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{{short description|American politician and businessman}}
]
{{use mdy dates|date=February 2012}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ray Nagin
| image = Nagin2June2006.png
| caption = Nagin in June 2006
| order = 60th ]
| term_start = May 6, 2002
| term_end = May 3, 2010
| predecessor = ]
| successor = ]
| birth_name = Clarence Ray Nagin Jr.
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1956|6|11}}
| birth_place = ], ], U.S.
| party = ]
| alma_mater = ] (])<br>] (])
| spouse = {{marriage|Seletha Smith|1982}}
| children = 3
| signature = Ray Nagin signature.png
}}


'''Clarence Ray Nagin Jr.''' (born ], ] in ]) is properly the ] of Orleans Parish but is more commonly referred to as the Mayor of ], ], as the Parish coexists with the city. He was elected in May ], succeeding ]. Nagin gained international prominence in 2005 as the mayor of New Orleans during and immediately following ], which devastated the city. '''Clarence Ray Nagin Jr.''' (born June 11, 1956) is an American former politician who was the ] of ], ], from 2002 to 2010. A ], Nagin became internationally known in 2005 in the aftermath of ].


Nagin was first elected as mayor in March 2002.<ref name="State Election Results 2002">Louisiana Secretary of State Election Results, March 2, 2002, Mayor City of New Orleans.</ref> He was re-elected in 2006 when the election was held with at least two-thirds of New Orleans citizens still displaced after Katrina struck. ] by law, he left office on May 3, 2010.
==Biography==
Before his election, Nagin was a member of the ] and had little political experience; he was a vice president and general manager at Cox Communications, a ] communications company and subsidiary of ]. Nagin did give contributions periodically to candidates, including President ] and former Republican U.S. Representative ] in 1999 and 2000, as well as to Democratic U.S. Senators ] and ] earlier in the decade.


After leaving office, Nagin founded CRN Initiatives LLC, a firm that focuses on ], ] product development, publishing, and public speaking. He wrote and self-published ''Katrina Secrets: Storms after the Storms''.<ref>C. Ray Nagin, ''Katrina Secrets: Storms after the Storms'', p. 340, {{ISBN|9781460959718}}</ref>
Days before filing for the New Orleans Mayoral race in February 2002, Nagin switched his party registration to the ]. Shortly before the primary election, an endorsement praising Nagin as a reformer by ] gave him crucial momentum that would carry through for the primary election and runoff. In the first round of the crowded mayoral election in February 2002, Nagin received first place with 29% of the vote, against such opponents as Police Chief ], State Senator ], City Councilman ] and others. In the runoff with Pennington in May 2002, Nagin won with 59% of the vote. His campaign was largely self-financed.


In 2014, Nagin was convicted on twenty of twenty-one charges of wire fraud, ], and ] related to bribes from city contractors before and after Katrina<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news|title=Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin indicted for corruption|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crime-nagin-idUSBRE90H12U20130118|work=Reuters|access-date=January 18, 2013|date=January 18, 2013}}</ref><ref name="reuters.com">{{cite news| url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crime-neworleans-idUSBRE9300MX20130401 | work=Reuters | first=David | last=Bailey | title=Trial of former New Orleans mayor delayed until October | date=April 1, 2013}}</ref><ref name="The Washington Post">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/former-new-orleans-mayor-nagin-convicted-on-bribery-other-charges/2014/02/12/d26c9a8a-9418-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html|title=Former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin convicted on bribery, other charges|author=Fahrenthold, David A. |date=February 12, 2014|newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> and was sentenced to ten years in federal prison.<ref name="USA Today Sentence">{{cite news|title=Ex-New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin sentenced to 10 years|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/09/ray-nagin-new-orleans-mayor-sentencing/12397415/|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=July 9, 2014|date=July 9, 2014}}</ref><ref name="New York Times Sentence">{{cite news|title=Ray Nagin, Former New Orleans Mayor, Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/10/us/ray-nagin-former-new-orleans-mayor.html?_r=0|work=New York Times|access-date=July 9, 2014|date=July 9, 2014}}</ref>
Shortly after taking office, Nagin launched an anti-corruption campaign within city government, which included crackdowns on the city's Taxicab Bureau and Utilities Department. Nagin also made a controversial endorsement of current Republican U.S. Representative ] in the 2003 Louisiana Gubernatorial Runoff over current Democratic Governor ], and only reluctantly endorsed U.S. Senator ] in the 2004 Presidential race.


==Early life and career==
Nagin received a B.S. degree in accounting from ] in ] and an M.B.A. degree from ] in ]. He and his wife, ], have three children: Jeremy, Jarin, and Tianna.
{{BLP sources section|date=June 2022}}
Nagin was born on June 11, 1956,<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Bumgarner | first1 = Jeffrey B. | title = Emergency Management: A Reference Handbook | publisher = ABC-CLIO | pages = 146 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-BrMfxhUsuAC | access-date = 2014-02-17 | isbn = 978-1598841107| year = 2008 }}</ref> in New Orleans' ], to a family of modest means.<ref name=CityMayors>{{Cite web
| last = Stevens
| first = Andrew
| title = Ray Nagin: Former Mayor of New Orleans
| date = May 28, 2006
| url = http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/new_orleans_mayor.html
| publisher = ]
}}</ref> His childhood was typical of that of urban youth,<ref name=CityMayors/> and his father held two jobs: a janitor at New Orleans City Hall by night and a fabric cutter at a clothing factory by day. After the factory shut down, his father became a fleet mechanic at a local dairy<ref name=Tulane>{{Cite web
| title = Ray Nagin
| date = July 26, 2003
| first1 = Mark | last1 = Miester
| first2 = Michael | last2 = DeMocker
| publisher = Tulane University
| url = http://tulane.edu/news/tulanian/ray_nagin.cfm
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160423170536/http://tulane.edu/news/tulanian/ray_nagin.cfm
| archive-date = April 23, 2016
}}</ref> to earn sufficient pay to support his family.<ref name=BBCProfile/> His mother was employed as manager of a ] in-store restaurant.


