Pay to Morial alleged by corrpution probe figure

NEW ORLEANS — A businessman convicted in a City Hall corruption case gave prosecutors information about alleged cash payments to former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial, according to court documents unsealed this week.
In a July memo made public on Wednesday, prosecutors asked the court to note Stan “Pampy” Barre’s cooperation in the corruption probe when it considered his sentence. Barre this month started serving a five-year sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
In detailing Barre’s help, prosecutors wrote that “He provided details of criminal conduct beyond the … conspiracy for which he pled guilty.”
The memo later said, “His cooperation included information about cash payments to former Mayor Marc Morial.” The alleged payments weren’t mentioned aside from the single reference.
U.S. Attorney Jim Letten refused to elaborate Thursday on when or why the alleged payments were to have occurred.
“Whatever we filed speaks for itself,” Letten said.
Morial hasn’t been charged in the corruption case that brought down Barre and others charged with conspiring to skim money from a City Hall contract.
Patrick Fanning, a lawyer for Morial, said Barre is “trying to throw Marc Morial under the bus, but he doesn’t have any ammunition.”