A federal judge has postponed an arraignment for former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin on charges he accepted bribes and gratuities from city contractors in exchange for helping them secure millions of dollars in work for the city.
Nagin was scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 31. On Wednesday, however, U.S. District Judge Helen Berrigan moved Nagin's arraignment to Feb. 20. Berrigan's order doesn't give a reason for the delay or say if it was requested by Nagin's attorney or federal prosecutors.
A 21-count federal indictment last Friday accuses Nagin of accepting more than $200,000 in bribes, free loads of granite for a family business and trips to Hawaii, Jamaica and other places.
The charges against Nagin include bribery, wire fraud and filing false tax returns.