The family lived on Allen Street in the ], followed by a stay near their family parish, St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in ], and then a move to the Cutoff section of ].<ref name="Tulane" /> Nagin attended ] and ],<ref>" {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423170536/http://tulane.edu/news/tulanian/ray_nagin.cfm |date=April 23, 2016 }}." ( {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303211536/http://tulane.edu/news/tulanian/ray_nagin.cfm?RenderForPrint=1 |date=March 3, 2016 }}) ]. Retrieved on March 15, 2013.</ref> where he played basketball and baseball. He enrolled at ] ] in ], on a baseball scholarship, played on championship teams,<ref name="BBCProfile" /> and graduated with a ] degree in Accounting in 1978.<ref name="CityMayors" /> He became a ].<ref name="gambit2002" />
==Hurricane Katrina==
] and New Orleans Mayor ] ], ].]]
On ], ], the ] predicted for the first time that ] would become a ] storm, and thus exceed the design limits of the New Orleans levees . That same day, Louisiana governor ] declared a state of emergency . <!-- . . -->


After graduating from college, he went to work in the purchasing department at ] in ]. He moved to ], then to ] in 1981 to take Internal Audit Manager and Division Controller jobs with Associates Corporation.<ref name=Tulane/>
On ], 2005, Governor Blanco sent a request for federal assistance and $9 million in aid to President Bush, which stated, "...I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect ], ], and ], or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster. I am specifically requesting emergency protective measures, direct Federal Assistance, Individual and Household Program (IHP) assistance, Special Needs Program assistance, and debris removal." Also in the requesting letter, the governor stated: "In response to the situation I have taken appropriate action under State law and directed the execution of the State Emergency Plan on ], 2005 in accordance with Section 501 (a) of the Stafford Act. A State of Emergency has been issued for the State in order to support the evacuations of the coastal areas in accordance with our State Evacuation Plan and the remainder of the state to support the State Special Needs and Sheltering Plan."


In 1982, Nagin married Seletha Smith, a New Orleans native.<ref name=Tulane/> Together, they have three children. In 1985, Nagin returned to New Orleans to become the controller of Cox New Orleans, the city's cable television franchise,<ref name=Tulane/> run by the ] media conglomerate. The franchise had a history of customer complaints, low profits, and stagnant growth, and was one of the poorest-performing components within Cox. Nagin was quickly promoted to general manager. In 1989, he was appointed to oversee all of Cox properties in south Louisiana as vice-president and general manager of Cox Louisiana, earning $400,000 annually, according to CNBC's "]".{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}
], in a press release dated ], stated that President Bush authorized the allocation of federal resources, "following a review of FEMA's analysis of the state's request for federal assistance." A ] press release of the same date also acknowledges this authorization of aid by President Bush.


In 1993, Nagin enrolled in the executive ] program at ]. Nagin also lobbied at the local, State, and Federal government levels, as many of the businesses he managed were regulated and required formal franchise renewals. His public profile was high because he hosted a twice-weekly television call-in show for customers.
On ], Governor Blanco sent a second letter to President Bush, which increased the amount of aid requested to $130 million.


In 1995, Nagin received the Young Leadership Council Diversity and Role Model Award and later sat on the boards of the ] and ]. He also was one of the founders and president of ] of metro New Orleans, an affiliate of the national organization of black businessmen.
Mayor Nagin issued a voluntary evacuation request late in the day on August 27. He was hesitant to order a mandatory evacuation because of concerns about the city's liability for closing hotels and other businesses.


Nagin was a partner in a group that brought the ] to the city.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2014/02/ray_nagin_corruption_trial_on.html
On ], Katrina became a Category 4 hurricane
| title= Ray Nagin corruption trial on Tuesday: A study in politics clashing with development at Home Depot
, and Nagin declared a mandatory evacuation, opening the ] to those who couldn't leave. State governor-controlled National Guard troops were stationed inside the Superdome to screen evacuees for weapons
| first=Mark|last= Waller | newspaper= The Times-Picayune
, yet the situation within the Superdome was very difficult for evacuees and city government could not cope with the problems.
| date=February 4, 2014
| quote= David White, a business partner of Nagin's from earlier ventures such as the New Orleans Brass hockey team...
| access-date= 2014-07-09}}</ref> Nagin became the team's president and investors' spokesman as they secured the hockey franchise.<ref name=Tulane/> The initial popularity of the team allowed the group to secure the 18,000-seat ] as its home venue.<ref name=Tulane/> That year, the local alternative newspaper '']'' named Nagin as its New Orleanian of the Year.<ref name="gambit2002">{{cite web
|url = http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/ray-nagin-for-mayor/Content?oid=1239895
|title = Ray Nagin For Mayor
|date = January 22, 2002
|publisher = Gambit Weekly
|quote = Nagin is a ] who serves as vice president and general manager of ], the local cable television company. He supervises more than 900 people and an annual budget of $200 million&mdash;more than one third of the annual city operating budget. He is president and founder of the New Orleans Brass minor league hockey team, and he was Gambit Weekly's New Orleanian of the Year for 1998.
|access-date = 2014-07-09
|archive-date = July 14, 2014
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714144717/http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/ray-nagin-for-mayor/Content?oid=1239895
|url-status = dead
}}</ref>


===Political affiliation===
Katrina shifted eastward approximately 15 miles from its expected landfall point, which was to be a direct hit on the city of New Orleans, only a couple of hours prior to making landfall, minimizing the anticipated wind damage to the city. The resultant floods arrived many hours after the worst of the hurricane had passed, breaching and undercutting the levees in numerous locations and quickly inundating a wide area of New Orleans. An estimated 90,000 were still in the city when the hurricane made landfall on ], causing severe damage to most of New Orleans.
Several news sources, including ],<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304130226/http://www.mdcbowen.org/cobb/archives/004594.html |date=March 4, 2016 }}. Retrieved August 26, 2006.</ref><ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060626052856/http://www.thebeak.org/index.php/archives/54 |date=June 26, 2006 }}. Retrieved August 26, 2006.</ref><ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025023752/http://www.michnews.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/220/9380 |date=October 25, 2008 }}. Retrieved August 26, 2006.</ref> have stated that Nagin was a registered ] for most of his adult life, and a ] supporter, but then switched to the ] shortly prior to seeking office in New Orleans. In 2004, he endorsed ] for president.<ref name=BBCProfile>{{cite news| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4623922.stm | work=BBC News | title=Profile: Ray Nagin | date=May 21, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/new_orleans_mayor.html|title=City Mayors: Ray Nagin - Mayor of New Orleans|work=citymayors.com}}</ref> In a January 13, 2006 interview on the ''] Show'', Nagin denied this, stating that he "never was a Republican" and that he has been a "life-long Democrat",<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tavistalks.com/ttcom/tsradio/ARCH2006/011306arch/index.html|title=Ray Nagin interviewed on the January 13, 2006 ''Tavis Smiley Show''|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060720081358/http://www.tavistalks.com/ttcom/tsradio/ARCH2006/011306arch/index.html|archive-date=July 20, 2006|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and several news organizations that reported he was originally a Republican were forced to issue retractions.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/25/AR2005102501627.html |date=October 25, 2005|newspaper=Washington Post |title=Article with correction on Nagin's political history|first1=Ceci|last1=Connolly|first2=Manuel|last2=Roig-Franzia}}</ref> However, he periodically gave contributions to candidates of both parties, including Representative ] in 1999 and 2000, as well as Democratic Senators ] and ] earlier in the decade. Nagin endorsed conservative Republican ] over conservative Democratic ] ] in the 2003 ] for ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wdsu.com/politics/2604218/detail.html |title=Nagin Endorses Jindal |publisher=WDSU |date=2003-11-03 |access-date=2012-12-22 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>


==2002 mayoral election==
==Criticism of Relief Efforts==
{{Main|2002 New Orleans mayoral election}}
Nagin entered the race for mayor on the final day of qualifying.
Shortly before the primary mayoral election, on January 17, 2002, the '']'' and '']'' endorsed Nagin.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}


