A city contractor allegedly gave “concealed and direct campaign monies” to Nagin.
Ray Nagin, the former mayor of New Orleans who sent out the “SOS” to the nation during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, was indicted on 21 federal corruption charges on Friday. The charges include those of bribery, money laundering, fraud, and filing false tax returns. As CNN reports,
Nagin allegedly defrauded the city through “a bribery and kickback scheme” in which he received checks, cash, wire transfers, personal services and free travel from businessmen seeking favorable treatment, the 25-page federal indictment said.
The conspiracy charges also include accusations that Nagin awarded “no bid” work to a contractor employed by the city who then provided him with illegally concealed money to finance his campaign.
In 2005 Hurricane Katrina became the “single most catastrophic natural disaster” in the history of the US, and catapulted Nagin into the spotlight. He spoke out forcefully against the excruciatingly slow pace of state and federal relief efforts on behalf of the victims in his city.
Photo: AP/File
Who could have seen this coming?
Maybe he can get a gig on MSNBC.