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Baton Rouge U.S Attorney Focusing On Low Hanging Fruit?

By Andrew Ramonas

The Justice Department tasked a contingent of agents and prosecutors in Louisiana six years ago with rooting out corrupt politicians in the state capital. But the Baton Rouge-based U.S. Attorney’s office has racked up relatively few public corruption prosecutions in the last few years, according to the Baton Rouge Business Report. Instead, they have appeared to focus their attention on cases that are easier to win, the news website reported.

Don Cazayoux (Gov)

The Middle District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s office initiated 50 public corruption prosecutions in the last five years. In comparison, the Eastern District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s office in New Orleans brought 165 cases during the same period.

Glen Petersen, a former Middle District Assistant U.S. Attorney, said federal prosecutors in Baton Rouge seem to focus on drug and gun crimes, instead of corruption cases. Lawyers told the website that drug and gun cases are the ?low-hanging fruit” for the U.S. Attorney’s office.

?With the exception of a couple of cases literally in the past month or so, I haven?t really seen many cases one would consider white-collar or public-corruption cases,” Petersen said.  “I was aware this unit had been put into place, but I certainly was not aware of any cases that had come about as a result. I don?t know what the reason is, but I doubt that one of the reasons is because of a lack of public corruption in this area.”

U.S. Attorney Don Cazayoux, who was confirmed to the post a few months ago, said prosecuting corrupt government officials is a top priority of the Baton Rouge office. The Middle District of Louisiana is ?a very active district when it comes to prosecuting white-collar crimes or public corruption,? he said.

?When I took over this office, there were a variety of cases in the pipeline that are now coming to light,? Cazayoux told the Business Report. ?My predecessor made public corruption a high priority, and my office is full of very dedicated men and women who have carried out that priority in a very diligent way. I will continue to make public corruption a high priority.?

Full post as published by Main Justice on August 24, 2010 (boomark / email).