In the first round of the mayoral election in February 2002, Nagin won first place with 29 percent of the vote. Some of his opponents were the Police Chief ], ] ], and City Councilman ]. In the runoff on Saturday, March 2, 2002,<ref name="State Election Results 2002"/> Nagin defeated ] with 59 percent of the votes to become the 60th mayor of New Orleans.<ref name="State Election Results 2002"/>
On ], ], Nagin expressed his frustration and anger at the response of other government officials and the lack of aid to the city of New Orleans in an emotional interview with ], on radio station ]:


==First term==
:''I need reinforcements, I need troops, man. I need 500 buses, man. We ain't talking about -- you know, one of the briefings we had, they were talking about getting public school bus drivers to come down here and bus people out here. I'm like, "You got to be kidding me. This is a national disaster. Get every doggone Greyhound bus line in the country and get their asses moving to New Orleans." ...''You know what really upsets me, Garland? We told everybody the importance of the 17th Street Canal issue. We said, "Please, please take care of this. We don't care what you do. Figure it out." …''And they allowed that pumping station next to Pumping Station 6 to go under water. Our sewage and water board people ... stayed there and endangered their lives. And what happened when that pumping station went down, the water started flowing again in the city, and it starting getting to levels that probably killed more people.'':…
The 2004 ''Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the City of New Orleans'', as certified by CPA firm ], highlighted many significant accomplishments of the Nagin administration. New Orleans gained 4,500 jobs that year. U.S. Census Bureau figures showed about 38,000 New Orleanians had risen out of poverty as the national average increased. According to ''The American City Business Journal'', per capita income in New Orleans was rising at the fastest rate in the nation.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web |url=http://app1.lla.state.la.us/PublicReports.nsf/98F3165C819D1B... |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-08-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20150827201457/http://app1.lla.state.la.us/PublicReports.nsf/98F3165C819D1B... |archive-date=August 27, 2015 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
''So there's no water flowing anywhere on the east bank of Orleans Parish. So our critical water supply was destroyed because of lack of action.'':…''There is nothing happening. And they're feeding the public a line of bull and they're spinning, and people are dying down here.'':…''I don't want to see anybody do anymore goddamn press conferences. Put a moratorium on press conferences. Don't do another press conference until the resources are in this city. And then come down to this city and stand with us when there are military trucks and troops that we can't even count.…''But we authorized $8 billion to go to Iraq lickety-quick. After 9/11, we gave the president unprecedented powers lickety-quick to take care of New York and other places.''Now, you mean to tell me that a place where most of your oil is coming through, a place that is so unique when you mention New Orleans anywhere around the world, everybody's eyes light up -- you mean to tell me that a place where you probably have thousands of people that have died and thousands more that are dying every day, that we can't figure out a way to authorize the resources that we need? Come on, man.…''Don't tell me 40,000 people are coming here. They're not here. It's too doggone late. Now get off your asses and do something, and let's fix the biggest goddamn crisis in the history of this country. Expanding on his statements, he added, ''The convention center is unsanitary and unsafe, and we are running out of supplies for the 15,000 to 20,000 people.''


''Southern Business and Development'' named New Orleans number eight on the list of "comeback kids" in the south. New Orleans had back-to-back record tourist years, 10.1 million in 2004. A Yahoo/'']'' poll named the city its number one family destination. Since 2002, the area had seen over $400 million of film productions, including movies like the Oscar award-winning '']'', starring ], and ''All the King's Men'', featuring ]. According to '']'', New Orleans was the fourth-best place to film a movie and had earned the title "Hollywood South".<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
Mayor Nagin again voiced his criticism of the Governor's response to the crisis in a ] interview on ], "...what the state was doing, I don't frigging know. But I tell you, I am pissed. It wasn't adequate." He defended his own response to Katrina in stating, "Look, I'll take whatever responsibility that I have to take. But let me ask you this question: When you have a city of 500,000 people, and you have a category 5 storm bearing down on you, and you have the best you've ever done is evacuate 60 percent of the people out of the city, and you have never issued a mandatory evacuation in the city's history, a city that is a couple of hundred years old, I did that. I elevated the level of distress to the citizens."


In November 2004, the Nagin administration passed the city's largest bond issue, $260 million.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Times-Picayune Staff |title=Ray Nagin's life and times as mayor of New Orleans |url=https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_998c96e7-3273-5c83-aa82-aee6025ce94e.html |access-date=9 March 2020 |newspaper=The Times-Picayune |date=25 April 2010}}</ref> New Orleans also jumped from 69th to 38th on ]'s list of "Most Wired Cities".{{citation needed|date=August 2014}} The city's website went from being unranked to the 4th best in the nation.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
On ], President Bush responded to Nagin's criticism by saying the crisis "created tremendous problems that have strained state and local capabilities. The result is that many of our citizens simply are not getting the help they need, especially in New Orleans. And that is unacceptable." .


As ] threatened the ] in September 2004, Nagin urged New Orleanians to prepare for the storm. He advised those planning to stay not only to stock up on food and water, but also to make sure they had "an axe in the attic", a reference to the many people trapped in their attics by rising floodwaters when ] hit the city in 1965. Nagin issued a voluntary evacuation call at 6:00{{spaces}}p.m. on September{{spaces}}30th, leading to heavy interstate traffic as some 600,000 metro New Orleanians left.
] of the ], a conservative organization, criticized Nagin's preparation for the hurricane in a Wall Street journal op-ed claiming "Mayor Nagin had to be encouraged by the governor to contact the National Hurricane Center before he finally, belatedly, issued the order for mandatory evacuation. And sadly, it apparently took a personal call from the president to urge the governor to order the mandatory evacuation." However, when asked to confirm the claim that Bush had allegedly persuaded Nagin to order the evacuation Whitehouse press secretary ] stated that he had no information to this effect.


==External links== ===Hurricane Katrina===
] ] and Mayor Ray Nagin meet on September 2, 2005]]
*
{{main|Effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans}}
*
* , ] transcript and the audio of ] radio interview.
*
*


In August 2005, ] entered the ]. Early on Friday, August 26, Mayor Nagin advised New Orleanians to keep a close eye on the storm and prepare for evacuation. He then made several public statements encouraging people to leave but promising that if they did not evacuate, "e will take care of you".<ref>{{cite book |last=Brinkley |first=Douglas |title=The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast |year=2009 |publisher=HarperCollins |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0061744730 |page=94}}</ref> By 10:00{{spaces}}a.m. Saturday, a mandatory evacuation was called for low-lying areas in the surrounding parishes—], ], ], and ]—and a voluntary evacuation for ]. Nagin had, however, ignored federal and state offers of help and a recommendation to evacuate the entire city.
{{start box}}

