William Jefferson (D-La.), who is on trial on charges of corruption and influence peddling, will get a few days to find an expert witness to testify on his behalf. 

The prosecution alleges that Jefferson tried to charge money for securing legislation. However, Jefferson’s attorneys argue that if the government had such juicy evidence of bribery against their client they should have introduced it from the outset, rather than drafting a meandering fuzzy indictment in which the most serious charge is that Jefferson sought to influence African leaders on behalf of some family business projects, the Times Picayune reports.

Federal Judge T.S. Ellis III granted Jefferson a delay until June 9 to find an expert to rebut certain new allegations against the congressman. The judge also chastised prosecutor, Mark Lytle, for not presenting his most egregious charges against Jefferson, if indeed he had evidence supporting them.

"Does anyone seriously believe that if they actually had proof of the allegation of a corrupt agreement to sell a legislative act, the government would have left it out of the convoluted 16-count indictment that they brought in this case?" said Robert Trout, Jefferson's attorney, who added that Lytle was merely trying to "smear" his client. "The allegation is baseless – and irresponsible."