New Orleans corruption cases multiply

[babylonsister]

New Orleans corruption cases multiply
By Rick Jervis, USA TODAY


NEW ORLEANS — The number of public corruption cases here has more than quintupled, sparked by a federal crackdown on post-Katrina wrongdoings and a billboard campaign urging residents to expose crooked politics and payoffs, the FBI said.

Federal statistics show that 171 people in the metropolitan area have been indicted on public corruption charges from 2003 through mid-September of this year, said Howard Schwartz, supervisory special agent for public corruption in the FBI's New Orleans' office. More than 80% were convicted or pleaded guilty to charges including bribery and fraud.

The upsurge in indictments is partly the result of corruption fueled by the enticement of billions of federal and state dollars flooding the region after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Schwartz said. Nationally, the number of pending public corruption cases has increased 49% since 2001.

Schwartz said the increased New Orleans numbers are mostly due to a bolstered federal crackdown, an aggressive public awareness campaign and more people offering tips on offenders.

The majority of those indicted were elected or appointed officials, ranging from police officers to a former school board president to city councilmen, Schwartz said.

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http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-10-03-corrupt_N.htm

[cloudbase]

1. Business as usual. n/t