{{succession box |
In addition to the parishes' announcements, President ] declared a federal ] for Louisiana.
before = ] |

title = ] |
In accordance with the regional evacuation plan, New Orleans, along with the surrounding areas of Jefferson and St. Charles parishes, were given formal voluntary evacuation orders around 50 hours from Katrina's landfall. This phased approach along with "]", wherein all incoming interstate highway lanes are reversed outward, ensured that additional vehicles moving onto already congested roads would not create massive gridlock. The local newspaper reported that Nagin stopped short of ordering a mandatory evacuation because of concerns about the city's liability for closing hotels and other businesses.<ref>Nolan, Bruce. {{webarchive |url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090702060202/http%3A//www%2Enola%2Ecom/news/t%2Dp/frontpage/index%2Essf?/base/news%2D4/1125213007249320%2Exml |date=July 2, 2009 }}, '']'', August 28, 2005</ref>
years = ]&ndash;''present''|

after =''incumbent''
After receiving a late night Saturday call from ], head of the ], Nagin was advised that Katrina was headed to New Orleans. He ordered the city attorney to prepare legal documents for a mandatory evacuation of the city, the first in New Orleans' almost 300-year history. On Sunday, August 28 at 9:30&nbsp;a.m., the mandatory evacuation order was signed and communicated to the public. The ] was opened as a shelter of last resort, and police went throughout the city with loudspeakers alerting all remaining citizens to head to key pickup points for free bus rides. By Sunday evening 80% of New Orleanians and visitors were evacuated or relocated.<ref name="Nagin, C. R 2011">Nagin, C. R (2011), ''Katrina's Secrets: Storms after the Storm''</ref>
}}

{{end box}}
After the hurricane hit, the federally built and maintained levees collapsed throughout the city. 80% of the city flooded, some areas as high as 20 feet, over rooftops. Food and water became scarce, and looting was common. After hearing reports of this, Nagin criticized the federal and state response on ], and his passionate outburst went viral.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

In response to a question at a ] in October 2005, Nagin said: "I can see in your eyes, you want to know, 'ow do I take advantage of this incredible opportunity? How do I make sure New Orleans is not overrun with Mexican workers?'"<ref>http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2005/12/04/a-new-spice-in{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}...{{Incomplete short citation|date=August 2014}}</ref> Some Hispanic groups, including the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, criticized Nagin's statement,<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051226021710/http://www.hispanicprwire.com/news.php?l=in&id=5044&cha=11 |date=December 26, 2005 }} – Hispanic PR Wire, October 19, 2005.</ref> although those attending the town hall meeting reportedly applauded—many believing jobs should first go to locals displaced by the hurricane. Despite this comment, Nagin went on to say this was the city's biggest economic opportunity and urged New Orleanians to get more comfortable working beside someone who did not look like them, as everyone's help was needed. During a subsequent interview on Telemundo with ], Nagin praised the great work Hispanic workers did in New Orleans and said the city would not have recovered without them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://enfoque.msnlatino.telemundo.com/los-secretos-de-katrina.php |title=Los secretos de Katrina |publisher=Telemundo |access-date=2012-12-22}}</ref>

=== "Chocolate City" speech ===

{{Main|Chocolate City speech}}

Shortly after Katrina devastated New Orleans, there were calls for moratoriums on rebuilding certain neighborhoods.<ref>{{cite web|last=Klein|first=Naomi|url=http://www.global-sisterhood-network.org/content/view/495/76-cached|title='Here's a better idea' for victims of Hurricane Katrina|publisher=Global Sisterhood Network|date=September 9, 2005|access-date=April 24, 2013|archive-date=February 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221220911/http://www.global-sisterhood-network.org/content/view/495/76-cached|url-status=dead}}</ref> Two weeks after Katrina struck, Nagin took a weekend trip to Dallas to reunite with his family. While there, he was asked to meet with leading New Orleans businessmen to discuss the city's future. Nagin says he made it clear at the meeting that everyone had a right to return home, a claim contradicted by some businessmen in attendance.

Many of the initial proposals to rebuild New Orleans focused on rebuilding areas with the highest likelihood of economic return. Many groups expressed concern that this might radically change the racial make-up of the city.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/22/weekinreview/22dao.html?pagewanted=all | work=The New York Times | first=James | last=Dao | title=In New Orleans, Smaller May Mean Whiter | date=January 22, 2006}}</ref> The land deemed most economically viable was mostly city land above sea-level, in which the most economically-advantaged and white citizens resided; the majority of New Orleanians, especially black residents, lived in the outer edges of the city, where land was mostly below sea-level and deemed less economically viable.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/us/nationalspecial/21orleans.html?pagewanted=all | work=The New York Times | first=Adam | last=Nossiter | title=New Orleans of Future May Stay Half Its Old Size | date=January 21, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/asset/19885612 |access-date=June 13, 2013 |title=Harvard Business Publishing Education }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Nagin disavowed such proposals, and in response to residents' concerns, he used the phrase "Chocolate City" to signal that New Orleans would remain a majority black city.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/weekinreview/11levy.html?scp=748&sq=betsy&st=nyt | work=The New York Times | first=Clifford J. | last=Levy | title=New Orleans Is Not Ready to Think Small, or Even Medium | date=December 11, 2005}}</ref> He first used the phrase during a ] celebration speech in New Orleans on January 16, 2006 and repeated the metaphor several times. This was seized upon and parodied by some commentators, cartoons, and merchandising. Various designs of T-shirts with satirical depictions of Nagin as ] were sold in the city and on the Internet.<ref name=reactions>{{cite web |url=http://www.nola.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news-4/1138086402226440.xml |title=Times-Picayune, January&nbsp;24, 2005 |publisher=Nola.com |access-date=February 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930165044/http://www.nola.com/printer/printer.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-4%2F1138086402226440.xml |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

Nagin also said that New Orleans "will be a majority African-American city because this was what God wants it to be."<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220400/http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/17/nagin.city/index.html |date=March 3, 2016 }} – CNN, January 18, 2006.</ref> Some people found the implication of Nagin claiming to know God's will to be as troubling as the racial aspects of his speech.<ref name="The Nation">{{cite web|url=http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060619/sublette |title=In the Magazine |date=June 19, 2006 |work=The Nation |access-date=February 23, 2011}}</ref> He then condemned ], by saying God "sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on this country", suggesting God's disapproval of the ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/16/AR2006011600925.html |title=Storm's Payback From God, Nagin Says|author=Martel, Brett Martel|newspaper=]|date= January 17, 2006}}</ref>

In an interview with ] broadcast on ] on January 13, 2006, Nagin said he used the phrase "chocolate city" in reference to a time in the 1970s when African Americans were just starting to exercise political power in places like Washington, D.C. The term had been used in many of Nagin's previous speeches and welcoming addresses to visitors of the city. The idea reportedly originated with the song "]" by the popular 1970s funk group ].<ref>{{cite web|author=Stevens, Andrew |date=May 28, 2006|title= Ray Nagin: Former Mayor of New Orleans. |website=CityMayors.com|url=http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/new_orleans_mayor.html}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite book|author=Nagin, C. Ray |year=2011|title=Katrina's Secrets: Storms after the Storm}}</ref>

==2006 mayoral election==
{{Main|2006 New Orleans mayoral election}}

At the time of the 2006 election, at least two-thirds of New Orleans' residents were still displaced. One candidate said in his ''Times Picayune'' interview he was running because the city's demographics had dramatically changed.{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}} There were three unsuccessful lawsuits filed to prevent delaying the original election date.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/01/world/americas/01iht-notes.html | work=The New York Times | title=Briefly: Response to Katrina big issue in mayor race | date=March 1, 2006}}</ref>

In the April 22 election, Nagin was the front runner with 38% of the vote. Louisiana Lieutenant Governor ] came in second with 29%. Nagin and Landrieu faced each other in a run-off election on May 20, 2006. Nagin defeated Landrieu 52% to 48%.

