NEW ORLEANS – Prosecutors and defense lawyers are preparing to put their final spin on evidence in former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's federal corruption trial.
Closing statements to jurors are set for Monday.
Nagin testified last week that key witnesses lied and prosecutors misinterpreted evidence including emails, checks and pages from his appointment calendar linking him to businessmen who said they bribed him.
The defense repeatedly said prosecutors overstated Nagin's authority to approve contracts. His lawyer said there is no proof money and material given to the granite business owned by Nagin and his sons was tied to city business.
Charges in Nagin's 21-count indictment include bribery, fraud and money laundering. The Democrat left office in 2010 after eight years that included the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
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