NEW ORLEANS -- Federal prosecutors say Gwendolyn Moyo is a fraud artist who turned to a Louisiana congressman and a state senator for help after regulators seized her bank accounts.

Moyo claims the government is waging a "hate campaign" in trying her on charges she conspired with former state Sen. Derrick Shepherd to launder money to conceal the illegal operation of an insurance business.

A jury of six men and six women heard both scenarios Wednesday during opening statements for the trial against Moyo, who is acting as her own attorney.

Moyo is accused of selling bogus construction bonds and laundering roughly $2 million to conceal her unlicensed operation of a bond brokering business. She has federal convictions dating back to 1989 that barred her from running an insurance business.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Magner said Louisiana insurance regulators were "hot on the trail" of Moyo when she turned to Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., for help.

"Influential guy around here," Magner said.

Magner said Jefferson introduced Moyo to Shepherd, who pleaded guilty Friday to a conspiracy charge in the case. Shepherd, a lawyer, allegedly deposited construction bond premiums in his bank accounts for Moyo after regulators seized her assets.

"It's a way to wash the dirty money," the prosecutor said.

Magner also said Moyo funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars through companies controlled by Jefferson and his sister, New Orleans tax assessor Betty Jefferson, neither of whom are charged in the case.

"And things start happening for Gwen," Magner said. "She says it's a loan. There are no loan documents."

Moyo accused Magner of distorting the facts.

"The only way I can call it is a hate campaign," she said. "They try to make sure upfront you hate the person (on trial)." U.S District Court Judge Carl Barbier interrupted Moyo's rambling opening statement at one point and urged her to talk about the facts of the case.

"You're really wandering all over the place now," said Barbier, who had admonished Moyo before jury selection Tuesday for applying makeup and combing her hair while he was talking.

Moyo, 53, told jurors she ran a "financial business" but insisted she hasn't operated as a bond broker since the late 1980s, when she was convicted in Arizona of federal fraud charges.

"I am not the same person I was 20 years ago," she said.

Shepherd, who resigned from the Senate on Friday, isn't expected to testify during Moyo's trial. Moyo named a brother and daughter of William Jefferson as potential witnesses, but neither the congressman nor Betty Jefferson are expected to testify.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)