==Second term==
Nagin's second term began on June 1, 2006. He was intensely criticized by the local media throughout this term. For example, his "100-day plan" to accelerate the rebuilding of New Orleans was bashed for what critics said was a tardy release, lack of details and activity in moving forward.<ref>{{Cite news
|author1 = Krupa, Michelle
|author2 = Donze, Frank
|url = http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1153984666142040.xml?NSWEA&coll=1
|title = Mayor finally breaks post-election silence; an upbeat Nagin cites economy, cleanup, safety
|work = The Times-Picayune
|date = July 27, 2006
|access-date = August 4, 2006
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070331104553/http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-1%2F1153984666142040.xml%3FNSWEA&coll=1
|archive-date = March 31, 2007
|url-status = dead
|df = mdy-all
}}</ref> Nagin administration spokesperson ] backed away from a 100-day promise, stating that it was not meant as a "time period," but as a short-range initiative to improve quality-of-life issues. Delays in FEMA reimbursements and federal recovery dollars reaching the city caused many significant delays.<ref>{{Cite news
|first = Michelle
|last = Krupa
|url = http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1157520305143380.xml&coll=1
|title = 100 days hard to figure on the mayor's calendar.
|work = The Times-Picayune
|date = September 6, 2006
|access-date = September 8, 2018
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080528150157/http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-6%2F1157520305143380.xml&coll=1
|archive-date = May 28, 2008
|url-status = dead
|df = mdy-all
}}</ref>

He was also a member of the ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/members.shtml |title=Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members |access-date=May 18, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070306180747/http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/members.shtml |archive-date=March 6, 2007 }}</ref> an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor ] and Boston mayor ].

In 2006, Nagin was also criticized for devoting time to extensive lobbying in Washington, DC and a national speaking tour.<ref>{{Cite news
| first=Stephanie
| last=Grace
| title=On the road, Nagin gets warm reception
| work=The Times-Picayune
| date=July 6, 2006
}}</ref> Nagin's administration said this was necessary in order to correct inaccurate perceptions of New Orleans and secure recovery support.

In addition during 2007, a drastic increase in the city's violent crime rate led to more criticism of Nagin. Nagin called for and got help from the Louisiana National Guard and U.S. Justice Department. However, Nagin continued to be heavily criticized by the local newspaper.<ref>{{Cite news
| first=Frank
| last=Donze
| title=Many New Orleanians say they are still waiting for Mayor Ray Nagin to do the job they elected him to do.
| work=New Orleans Times-Picayune
| date=February 11, 2007
}}</ref> He reignited complaints when he said news of two killings should keep focus on the city's needs for more help and, "while sad, keeps the New Orleans brand out there."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna20310441 |title=Violent crime wave intensifies in New Orleans |work=NBC News |agency=AP |date=August 16, 2007 |access-date=February 23, 2011}}</ref>

] with Mayor C. Ray Nagin]]

Nagin hired recovery expert Dr. ] in 2007 to head up a dedicated Office of Recovery Management. The Rockefeller, Ford and Bill & Melinda Gates foundations provided grants for critical staff enhancements. During the end of 2007 and into 2008 Nagin guided the city through an extensive planning process that documented a $14 billion need. However, the state only allocated 2% of the plan and it took almost three years to receive any of these federal recovery dollars.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917032816/http://www.unifiedneworleansplan.com/ |date=September 17, 2012 }}</ref>

By years 4 and 5, New Orleans made significant progress toward recovery. 85% of all city managed recovery projects were either recently completed, under construction, or in final design. By the end of 2009, there were over $20 billion in public & private sector construction related projects underway.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mayor C. Ray Nagin 2009 State of the City Address|url=http://www.hurstvillesecurity.com/images/page_uploads/2009StateoftheCityCover.pdf|publisher=Hurstville Security and Neighborhood Improvement District|date=May 20, 2009|access-date=May 6, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216235837/http://www.hurstvillesecurity.com/images/page_uploads/2009StateoftheCityCover.pdf|archive-date=December 16, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

''Business Week'' said New Orleans was one of the best cities in America to ride out the great recession.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/10/1014_recession_cities/10.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081018093940/http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/10/1014_recession_cities/10.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 18, 2008 |title=The Best Cities for Riding Out a Recession: New Orleans, La. |magazine=BusinessWeek |access-date=2012-12-22}}</ref> ''Money'' Magazine ranked the city as the sixth-fastest-growing real estate market.<ref>https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/moneymag/...moneymag/6.html{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} {{Incomplete short citation|date=August 2014}}</ref> ''Outside'' Magazine said New Orleans was the 20th best town in American to live in.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}} The U.S. Department of Labor in its April 2010 report said New Orleans had the lowest unemployment in the nation.<ref>{{cite web|author=Clifford, Catherine |url=https://money.cnn.com/2008/07/10/real_estate/fastest_growing/index.htm |title=U.S.: New Orleans is nation's fastest growing big city |website=CNN Money |date=July 10, 2008 |access-date=2012-12-22}}</ref>

Prior to leaving office in 2010, Nagin was appointed by Secretary of State ] to head the United States delegation to a state and local governments conference on assistance to post-earthquake ] held in ]. A recovery plan was completed and presented to donor nations resulting in Haiti receiving billions in pledges.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/srgia/2010/145138.htm |title=State And Local Government Meeting |publisher=State.gov |date=2010-03-23 |access-date=2012-12-22 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

