Former U.S. Virgin Islands Sen. David Jones helped his fellow former Sen. Roosevelt David deliver cash bribes in the territory’s bribery scandal, The Daily Caller’s Department of Justice source said.
According to a knowledgeable government official who served on a Department of Justice team put in place to arrest finance executives close to that telecommunications deal, U.S. Virgin Islands Governor John de Jongh accepted a portion of at least $20 million in cash bribes that floated throughout the territory’s government.
The U.S. Department of Justice, the source said, never acted on sealed indictments related to a years-long criminal scheme involving bank fraud and other financial crimes.
The bribes, according to the source, were for de Jongh, his attorney general, Vincent Frazer, and assorted Virgin Islands legislators — all aimed at quashing local concerns about financial irregularities identified on the books of the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Cooperative (CFC).
TheDC has previously reported that the Department of Justice source said David was the “bag man,” or the ally of the governor and CFC who delivered the cash bribes from CFC to the governor.
TheDC’s source said Jones played a role similar to David’s but dealt more with local legislators and acted much more “behind-the-scenes” than David. According to the source, Jones delivered bribes to Virgin Islands Senators.
“Some of the senators aren’t friends with him [Roosevelt David] in the sense that he could sit with them and work a deal out for them to vote on a bill,” TheDC’s source said in a recent phone interview. “So, former Sen. David Jones would pick up where he [Roosevelt David] could not complete.”
When in the U.S. Virgin Islands legislature, Jones served as Senate President – something that gives him more clout than the average former senator. “David Jones was one of those in the background lobbying other senators and working other consultants with Roosevelt David through the governor’s office,” TheDC’s source said.
TheDC’s source also said that Roosevelt David was at one point cooperating with federal investigators on this case. “He [Roosevelt David] was cooperating with federal agents originally and, of course, with what has been revealed or determined now, he’s gone silent,” the source said, adding that David has “gone mute” because it’s been discovered his role in the case was much more substantial than originally thought.
“But, because we know so much more now, we don’t really need him [Roosevelt David] anymore,” TheDC’s source added. TheDC’s source also said Jones has “never cooperated” with federal investigators.
TheDC was unable to reach Jones for comment before this story. In previous attempts to speak with David, he refused interviews and has hung up the phone.