Update: Meffert indictment is here

Gotta love that big bold "FELONY" dominating the page.


Meffert Indictment

Signals

Today, the Department of Justice confirmed an ongoing federal probe targeting Greg Meffert. It has long been assumed that he was a primary target of what everyone can boost my ego by calling the e-maelstrom.

First, it's comforting to finally see this confirmed.

Second, let's speculate:

Though announced on a Friday, to see this come out on Katrina Anniversary weekend (also known as the Great National Media Flashback of 2009) would indicate to me that US Attorney Jim Letten is making a strong commitment in regard to pursuing this case and others closely related to it.

Keep in mind that with the closure of the Bill and Mose Jefferson trials (especially Mose, since he was tried locally), the local DOJ office's labor resources diverted to those cases are now available to be deployed to work on other investigations.

Thus, starting this weekend and over the next 4-6 weeks, I would advise keeping a close eye on the papers and the blogs.

Not that you don't already.

What a subpoena letter looks like

City Email Docs080409-1
The non-disclosure suggestion is worded so non-threateningly.

Cliff added a great comment to the last post that's worth repeating:

Here's a question I need someone to answer for me. Why don't the feds just get a subpoena to take the entire server and do their own data extraction? Is it normal for the feds to let someone they are building a case on hire private firms to retrieve information? To me this says they are still looking for a smoking gun to make a case with. In the meantime we keep spending city money for all of this.

Maybe just tacking on additional counts?

That would seem kind of like spinning the wheel when you've already solved the puzzle.

Someone please do this to my Saturn

 

Letter from Letten: "Lawyer Up!"

UPDATE: False alarm?

I can back up Dambala. It seems a lot of people are saying that Mayor Nagin has indeed received a "target letter" from US Attorney Jim Letten.

But what exactly is a target letter?

Here's an interesting article at TalkLeft.

I'm beginning to see some people, including at least one news service, misapply the term "target letter." Just so it's clear, a "target letter" is what the prosecutor provides to a witness who has been subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury. It is an advisement of rights, particularly the right to counsel and the right to not testify.

Once the investigation is complete and the grand jury has heard all the evidence and is about to return Indictments, target letters are no longer used. [ Addition by LNILR: They are not re-issued everytime a witness/target comes in. Any competent defense lawyer has already met with the prosecutor to learn the client's status and role in the alleged offense under investigation. Target letters go out after the targets and subjects are identified by the prosecutor and investigators. The investigation may be years old before target letters go out. A "target letter" is just what it implies: You are likely going to be indicted, and you better act accordingly.]

Once an indictment is returned, the Prosecutor may notify the lawyer for the indicted person to make agreements on whether a summons will issue or arrest warrants, and, if it's going to be an arrest warrant, whether the person will be allowed to surrender at the courthouse or FBI office rather than be arrested at home or at work and bail amounts can be agreed upon. At this point, the case is past the "target letter" stage. The notification of indictment and arranging surrender can be formal (by letter) or by a telephone call.

Wow. So Mr. Ray Nagin is going to have to scramble to find a white collar defense attorney. How many of those haven't already been snatched up? Might be slim pickings... This is why it was so bizarre that he hadn't already retained private council in this matter, instead choosing to continue to rely on city attorneys Bob Ellis and Penya Moses-Fields, who are representing the municipality in an official capacity.

Also, here's a sample target letter from the Department of Justice website:

This letter is supplied to a witness scheduled to appear before the federal Grand Jury in order to provide helpful background information about the Grand Jury. The Grand Jury consists of from sixteen to twenty-three persons from the District of ___. It is their responsibility to inquire into federal crimes which may have been committed in this District.

As a Grand Jury witness you will be asked to testify and answer questions, and to produce records and documents. Only the members of the Grand Jury, attorneys for the United States and a stenographer are permitted in the Grand Jury room while you testify.

We advise you that the Grand Jury is conducting an investigation of possible violations of federal criminal laws involving, but not necessarily limited to *. You are advised that the destruction or alteration of any document required to be produced before the grand jury constitutes serious violation of federal law, including but not limited to Obstruction of Justice.

You are advised that you are a target of the Grand Jury's investigation. You may refuse to answer any question if a truthful answer to the question would tend to incriminate you. Anything that you do or say may be used against you in a subsequent legal proceeding. If you have retained counsel, who represents you personally, the Grand Jury will permit you a reasonable opportunity to step outside the Grand Jury room and confer with counsel if you desire.