==Corruption allegations, indictments, and convictions==
On April 7, 2009, the ''Times-Picayune'' alleged a conflict of interest with regard to a trip Nagin took to Hawaii in 2004. The vacation Nagin, then-chief technology officer Greg Meffert, and their families took in 2004 was claimed to be partially paid for by Meffert, but years later it was revealed that Meffert used a contractor's credit card to pay for Nagin's plane ticket.<ref>{{cite news|first=Frank|last=Donze|first2=David|last2=Hammer|url=http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/city_vendor_financed_mayor_ray.html|title=City vendor financed Nagin trip to Hawaii|work=The Times-Picayune|date=April 7, 2009|pages=A1, A4|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20090410172938/http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/city_vendor_financed_mayor_ray.html|archive-date=April 10, 2009|access-date=January 5, 2025|url-status=dead}}</ref> David Hammer of the ''Times-Picayune'' reported on April 23, 2009, that Nagin had taken "plenty of other trips" at the expense of NetMethods, a company owned by city vendor Mark St. Pierre.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hammer|first1=David|title=Attorney claims Nagin, Meffert took 'plenty of other trips' paid for by city tech vendor|url=http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/deposition_reveals_additional.html|work=The Times-Picayune|date=April 23, 2009|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20090426040635/http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/deposition_reveals_additional.html|archive-date=April 26, 2009|access-date=January 5, 2025|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In April 2009, Nagin was obliged "to sit for a deposition as part of a civil lawsuit over the city's controversial crime camera program."<ref name="camera contract">{{cite news|first=Michelle|last=Krupa|url=http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-12%2F1240119372133260.xml&coll=1|title=Nagin to face camera contract queries|work=The Times-Picayune|date=April 19, 2009|pages=A1, A10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422005338/http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-12%2F1240119372133260.xml&coll=1|archive-date=April 22, 2009|access-date=January 5, 2025|url-status=dead}}</ref> The ''Times-Picayune'' had obtained information that Mark St. Pierre, who allegedly paid for the holiday, had made substantial donations to Nagin's 2006 re-election campaign.<ref name="camera contract"/>

Meffert was later charged with 63 felony counts in what authorities said "was a lucrative kickback scheme."<ref>{{cite web|last=Hammer|first=David|date=November 6, 2009|url=http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2009/11/greg_meffert_wife_city_hall_ve.html|title=Greg Meffert, wife, City Hall vendor to be arraigned on 63 counts Thursday in bribery scheme|work=The Times-Picayune|access-date=January 5, 2025|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20091110115402/http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2009/11/greg_meffert_wife_city_hall_ve.html|archive-date=November 10, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> All but two of the counts were subsequently dropped, and Meffert eventually pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit ] and one count of filing a false income tax return.<ref>{{cite web|title=Greg Meffert, former city tech chief, pleads guilty|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/11/fromer_city_tech_chief_pleads.html|work=The Times-Picayune|date=November 1, 2010|access-date=January 5, 2025|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20101102113755/http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/11/fromer_city_tech_chief_pleads.html|archive-date=November 2, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In April 2010, as a result of a ] request from a New Orleans news station, Nagin was investigated for destroying his official city emails. After a forensic investigation by computer forensics firm SunBlock Systems, 5,400 emails were recovered. Many of these emails were subsequently used as evidence in his 2013 criminal trial.<ref>{{cite web|last=Krupa|first=Michelle|title=Firm finds 5,400 deleted e-mail messages of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/04/firm_finds_5400_deleted_e-mail.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501095005/http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/04/firm_finds_5400_deleted_e-mail.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 1, 2010|location=New Orleans |work=The Times-Picayune|date=April 27, 2010|access-date=January 5, 2025}}</ref>

In June 2012, Frank Fradella, who was facing major securities fraud charges, pleaded guilty in New Orleans federal court to one count of conspiracy to bribe a public official. According to ''The Times-Picayune'', Fradella claims to have paid $50,000 and delivered truckloads of free granite to Nagin's sons' business in exchange for favorable treatment for Fradella's companies with city contracts.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hammer|first=David|title=Ray Nagin supposedly received $50,000 payment records and sources say|url=http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/06/banking_felon_funneled_50000_p.html|location=New Orleans |work=The Times Picayune|date=June 27, 2012|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20120629100604/http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/06/banking_felon_funneled_50000_p.html|archive-date=June 29, 2012|access-date=January 5, 2025|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On January 18, 2013, Nagin was indicted on 21 corruption charges, including wire fraud, ], bribery, ], and filing false tax returns related to bribes from city contractors.<ref name="The Washington Post" /><ref>{{cite web|title=U.S v. C. Ray Nagin|url=http://www.wdsu.com/blob/view/-/18188514/data/2/-/86binu/-/PDF--Indictment.pdf|publisher=United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana|date=January 18, 2013|access-date=January 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012053903/http://www.wdsu.com/blob/view/-/18188514/data/2/-/86binu/-/PDF--Indictment.pdf|archive-date=October 12, 2013|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The 21-count federal corruption charges were issued by a ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin indicted |author=Jervis, Rick |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/18/new-orleans-mayor-ray-nagin/1845617/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20130122094818/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/18/new-orleans-mayor-ray-nagin/1845617/|url-status=live |archive-date=January 22, 2013 |newspaper=USA Today |date=January 18, 2013 |access-date=January 5, 2025 }}</ref> On February 20, 2013, Nagin pleaded not guilty in federal court to all charges.<ref name="reuters.com"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Grace|first=Stephanie|title=Former New Orleans Mayor Nagin pleads not guilty in kickbacks case|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crime-nagin-idUSBRE91J18120130220|work=Reuters|access-date=January 5, 2025|date=February 20, 2013|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20160111181530/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crime-nagin-idUSBRE91J18120130220|archive-date=January 11, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Despite New Orleans' long history of political corruption, Nagin was the first mayor to be criminally charged for corruption in office.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/01/ray_nagin_becomes_first_new_or.html|title=Ray Nagin indictment: First New Orleans mayor to face corruption charges|last=Russell|first=Gordon|newspaper=]|date=January 19, 2013|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20130120073116/http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/01/ray_nagin_becomes_first_new_or.html|archive-date=January 20, 2013|access-date=January 5, 2025|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Nagin was convicted on 20 of the 21 counts by jury on February 12, 2014. These charges included that he had taken more than $500,000 in payouts from businessmen in exchange for millions of dollars' worth of city contracts.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/12/nagin-trial-katrina-convicted/5288257/ | title=First Take: Ex-New Orleans mayor Nagin convicted | work=] | date=February 12, 2014 | access-date=January 5, 2025 | author=Jervis, Rick|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20140303012403/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/12/nagin-trial-katrina-convicted/5288257/|archive-date=March 3, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=LaRoe|first=Ginny|title=Ray Nagin, former New Orleans mayor, convicted of federal corruption charges|work=The Times-Picayune|url=http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2014/02/post_370.html|date=February 12, 2014|access-date=January 5, 2025|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20140213011112/http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2014/02/post_370.html|archive-date=February 13, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Incarceration===
Judge ] ordered a pre-sentencing investigation. On July 9, 2014, Nagin was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, and more than $585,000 in restitution and forfeiture.<ref name="New York Times Sentence"/> Berrigan recommended that Nagin be sent to the ].<ref>Simerman, John. " {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304204742/http://theadvocate.com/news/neworleans/neworleansnews/9677500-123/what-will-life-be-like |date=March 4, 2016 }}" '']''. July 14, 2014. Retrieved on June 2, 2015.</ref> On July 15, 2014, Nagin's attorney filed an appeal with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.<ref>Mackel, Travers. " {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919213216/http://www.wdsu.com/news/local-news/new-orleans/nagin-files-appeal-seeks-new-trial/26963902#!bfy7LT |date=September 19, 2016 }}." '']''. July 15, 2014. Retrieved on June 2, 2015.</ref> Nagin lost another appeal of his case in July 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://kadn.com/ex-new-orleans-mayor-nagin-loses-another-appeal/ |title=Ex-New Orleans Mayor Nagin loses another appeal |access-date=July 17, 2019 |archive-date=July 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717053351/https://kadn.com/ex-new-orleans-mayor-nagin-loses-another-appeal/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On September 3, 2014, a judge deemed Nagin indigent and ordered the Federal Public Defender's Office to take over his appeal. Nagin said he was near penniless and relying on food stamps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wdsu.com/news/local-news/new-orleans/judge-agrees-nagin-broke-needs-public-defender/27863016#!bPgTZw|title=Judge agrees: Nagin broke, needs public defender|author=Mackel, Travers |date=April 7, 2015|work=WDSU}}</ref> Nagin reported to the ], a prison camp, on September 8, 2014.<ref>" {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414200202/http://www.ksla.com/story/26472630/nagin-reports-to-federal-prison-in-texarkana |date=April 14, 2016 }}." '']''. September 8, 2014. Retrieved on June 2, 2015.</ref> Nagin was assigned as prisoner ] (BOP) #32751-034. The terms of the sentencing include a possible release date of no earlier than May 25, 2023.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118163241/http://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/|date=November 18, 2016}}." ]. Retrieved on June 2, 2015. Nagin is listed as "C RAY NAGIN"</ref> However, in response to the ] spreading in the prison, authorities released Nagin to ] on April 27, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ex-New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin Released From Prison Due To Pandemic|url=https://www.vibe.com/2020/04/ex-new-orleans-mayor-ray-nagin-released-prison-pandemic|date=2020-04-29|website=Vibe|language=en|access-date=2020-05-07}}</ref>

