By Eileen Fleming
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wwno/local-wwno-908136.mp3
New Orleans, La. – Price admitted taking several golf trips to Pebble Beach from the city engineer and a developer who had projects in the city. Letten says those trips total about $45,000. He says the former mayor also used money from campaign funds to pay gambling debts and personal expenses and provided false tax statements.
Letten says the five years and four months Price is set to serve shows how seriously courts are taking corruption cases.
"It's a powerful signal to those who violate the public trust, or who are contemplating it, that there will be a price to be paid for these things."
FBI agent Howard Schwartz says the case relied on confidential tips.
"The citizens in our area have had it with public corruption. We are getting - we the FBI - are getting calls, tips from the citizens. In this case, with Eddie Price, it was the citizens that decided to call."
He says names of those citizens will remain confidential.
Price stepped down last October. He is still facing a perjury charge in St. Tammany Parish for allegedly interfering with police on behalf of a businessman accused of severely beating a woman.
For WWNO, I'm Eileen Fleming.