Cordially,

Feel free to sign cordially in the comments section...

Strongly Worded Letter

Check out this fiery letter to the Advocate:

Louisiana should be able to apply the word “admirable” to her dream of a modern medical teaching facility. Yet, when a dream transcends to desire and intention is conquered by cupidity, “admirability” is reduced to depravity.

There are few actions on Earth more profane than a governmental dream holding hostage the well-being of humanity. When such an abrogation occurs, the moral obligation between the government and the people dissolves, and ethics is reduced to insignificance.

Read the whole thing.

Didn't Adriani (the author) run for Mayor or something?

D-5 Meetin'

This evening I attended an open town hall meeting organized by State Senator Cheryl Gray.

It is encouraging to see an elected official make an honest effort to keep in touch with the community in an unpretentious way.

We were all encouraged to ask questions and raise whatever concerns.

Turnout was... eh.

Maybe twenty something people. Maybe thirty.

A lot of neighborhood association types, some recently-elected Democratic committee people, State Rep. Neil Abramson, City Councilwoman Shelly Midura, some of NOPD's finest, Cheryl Gray, her staff, and a judge.

A lot of shout-outs to Robert Cerasoli, our new inspector general here in New Orleans.

Anyone could have been there, though. It's not an exclusive club. I made it past the velvet ropes no problem. (None of them have any idea that I happen to be a Mayoral candidate)

State Senator Gray spoke briefly about the legislative session that Governor Bobby Jindal has called to address the ethics laws governing state officials. It was only her second day in the Senate. Neil Abramson is only on day two in the House as well.

Sounds like they're busy. They were broken into committees and tons and tons of ethics reform bills are going to be going onto the House and Senate floors this week and next. They're trying to require officials to reveal the sources of their income. One area that may be contentious may be whether or not to expand that requirement to judges.

Apparently, it's a question of constitutionality.

Yo! Of course a judge is going to find it unconstitutional!

We can't require judges to disclose the sources of their income in this state?

Shoot, that's a conflict of interest problem waiting to happen. It probably already has happened. A lot of times, probably.

Anyway, they have a lot of different bills they gotta sort through. You can watch it live here.

Shelley Midura said City Council has sent a resolution automatically applying any new state laws stronger than existing municipal laws to municipal officials. People clapped.

The NOPD officials answered questions for awhile. It was very interesting, I'm thankful to the officers for doing so. They're put on the defensive a lot, I'm sorry to say.

But they should be, people are rightfully mad about the crime, we have to ask questions.

Ed McGinnis, President of the Irish Channel Neighborhood Association informs me that it was tame. Each police district has monthly open meetings, I'm pretty sure on the third Tuesday of every month.

The rest of the time Cheryl Gray just took questions from the attendees.

Questions about the ethics bills, questions about coastal restoration, questions about the new VA hospital, questions about accessibility.

(This accessibility thing where a State Senator meets with constituents to answer questions and open a community conversation is apparently new to District 5)

Senator Gray promised to look into some of the things people were concerned about, promised a newsletter to constituents, and promised to meet again with us soon.

I was a jackass and asked State Senator Gray if she was considering a bid against William Jefferson Jefferson to go to Washington D.C. to represent the city. People howled. She just started this job. I know, I know. Anyway, nobody really ate the refreshments.

-

Hmm, maybe I should run for his office first. Before I run for Mayor. I think I might do that. Because I'll likely lose the first race. It'll position me better for the mayoral run, no? Get some name recognition, establish my values and my character... I'll commission some polls or some test groups or hire a consultant or something... unless I win.
I'm in it to win it!

Mr. Jefferson's running for reelection.

I believe his presence in Congress is an embarrassment to this city.

If people here are going to get what they deserve under the next President, we're going to need someone that cares about the people's concerns. It's called the audacity of care. (Oh snap!)

Write a strongly worded letter

Apparently, there has been a complaint filed to the American Society of Civil Engineers alleging that ASCE leadership, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Defense worked intentionally to limit the scope of the official review and sabotage the work of independent bodies.

Click here to write a strongly worded letter to the ASCE asking them to make their investigation into these ethics complaints public.

(H/T: Levees.org)