody who commits these types of crimes, will not be able to collect a pension," DuBos said.
The accountability act passed unanimously in both the House and Senate. Jefferson-- who was serving in the House at the time -- voted in favor of the act. It passed several months before his indictment.
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