(Legal Newsline) – Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s legal team has issued subpoenas to several New Orleans officials over testimony and records tied to the now-dismissed criminal case against her.
The subpoenas, issued September 14 in connection with Murrill’s civil public-records litigation against former special prosecutor Laurie White, were issued to Mayor Helena Moreno, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams and five City Council members. The subpoenas seek to examine the circumstances surrounding an Orleans Parish grand jury’s July indictment of the attorney general.
The subpoenas name Moreno, Williams, City Council President J.P. Morrell and council members Jason Hughes, Freddie King, Aimee McCarron and Matthew Willard. They seek communications and testimony ahead of an October 1 hearing in Civil District Court before Judge Sheryl Howard.
Murrill attorney Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue said records already obtained by the attorney general’s legal team conflict with public statements that New Orleans elected officials had no role in the criminal case.
“Elected officials in New Orleans publicly claimed they had absolutely no involvement with this matter,” Rodrigue said in a statement. “Now, records we have obtained are proving otherwise. We are going to see this through.”
The subpoenas were not issued by a judge, meaning the recipients may challenge them in court.
On July 2, an Orleans Parish special grand jury indicted Murrill on 16 counts of malfeasance in office and public intimidation. The charges were based on letters Murrill sent in May to Moreno, Williams and several council members during a dispute over the consolidation of Orleans Parish’s civil and criminal court clerk offices.
The Legislature had merged the clerk positions, with Civil District Court Clerk Chelsea Richard Napoleon set to lead the unified office. New Orleans officials opposed the change and pursued a plan involving retired Judge Calvin Johnson and a potential special election. The Louisiana Supreme Court upheld the consolidation law.
Murrill warned city leaders that they could face removal from office if they tried to override the state law, according to reporting on the case. The grand jury later alleged those letters amounted to intimidation and malfeasance.
The Louisiana Supreme Court quickly stayed the prosecution after the indictment. White, who had been appointed special prosecutor, dismissed the charges July 22 after Moreno and the other officials identified as potential victims asked that the case be dropped.
Murrill and Gov. Jeff Landry have maintained that the prosecution was politically motivated and have sought records related to the grand jury investigation and the officials’ communications about it. Landry said he would pardon Murrill if she were convicted.
City Attorney Charline Gipson, speaking for Moreno and the City Council, said the city would contest the subpoenas.
“Neither the mayor nor any member of the council is party to this matter, and yet the city is being drawn in through subpoenas that were never issued by a judge,” Gipson said. “The city has moved on.”
Gipson said the city attorney’s office would respond to what she called “this harassment” in court.
Williams’ office said the district attorney had not yet reviewed the subpoenas because he was occupied with homicide trials and declined further comment because the matter is in active litigation.