Louisiana attorney general indicted over alleged threats; governor pledges swift pardon

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Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill (R) was indicted by a grand jury in connection with an investigation over alleged threats she made against New Orleans officials, former Judge Laurie White confirmed Thursday.

“The grand jury has returned an indictment, it is now a criminal matter,” White, who was appointed as a special prosecutor in the case, told reporters at a press briefing outside the courthouse.

The grand jury returned its 16-count indictment following weeks of deliberation, charging Murrill with eight counts of malfeasance and eight counts of intimidation.

Orleans Criminal District Judge Leon Roche issued a warrant for her arrest and set her bond at $25,000 for each charge — totaling $400,000.

The charges stem from accusations that the state attorney general allegedly intended to intimidate local public officials in New Orleans, including Mayor Helena Moreno (D) and District Attorney Jason Williams, who recused himself from the probe, along with five city council members.

Murrill is accused of writing letters to the officials in May warning them that their jobs could be at stake and that they could face consequences by pushing back on a new law combining the city’s criminal and district clerks of court.

“We’re very interested in elected officials in New Orleans not being intimidated or threatened by letter or any other way,” White said at the press briefing.

Murrill pushed back on the claims, calling the investigation “corrupt” and said the indictments were “retaliatory, meritless, and unconstitutional.”

“After taking on violent crime and entrenched corruption in New Orleans, it’s no surprise the status quo is looking for ways to stop me,” Murrill said in a statement to The Hill.

“It is beyond ironic that the improperly appointed special prosecutor, who called my office and violated the confidentiality of the grand jury proceedings herself, claims protecting confidentiality justified closing the courtroom.”

She also accused the grand jury of leaking confidential information “like a sinking ship” to the press and that the members “hardly seemed concerned about privacy.”

“I will be immediately filing an emergency supervisory writ with the Louisiana Supreme Court. Hopefully this will be sorted out quickly,” she said.

“I will not back down. I will continue enforcing the law, fighting corruption, and doing the job the people of Louisiana elected me to do.”

Laura Rodrigue Cannizzaro, Murrill’s attorney, called the indictment “embarrassing” and a “complete misuse of the criminal justice system for various reasons.”

She told reporters that she plans to file emergency motions and accused Roche and White of having a conflict of interest in the case. She also expressed concerns about the integrity of the jury after information was leaked to the press.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) condemned the news of the indictments, offering his support to Murrill and offering to pardon her should she get convicted.

“I would like to inform the great citizens of Louisiana who care about the rule of law, that our fabulous @AGLizMurrill [Attorney General Liz Murrill] will not have to worry about having her reputation tarnished by this kangaroo grand jury or the Orleans Kangaroo court as I will pardon her as fast as the law allows,” he wrote on the social platform X. “The criminal justice system is a circus at its finest in Orleans and we will not have any of that!”

When asked by reporters to comment on the governor’s statement, White responded: “Good, let’s get her convicted and then he can pardon her.”

Updated at 7:32 p.m. EDT

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