==See also==
* ]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{commons}}
* {{LinkedIn URL|https://www.linkedin.com/in/craynagin}}
* at CityMayors.com
* {{C-SPAN|1015723}}


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Latest revision as of 17:57, 6 January 2025

American politician and businessman

Ray Nagin
Nagin in June 2006
60th Mayor of New Orleans
In office
May 6, 2002 – May 3, 2010
Preceded byMarc Morial
Succeeded byMitch Landrieu
Personal details
BornClarence Ray Nagin Jr.
(1956-06-11) June 11, 1956 (age 68)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse Seletha Smith ​(m. 1982)
Children3
Alma materTuskegee University (BS)
Tulane University (MBA)
Signature

Clarence Ray Nagin Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former politician who was the 60th Mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, from 2002 to 2010. A Democrat, Nagin became internationally known in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Nagin was first elected as mayor in March 2002. He was re-elected in 2006 when the election was held with at least two-thirds of New Orleans citizens still displaced after Katrina struck. Term-limited by law, he left office on May 3, 2010.

After leaving office, Nagin founded CRN Initiatives LLC, a firm that focuses on emergency preparedness, green energy product development, publishing, and public speaking. He wrote and self-published Katrina Secrets: Storms after the Storms.

In 2014, Nagin was convicted on twenty of twenty-one charges of wire fraud, bribery, and money laundering related to bribes from city contractors before and after Katrina and was sentenced to ten years in federal prison.

Early life and career

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Nagin was born on June 11, 1956, in New Orleans' Charity Hospital, to a family of modest means. His childhood was typical of that of urban youth, and his father held two jobs: a janitor at New Orleans City Hall by night and a fabric cutter at a clothing factory by day. After the factory shut down, his father became a fleet mechanic at a local dairy to earn sufficient pay to support his family. His mother was employed as manager of a Kmart in-store restaurant.

The family lived on Allen Street in the 7th Ward, followed by a stay near their family parish, St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Tremé, and then a move to the Cutoff section of Algiers. Nagin attended St. Augustine High School and O. Perry Walker High School, where he played basketball and baseball. He enrolled at historically black Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama, on a baseball scholarship, played on championship teams, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting in 1978. He became a Certified Public Accountant.

After graduating from college, he went to work in the purchasing department at General Motors in Detroit, Michigan. He moved to Los Angeles, California, then to Dallas, Texas in 1981 to take Internal Audit Manager and Division Controller jobs with Associates Corporation.

In 1982, Nagin married Seletha Smith, a New Orleans native. Together, they have three children. In 1985, Nagin returned to New Orleans to become the controller of Cox New Orleans, the city's cable television franchise, run by the Cox media conglomerate. The franchise had a history of customer complaints, low profits, and stagnant growth, and was one of the poorest-performing components within Cox. Nagin was quickly promoted to general manager. In 1989, he was appointed to oversee all of Cox properties in south Louisiana as vice-president and general manager of Cox Louisiana, earning $400,000 annually, according to CNBC's "American Greed".

In 1993, Nagin enrolled in the executive MBA program at Tulane University. Nagin also lobbied at the local, State, and Federal government levels, as many of the businesses he managed were regulated and required formal franchise renewals. His public profile was high because he hosted a twice-weekly television call-in show for customers.

In 1995, Nagin received the Young Leadership Council Diversity and Role Model Award and later sat on the boards of the United Way and Covenant House. He also was one of the founders and president of 100 Black Men of metro New Orleans, an affiliate of the national organization of black businessmen.

Nagin was a partner in a group that brought the New Orleans Brass to the city. Nagin became the team's president and investors' spokesman as they secured the hockey franchise. The initial popularity of the team allowed the group to secure the 18,000-seat New Orleans Arena as its home venue. That year, the local alternative newspaper Gambit Weekly named Nagin as its New Orleanian of the Year.

Political affiliation

Several news sources, including BBC News, have stated that Nagin was a registered Republican for most of his adult life, and a George W. Bush supporter, but then switched to the Democratic Party shortly prior to seeking office in New Orleans. In 2004, he endorsed John Kerry for president. In a January 13, 2006 interview on the Tavis Smiley Show, Nagin denied this, stating that he "never was a Republican" and that he has been a "life-long Democrat", and several news organizations that reported he was originally a Republican were forced to issue retractions. However, he periodically gave contributions to candidates of both parties, including Representative Billy Tauzin in 1999 and 2000, as well as Democratic Senators John Breaux and J. Bennett Johnston, Jr. earlier in the decade. Nagin endorsed conservative Republican Bobby Jindal over conservative Democratic Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Blanco in the 2003 runoff for governor.

2002 mayoral election

Main article: 2002 New Orleans mayoral election

Nagin entered the race for mayor on the final day of qualifying. Shortly before the primary mayoral election, on January 17, 2002, the New Orleans Times Picayune and Gambit Weekly endorsed Nagin.

In the first round of the mayoral election in February 2002, Nagin won first place with 29 percent of the vote. Some of his opponents were the Police Chief Richard Pennington, State Senator Paulette Irons, and City Councilman Troy Carter. In the runoff on Saturday, March 2, 2002, Nagin defeated Richard Pennington with 59 percent of the votes to become the 60th mayor of New Orleans.

