When will ex-mayor Ray Nagin cop a plea? Earlier this week in federal court, Nagin pleaded not guilty to all 21 counts against him.  But that was before a magistrate judge and those pleas were expected.  Now a trial date has been set for mid April and here’s where the real fun begins.

For the next few weeks, Nagin and his attorney Robert Jenkins will continue negotiating with the Feds hoping to bang out a deal.  Nagin wants his sons free and clear from this mess and obviously wants to go away for the least amount of time possible.

15 years ago, Dopey Edwin Edwards could have plead guilty to the crimes he obviously committed and would have spent just 15 months behind bars and his son would have walked free. Instead, the egotistical and narcissistic Edwards rolled the dice one more time and lost, going to jail for a decade.  His son Stephen got 5 years in the clink instead of none.

Will Nagin do the same?   I doubt it.  In the next few weeks look for the ex-mayor to plead guilty to a few of the 21 counts against him.  He’ll go to a federal prison for about 5 years and his sons will go free.  Not a bad deal for a public official stealing from us.

Take the deal C-Ray.  It an easy choice: 5 years in jail or 15-20?  The ball is in the ex-Mayor’s court.

Former New Orleans mayor C. Ray Nagin pleaded not guilty to 21 charges of bribery Wednesday morning in federal court.

Judge Sally Shushan set Nagin’s bond at $100,000, and he will remain free until his trial date of April 29, 2013.

Nagin is accused of taking bribes offered by three city contractors. Two of them, Rodney Williams and Frank Fradella, will testify against him. The third, Mark St. Pierre, is already serving time for bribing Nagin’s technology officer, Greg Meffert, and has offered to testify in exchange for shaving time off his sentence.

We all know that he’s “innocent until proven guilty,” but by looking at the record of former U.S. Attorney Jim Letten’s office and the multitude of witnesses that have plead guilty to bribing the ex-mayor, things look pretty gloomy for Ray Nagin.

The criminal behavior doesn’t surprise me. Nagin lacked ethics and morals long before he broke any laws. Who could forget the lunches and dinners with his wife that Nagin simply charged to the city credit card? Not because it was right or justified but because he could.  When first confronted about literally dozens and dozens — if not hundreds and hundreds — of free meals for himself and his wife, Nagin first denied it.  Then when shown proof of the meals paid for by city tax dollars, Nagin simply said he and his wife were talking city business.

If the petty free meals weren’t enough, how about the many international trips the Nagins took on the city’s nickel? China, Panama, Cuba, South Africa, Australia … just to name a few.  These so called “economic opportunity” trips were just junkets the mayor somehow justified. Not one job created.  Not one dollar for the city. Just expenses.

When one considers the lack of integrity of the ex-mayor on the free meals and trips, this criminal indictment isn’t that surprising.

Ray Nagin’s public service life began with Aaron Neville singing Ave Maria.  It will end with Nagin’s indictment — and if convicted — a lot of prison time.

“Under the guidelines, this is enough to put him away for the rest of his life…” said former federal prosecutor Julian Murray, “…if you take half of these things.”

Friday, Nagin was indicted on 21 counts stemming from his time as mayor of the city.  Nagin is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for arranging business with the city for his co-conspirators.

Last year, former Nagin associates Frank Fradella and Rodney Williams pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges.  But until Friday’s indictment, the two men were accused only of bribing a person identified as “Public Official A”, although attorney for both men all but stated Nagin was the public official in question.

The investigation into Nagin has been ongoing for years, and his indictment comes as no surprise to many people in the city.  But it does bring feelings of disappointment for many New Orleanians who voted for Nagin during his first-ever political campaign.  Many people felt they could trust the executive from the local cable company, and Nagin enjoyed growing support early in his tenure as mayor.

Nagin’s support grew after he led the city on a series of corruption crackdowns at City Hall.  And when he wowed citizens with new, high-tech crime  cameras, many people felt they truly elected a man who could move the city into the next millennium.

But most of the arrest at city hall didn’t stick.  The high-tech cameras seldom worked.  And the man who Nagin hired to work for the city and help lead its tech push, Greg Meffert, would also plead guilty to corruption charges.

Like a lot of people, Hurricane Katrina pushed Nagin to an emotional brink.  But unlike most people, the mayor vented on talk radio for all to hear.  Then there was his chocolate city comments during the 2006 MLK Day festivities.

Now, New Orleans is preparing to greet the world for the Super Bowl.  It will be the city’s first since Katrina.  But event organizers like Mary Matalin are worried about what impressions people will take home with them.

