Moreno, other city officials allegedly threatened by Murrill urge special prosecutor to drop case

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Mayor Helena Moreno and other New Orleans officials allegedly threatened by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill asked a special prosecutor on Tuesday (July 21) to dismiss the controversial criminal case against the state’s top law enforcement officer.

Murrill was indicted July 2 by an Orleans Parish grand jury on 16 felony counts, eight alleging malfeasance in office and eight accusing her of public intimidation. The charges stemmed from letters Murrill sent to the city officials that allegedly threatened them with removal from office if they continued to oppose a new state law that consolidated the Orleans Parish civil and criminal court clerks into one position.

“We respect the service of the grand jury and the responsibility entrusted to it. Importantly, the grand jury made the independent decision to review this matter on its own initiative,” Moreno wrote in a letter to special prosecutor Laurie A. White.

“At the same time, we believe this is the appropriate moment to bring this matter to a close, and, therefore, we request the charges be dismissed.”

The other alleged victims in the case -- including Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, retired judge Calvin Johnson and five members of the New Orleans City Council -- either co-signed Moreno’s letter or sent their own letters to White requesting the dismissal of charges or expressing no opposition if the case was dissolved.

White did not immediately respond to calls from Fox 8. Murrill’s attorney Laura Rodrigue declined comment on the development.

Moreno wrote in her letter that the request for the charges to be dismissed “is not driven by fear, politics or personal interest.” She said instead that the request was based on “our belief that the public interest is now better served by moving forward rather than by prolonging litigation.”

She added, “We also recognize that the Louisiana Supreme Court has already expressed significant concerns regarding the viability of this prosecution.”

The state’s high court issued an emergency stay in the case the day after Murrill was charged. Retired Judge Robert Chaisson later was appointed to oversee the case after every judge on the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court bench recused themselves from the matter.

The criminal case lodged against Murrill sparked new levels of animosity between New Orleans’ Democratic leadership and the Republican administration of Gov. Jeff Landry, Murrill and other state legislators in Baton Rouge. The governor said he would pardon Murrill if she was prosecuted and vetoed more than $33 million in state funding to some Orleans projects.

Murrill’s legal team last week had subpoena requests approved by Chaisson that demanded records and communications between White, Williams, Moreno and others related to the grand jury’s investigation and indictment process. Both White and Williams sought to have those subpoenas dismissed.

Related coverage

• Murrill opposes Orleans DA Jason Williams’ motion to quash subpoena
• Special prosecutor seeks to block subpoena in Murrill criminal case
• Judge grants subpoenas sought by AG Liz Murrill’s attorneys in grand jury probe
• Orleans Parish grand jury indicts Louisiana AG Murrill; she calls charges retaliatory

Murrill alleged improprieties in the process that led to the grand jury investigation, and eventual charges against her, notably that secret grand jury proceedings had been leaked to the news media before any indictment was handed up.

Moreno and Williams denied playing a role in the grand jury’s actions.

“We were not intimidated,” Moreno said in her letter to White on Tuesday. “While the correspondence at issue contained threatening language directed toward public officials, we never believed those threats could lawfully or practically be carried out. We continue serving the people of New Orleans without hesitation. ... While there are some who would prefer political division to continue, we believe we are called to a higher standard, one that brings us back to the words of scripture: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’

“For these reasons, we respectfully request that you exercise your prosecutorial discretion to dismiss these charges and bring this matter to a close. We recognize that the decision rests solely with you, and we fully respect the independence of that responsibility.”

Moreno’s letter was co-signed by J.P. Morrell, Matthew Willard, Freddie King, Aimee McCarron and Jason Hughes, the five City Council members who also received warning letters from Murrill after voting to call a special election for a new clerk and appoint Johnson as interim clerk. Those actions were struck down by the Louisiana Supreme Court for conflicting with the valid new state law.

Johnson wrote his own letter to White in which he also urged the special prosecutor to dismiss the charges against Murrill, saying he believed “pursuing these charges does more harm than good in advancing the interests of the City.”

Williams’ letter was more circumspect. The district attorney both expressed his “full respect for the grand jury” while also indicating he would not oppose the dismissal of the charges.

“Before and since this indictment, the DA’s office and the AG’s office have continued to work collaboratively,” Williams wrote. “I believe this indictment jeopardizes that continued partnership.”

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