Ex-New Orleans Official Testifies About Strippers, Gambling, Sex On Yacht | Talking Points Memo

The former Chief Information Officer of the city of News Orleans testified in federal court on Wednesday that for several years, starting in 2002, he directed millions of dollars in taxpayer money to vendor Mark St. Pierre, The Times-Picayune reports. In return, Greg Meffert told the court, St. Pierre provided kickbacks including, eventually, access to a yacht and cash with which to gamble, buy booze and hire strippers. The strippers were also paid “to perform sex acts on Meffert, St. Pierre and others in the city’s technology office,” according to the paper.It was Meffert’s second day of testimony in St. Pierre’s bribery and fraud trial, and the newspaper characterized his demeanor as “[s]ubdued and at times emotional.” Meffert called his and St. Pierre’s actions “sophomoric,” and admitted to previously committing perjury in attempts to cover up what he called a “criminal enterprise.” Meffert, who pleaded guilty to federal charges in his own trial last November and was testifying as part of a plea deal, said this time he was telling the truth because he has grown tired of lying and out of concern for his family.


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=111583