Ray Nagin indicted on 21 fed corruption charges

[BDKJMU]

Ex- New Orleans Donk Mayor Ray "Chocolate City" Nagin indicted.

"Probe into City Hall corruption has already netted guilty pleas by two former city officials and two businessmen.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has been indicted on 21 federal corruption charges including wire fraud, bribery and money laundering.

The charges are the outgrowth of a City Hall corruption investigation that already has resulted in guilty pleas by two former city officials and two businessmen.

The counts include wire fraud, bribery, money laundering, filing false tax returns and conspiracy.

Nagin, a former cable television executive, was a political novice before being elected to his first term as mayor in 2002, buoyed by strong support from white voters.

Hurricane Katrina in 2005 elevated Nagin to the national stage, where he gained a reputation for colorful and sometimes cringe-inducing rhetoric.

During a radio interview broadcast in the storm's early aftermath, he angrily pleaded with federal officials to "get every doggone Greyhound bus line in the country and get their asses moving to New Orleans."

In January 2006, he apologized for a Martin Luther King Day speech in which he predicted New Orleans would be a "chocolate city" and asserted that "God was mad at America."

Strong support from black voters helped Nagin win re-election in 2006 despite widespread criticism of his post-Katrina leadership. But the glacial pace of rebuilding, a surge in violent crime and the budding City Hall corruption investigation chipped away at Nagin's popularity during his second term.

Nagin could not seek a third consecutive term because of term limits. Mitch Landrieu, who ran against Nagin in 2006, succeeded him in 2010.

Nagin has largely steered clear of the political arena since he left office. On his Twitter account, he describes his current occupations as author, public speaker and "green energy entrepreneur." He wrote a self-published memoir called "Katrina's Secrets: Storms After the Storm.""
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nati ... n/1845617/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BDKJMU]

Typical big city donk mayor. Maybe he can share a cell with William "cold cash" Jefferson", former donk congressman from New Orleans who is currently serving a 13 year sentence in federal prison on corruption convictions.

[DSUrocks07]

Couldn't happen to a better person IMO

[Ivytalk]

What an assclown. Make that a corrupt assclown.

[kalm]

It's amazing he was re-elected after Katrina. Smart voters, those N.O. folk.

[AZGrizFan]

He could get elected mayor of DC tomorrow.

[HI54UNI]

It's amazing he was re-elected after Katrina. Smart voters, those N.O. folk.

Wanna guess who those same voters voted for for president?

[JohnStOnge]

I'm not a fan of Ray Nagin but I always take stuff like this with a grain of salt. The reason is that if the Federal government decides it's going to get somebody it's going to get them. I firmly believe that there is not a person in this country such that the Federal government could not find something to get them on if they decided they wanted to find something to get them on. There are simply too many laws and regulations and they are are too complex. Nobody can keep up with it. I would be willing to bet that every one of us has violated Federal laws and regulations.

Then there's the fact that once some Federal prosecutor decides he or she wants to get you they have essentially unlimited resources at their disposal. Another thing is that what's usually involved is that the Federal government gets somebody else against the wall then tells them that if they'll just tell the Federal government what they want to hear then also testify in court they'll be easier on them.

To me Federal prosecutions of local officials such as this one are usually scenarios in which Federal prosecutors picked someone out to grandstand over, issue press, etc. A scalp.

[DSUrocks07]

I'm not a fan of Ray Nagin but I always take stuff like this with a grain of salt. The reason is that if the Federal government decides it's going to get somebody it's going to get them. I firmly believe that there is not a person in this country such that the Federal government could not find something to get them on if they decided they wanted to find something to get them on. There are simply too many laws and regulations and they are are too complex. Nobody can keep up with it. I would be willing to bet that every one of us has violated Federal laws and regulations.

Then there's the fact that once some Federal prosecutor decides he or she wants to get you they have essentially unlimited resources at their disposal. Another thing is that what's usually involved is that the Federal government gets somebody else against the wall then tells them that if they'll just tell the Federal government what they want to hear then also testify in court they'll be easier on them.

To me Federal prosecutions of local officials such as this one are usually scenarios in which Federal prosecutors picked someone out to grandstand over, issue press, etc. A scalp.

I will say that he didn't make too many friends with the Federal government after Katrina. I believe he was one of the biggest voices regarding the incompetence of FEMA and other gov't agencies.

[CID1990]

I'm not a fan of Ray Nagin but I always take stuff like this with a grain of salt. The reason is that if the Federal government decides it's going to get somebody it's going to get them. I firmly believe that there is not a person in this country such that the Federal government could not find something to get them on if they decided they wanted to find something to get them on. There are simply too many laws and regulations and they are are too complex. Nobody can keep up with it. I would be willing to bet that every one of us has violated Federal laws and regulations.

Then there's the fact that once some Federal prosecutor decides he or she wants to get you they have essentially unlimited resources at their disposal. Another thing is that what's usually involved is that the Federal government gets somebody else against the wall then tells them that if they'll just tell the Federal government what they want to hear then also testify in court they'll be easier on them.

To me Federal prosecutions of local officials such as this one are usually scenarios in which Federal prosecutors picked someone out to grandstand over, issue press, etc. A scalp.

Yes the same administration that hangs on to and defends Eric Holder is going after Ray Nagin tooth and nail.

[Ibanez]

I hear prison is a Chocolate city.

[BDKJMU]

I'm not a fan of Ray Nagin but I always take stuff like this with a grain of salt. The reason is that if the Federal government decides it's going to get somebody it's going to get them. I firmly believe that there is not a person in this country such that the Federal government could not find something to get them on if they decided they wanted to find something to get them on. There are simply too many laws and regulations and they are are too complex. Nobody can keep up with it. I would be willing to bet that every one of us has violated Federal laws and regulations.

Then there's the fact that once some Federal prosecutor decides he or she wants to get you they have essentially unlimited resources at their disposal. Another thing is that what's usually involved is that the Federal government gets somebody else against the wall then tells them that if they'll just tell the Federal government what they want to hear then also testify in court they'll be easier on them.

To me Federal prosecutions of local officials such as this one are usually scenarios in which Federal prosecutors picked someone out to grandstand over, issue press, etc. A scalp.

I will say that he didn't make too many friends with the Federal government after Katrina. I believe he was one of the biggest voices regarding the incompetence of FEMA and other gov't agencies.

He was one of the biggest examples of incompetence during Katrina. Example- New Orleans EVAC SOP called for hundreds of school buses to be used to evacuate folks who didn't have the means to get out on their own. Those school buses just sat there unused in flooded lots....