Former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin guilty of graft in Katrina recovery
Bribes totalling more than US$500,000 included lavish personal parties, private jet rides and first-class airfares for a family shopping trip to New York
Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was found guilty by a federal jury on Wednesday of accepting bribes and trading on the public trust during the critical years of rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005.
A jury of six men and six women convicted Nagin on 20 of 21 counts, including bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy, money laundering and tax evasion. It acquitted him on one bribery count.
A sentencing hearing has been set for June 11. Nagin, 57, faces at least 20 years in jail, according to legal experts.
What we just saw displayed to the public was a nauseating case of abuse of public power for personal enrichment
Prosecutors said the combined value of the bribes, which included lavish personal parties, private jet rides and first-class airfares for a Nagin family shopping trip to New York, totaled more than US$500,000.
US District Judge Helen Berrigan told Nagin, after reading the verdict in court, that she was modifying the terms of his bond to require that he submit to “location monitoring” and be subject to home detention until his sentencing.
During the 10-day trial, the jury heard from some 30 prosecution witnesses, including a City Hall insider and contractors who earlier pleaded guilty to bribing public officials and are awaiting sentencing.
Prosecutors described Nagin as a mayor on the take, granting favours for bribes that included tonnes of free granite delivered to a kitchen countertop company he ran with his sons.
“Our public servants pledge to provide honest services to the people of Southeast Louisiana. We are committed to bringing any politician who violates that obligation to justice,” US Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite Jr, said in a statement.