“A lot of them still think that the city is under water — or under indictment — one of them,” Matalin said during a Super Bowl luncheon just days before Nagin’s indictment.

Reactions to the indictment of former Mayor Ray Nagin range from satisfaction, to skepticism.

“I think if he did wrong he deserves it,” Scott Herbert said.

Reaction from the public — to the federal indictment of former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, at least on the surface, appears to be divided along racial lines.

“I’ve always thought he was kind of crooked and I think he deserves what he gets,” John St. Clergy said.

“At this point he’s only charged; he’s only indicted so he has a chance to fight his way through the court,
Dave Sinclair said. “Not knowing, not seeing the evidence against him then obviously we have to withhold our opinion.”

The long-expected indictment for corruption — comes more than two and a half years after Nagin vacated city hall.

Today Mayor Mitch Landrieu issued a statement saying, “Today is a sad day for the City of New Orleans.” “The indictment of Former Mayor Ray Nagin alleges serious violations of the public’s trust.” “Public corruption cannot and will not be tolerated.”

Nagin is accused of accepting cash bribes and gifts from city contractors; and using his power as mayor to leverage contracts for city projects.

“It’s not a victimless crime,” said Metropolitan Crime Commission head Rafael Goyeneche. “This is a crime against everyone in the city of New Orleans; and we’re still paying the price.”

Rafael Goyeneche heads a watchdog group that works to end public corruption.

He says Nagin is accused of siphoning tax dollars that were supposed to be used by government to benefit the public.

Therefore, he says, today is a good day for New Orleans.

“Because anytime someone betrays public trust within New Orleans, Mandeville, St. Bernard or anywhere else and that curtain is pulled back and they’re exposed, I think that serves two purposes. One, it lets the public know that if they report wrong doing something will be done about it.” “And it I think also has a deterrent effect on other public officials that maybe thinking maybe I can get away with it. So this is a good day not just for New Orleans but for Louisiana.”

Goyeneche says he’s followed the on-going investigation but was surprised by the depth, upon reading the federal indictment.

After Rodney Williams made his 180 degree turn — pleading not guilty on Tuesday, then guilty on Wednesday to bribing “Public Official A” — his lawyer joked with reporters about who received the money.

“It’d be the worst, worst investigative reporter on the planet who couldn’t figure out who Public Official A is,” Ralph Capitelli said outside of federal court.

According to court documents, Williams is accused of spending more than $60,000 to bribe someone only identified as Public Official A in exchange for city contracts.  The Factual Basis document in the case goes on to state, “That power and authority (to award large contracts) rests with the City of New Orleans’ Chief Executive Officer, the mayor.”

The feds allege the bribes took place while Ray Nagin was mayor, but Nagin’s name appears nowhere in court documents.

Last June, another businessman, Frank Fradella, also pleaded guilty to bribing Public Official A.

Both cases involve payments of cash or other considerations involving granite or a granite company.  After Hurricane Katrina, Nagin and some of his family members operated a granite counter top company.

After Fradella’s plea, his attorney Randy Smith was asked about any possible Nagin connection.  He refused to identify Public Official A but said, ” If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s probably a duck, right?”

Nagin has not been charged or accused of any crimes.  Williams faces up to five years in prison, but would most likely see a much lighter sentence for his cooperation in the investigation.

“The government is clearly aware of what my client will testify to,” Capitelli said.

St Charles Parish businessman Rodney Williams pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon to bribing a City of New Orleans public official.  But Wednesday, Williams will make a 180.

“He’ll change his plea to guilty, and we’ll have a limited comment tomorrow,” said Williams’ defense attorney, Ralph Capitelli.

Williams is accused of bribing a public official in exchange for city business.  If Williams tells the feds that he gave the money to Ray Nagin when he was mayor, Williams could be the second person to make such a claim this year.

In June, businessman Frank Fradella pleaded guilty to bribing a public official who was only identified as “Public Official A” in court documents.

Ray Nagin has not been charged or implicated by federal prosecutors.  Following Fradella’s guilty plea, United States Attorney Jim Letten said it would be improper to identify “Public Official A”.

“It’s not that I can’t.  I won’t,” Letten said.

But Fradella’s attorney all but used Nagin’s name.

“If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s probably a duck,” said attorney Randy Smith.

At about the same time Williams was at federal court Tuesday, former mayor Ray Nagin was hitting the social media.  Nagin retweeted minister Joel Osteen’s statement, “You are not who they say you are.  You are who God says you are.”