Yesterday, technology experts confirmed our worst suspicions about New OrleansCity Hall. Mark Lewis of the Louisiana Technology Council and Chris Reade of Carrollton Technology Partners were hired to conduct a full forensic review Mayor Ray Nagin’s e-mails. The experts were hired to determine whether the missing e-mails could be recovered. They reported that the mystery e-mails have been lost forever, so citizens will never know what Mayor Nagin was really doing. It is quite possible that crimes were committed to cover up potentially criminal or at the least embarrassing activity.
This whole saga began after media outlets made repeated requests to Mayor Nagin to produce his e-mail correspondence. There is a public records law that requires public officials to produce these documents to any member of the media or the public. Nagin produced next to nothing claiming that the information had been deleted because of limited storage capacity on the city servers.
When that lame excuse was proven to be a lie, the Mayor hired the technology experts to uncover what really happened. As if he did not know already. Lewis and Reade reported that only someone with upper level access to the system could have deleted the records. According to Reade, "It had to be a human action. This was not data that disappeared because of damage to the store or by accident." Clearly, it was not an accident and it was done on purpose to shield Nagin from public scrutiny.
Possibly, the FBI can uncover the missing e-mails so that the citizens can know what someone is trying so desperately to cover up. Inquiring minds want to know what Mayor Nagin was really doing. It is amazing that Nagin has been critical of the city council’s e-mail correspondence, while being unable to fulfill numerous demands for his own e-mail correspondence.
The technology experts said that all of the other correspondence in City Hall was available and only Nagin’s information was missing. Quite suspicious isn’t it?
Now the case is in the hands of the FBI, who are investigating the case. Hopefully, there will be a resolution to this mystery very soon. The public has a right to see all of this correspondence. These records do not belong to the Mayor; they belong to the people of New Orleans.
Nagin’s arrogance and lack of cooperation are appalling; however, it does not compare to the actions taken to eliminate the mayor’s e-mails.. Did the Mayor instruct someone to destroy these records? It is time that Nagin answered that question under oath. In my view, whoever did this was instructed to destroy evidence of something very incriminating. It is one thing to have an incompetent Mayor, it is quite another to have one who is involved in criminal behavior. The citizens of New Orleans have a right to know what is really going on at City Hall. Hopefully, we will have answers soon.
Jeff Crouere is the Host of “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 7 till 11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. He is the Political Analyst for WGNO-TV ABC26 and a Columnist for selected publications. For more information, visit his web site at RingsidePolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com
Email is recorded on both the sending computer and the receiving computer. There is always the chance something will pop up on the receiving end and do Nagin in. Written by TwoSidesOfEmail
on 7/3/2009
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Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn........ Written by
on 7/2/2009
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Dears, you just do not understand. He had thought that they were erased by acccident, but much to his shock the new hard drive on which they had been transferred was located right before his trip to China. To safeguard them and to make sure that he could release them under the public records laws, he took the hard drive with him on his trip. The Chinese upon discovering it claimed that he was a spy. Of course, he was not. He was detained under the guise of the swine flu. However, the Chinese decided not to make an international incident and realizing that he might be going on trial in the future, released him but kept the device which was a possible threat to the safety of their country. Ray did not know what to do and after talking with his friend from Australia, Mr. Crane in the sky, he decided once again for the sake not only of this city, this state, but of our nation not to disclose that the new hard drive had been detained by the Chinese officials. He thought it might create an international incident. Poor man. Under such distress over some innocent little old emails.
By the way Clarence, dear, what did your momma and daddy tell you? Think before you speak. You nauaghty boy. Mr. Lewis and Mr. Reade settle this like gentlemen. No, no not under the dueling oak but in another way. SUE, SUE, SUE, SUE. There are enough attorneys out there that would be willing to take the case. Sue Ray, the City of New Orleans, etc., etc. After all he idicated your firm's incompetence while he was speaking as Mayor of the City of New Orleans. Now, Clarence, you better get to NOAH before it closes. You may be able to avoid being served because of your ill health. Written by RhettsWife
on 7/2/2009
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Jeff. What ever would make you believe that nagin would tell the truth under oath. THere can be no other explanation but that he has had his emails erased professionally (his close friendship and illegal dealings with Meffert, the IT expert, come to mind) probably because they are a good indicator of his illegal dealings while mayor. He too freebie trips to Hawaii and Jamaica and Chicago, with his family, yet has a memory lapse and he has been very cagy about his dealings with Home Depot in exhange for his marble company contracts, and lord only knows what deals he cut in concert with his special friend and confidante Veronica White which left us with massive garbage collection charges for much less service. Who can trust that doesn't have some behiind the scenes deal in the works with Chevron if he can push through the purchase of their building. Sadly, the only answer we're likely to get from Nagin is that this that all this is a racist plot against him becaude he's black, but that he's pure as the driven snow. Let's hope the Federal Government sorts his shenanigans out and that he does many long years in jail, where he belongs. Written by Noladude
on 7/2/2009
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Yesterday, technology experts confirmed our worst suspicions about 
