This Day in History: New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin indicted on Hurricane Katrina corruption
Just a year ago former Democratic New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was indicted on charges that he’d used his office for personal gain, accepting payoffs, free trips and gratuities from contractors while the city was struggling to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
The corruption case has been delayed until later this month to “to enable defense counsel to adequately prepare.” the Judge stated in October, “the considerable number of documents that the government intends to offer against the defendant militate in favor of granting the requested continuance.”
On January 18, 2013, Nagin was indicted on 21 corruption charges including wire fraud, bribery and money laundering related to his alleged dealings with two troubled city vendors following the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
These charges are the result of a City Hall corruption investigation that already resulted in guilty pleas by two former city officials and two businessmen.
On February 20, 2013, Nagin pleaded not guilty in federal court to all charges.
Nagin made headlines in 2005 when he used the phrase “Chocolate City” to signal that New Orleans would remain a majority black city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction.
