Former St. Tammany Parish District Attorney Walter Reed has been indicted on federal corruption charges. The longtime law enforcement officer is vigorously denying any wrongdoing.
The 18-count indictment was announced Thursday by U.S. Attorney Ken Polite. He outlined the case that includes charges that Reed laundered campaign money in a kickback scheme involving his son Steven.
“In addition to bringing prosecutions like this, what we need to start doing in our community and in this state is thinking about how our government works and how it fails us: the lack of oversight, the lack of accountability, the lack of checks and balances, the lack of regulation of outside business activities,” Polite said.
Reed issued a statement after the announcement, saying the indictment mirrors news media reports he said were incomplete, inaccurate and misleading.
He’s also accused of filing false tax returns.
IRS agent Jerome McDuffie said Reed knew his tax obligation.
“Mr. Reed is an attorney, a longtime prosecutor, and was well aware of these requirements,” McDuffie said.
The indictment also says Reed charged St. Tammany Hospital $30,000 a year for 20 years for legal services. But the money went to his personal accounts instead of the District Attorney’s office.
Reed says it’s a misunderstanding.