First term

The 2004 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the City of New Orleans, as certified by CPA firm KPMG, highlighted many significant accomplishments of the Nagin administration. New Orleans gained 4,500 jobs that year. U.S. Census Bureau figures showed about 38,000 New Orleanians had risen out of poverty as the national average increased. According to The American City Business Journal, per capita income in New Orleans was rising at the fastest rate in the nation.

Southern Business and Development named New Orleans number eight on the list of "comeback kids" in the south. New Orleans had back-to-back record tourist years, 10.1 million in 2004. A Yahoo/National Geographic Traveler poll named the city its number one family destination. Since 2002, the area had seen over $400 million of film productions, including movies like the Oscar award-winning Ray, starring Jamie Foxx, and All the King's Men, featuring Sean Penn. According to MovieMaker Magazine, New Orleans was the fourth-best place to film a movie and had earned the title "Hollywood South".

In November 2004, the Nagin administration passed the city's largest bond issue, $260 million. New Orleans also jumped from 69th to 38th on Intel's list of "Most Wired Cities". The city's website went from being unranked to the 4th best in the nation.

As Hurricane Ivan threatened the Gulf of Mexico in September 2004, Nagin urged New Orleanians to prepare for the storm. He advised those planning to stay not only to stock up on food and water, but also to make sure they had "an axe in the attic", a reference to the many people trapped in their attics by rising floodwaters when Hurricane Betsy hit the city in 1965. Nagin issued a voluntary evacuation call at 6:00 p.m. on September 30th, leading to heavy interstate traffic as some 600,000 metro New Orleanians left.

Hurricane Katrina

U.S. President George W. Bush and Mayor Ray Nagin meet on September 2, 2005
Main article: Effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina entered the Gulf of Mexico. Early on Friday, August 26, Mayor Nagin advised New Orleanians to keep a close eye on the storm and prepare for evacuation. He then made several public statements encouraging people to leave but promising that if they did not evacuate, "e will take care of you". By 10:00 a.m. Saturday, a mandatory evacuation was called for low-lying areas in the surrounding parishes—St. Charles, St. Tammany, Plaquemines, and Jefferson—and a voluntary evacuation for St. Bernard Parish. Nagin had, however, ignored federal and state offers of help and a recommendation to evacuate the entire city.

In addition to the parishes' announcements, President George W. Bush declared a federal state of emergency for Louisiana.

In accordance with the regional evacuation plan, New Orleans, along with the surrounding areas of Jefferson and St. Charles parishes, were given formal voluntary evacuation orders around 50 hours from Katrina's landfall. This phased approach along with "contraflow", wherein all incoming interstate highway lanes are reversed outward, ensured that additional vehicles moving onto already congested roads would not create massive gridlock. The local newspaper reported that Nagin stopped short of ordering a mandatory evacuation because of concerns about the city's liability for closing hotels and other businesses.

After receiving a late night Saturday call from Max Mayfield, head of the National Hurricane Center, Nagin was advised that Katrina was headed to New Orleans. He ordered the city attorney to prepare legal documents for a mandatory evacuation of the city, the first in New Orleans' almost 300-year history. On Sunday, August 28 at 9:30 a.m., the mandatory evacuation order was signed and communicated to the public. The Superdome was opened as a shelter of last resort, and police went throughout the city with loudspeakers alerting all remaining citizens to head to key pickup points for free bus rides. By Sunday evening 80% of New Orleanians and visitors were evacuated or relocated.

After the hurricane hit, the federally built and maintained levees collapsed throughout the city. 80% of the city flooded, some areas as high as 20 feet, over rooftops. Food and water became scarce, and looting was common. After hearing reports of this, Nagin criticized the federal and state response on WWL radio, and his passionate outburst went viral.

In response to a question at a town hall meeting in October 2005, Nagin said: "I can see in your eyes, you want to know, 'ow do I take advantage of this incredible opportunity? How do I make sure New Orleans is not overrun with Mexican workers?'" Some Hispanic groups, including the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, criticized Nagin's statement, although those attending the town hall meeting reportedly applauded—many believing jobs should first go to locals displaced by the hurricane. Despite this comment, Nagin went on to say this was the city's biggest economic opportunity and urged New Orleanians to get more comfortable working beside someone who did not look like them, as everyone's help was needed. During a subsequent interview on Telemundo with Jose Diaz-Balart, Nagin praised the great work Hispanic workers did in New Orleans and said the city would not have recovered without them.

"Chocolate City" speech

Main article: Chocolate City speech

Shortly after Katrina devastated New Orleans, there were calls for moratoriums on rebuilding certain neighborhoods. Two weeks after Katrina struck, Nagin took a weekend trip to Dallas to reunite with his family. While there, he was asked to meet with leading New Orleans businessmen to discuss the city's future. Nagin says he made it clear at the meeting that everyone had a right to return home, a claim contradicted by some businessmen in attendance.

Many of the initial proposals to rebuild New Orleans focused on rebuilding areas with the highest likelihood of economic return. Many groups expressed concern that this might radically change the racial make-up of the city. The land deemed most economically viable was mostly city land above sea-level, in which the most economically-advantaged and white citizens resided; the majority of New Orleanians, especially black residents, lived in the outer edges of the city, where land was mostly below sea-level and deemed less economically viable. Nagin disavowed such proposals, and in response to residents' concerns, he used the phrase "Chocolate City" to signal that New Orleans would remain a majority black city. He first used the phrase during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration speech in New Orleans on January 16, 2006 and repeated the metaphor several times. This was seized upon and parodied by some commentators, cartoons, and merchandising. Various designs of T-shirts with satirical depictions of Nagin as Willy Wonka were sold in the city and on the Internet.

Nagin also said that New Orleans "will be a majority African-American city because this was what God wants it to be." Some people found the implication of Nagin claiming to know God's will to be as troubling as the racial aspects of his speech. He then condemned Washington D.C., by saying God "sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on this country", suggesting God's disapproval of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

In an interview with Tavis Smiley broadcast on Public Radio International on January 13, 2006, Nagin said he used the phrase "chocolate city" in reference to a time in the 1970s when African Americans were just starting to exercise political power in places like Washington, D.C. The term had been used in many of Nagin's previous speeches and welcoming addresses to visitors of the city. The idea reportedly originated with the song "Chocolate City" by the popular 1970s funk group Parliament.

2006 mayoral election

Main article: 2006 New Orleans mayoral election

At the time of the 2006 election, at least two-thirds of New Orleans' residents were still displaced. One candidate said in his Times Picayune interview he was running because the city's demographics had dramatically changed. There were three unsuccessful lawsuits filed to prevent delaying the original election date.

In the April 22 election, Nagin was the front runner with 38% of the vote. Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu came in second with 29%. Nagin and Landrieu faced each other in a run-off election on May 20, 2006. Nagin defeated Landrieu 52% to 48%.

Second term

Nagin's second term began on June 1, 2006. He was intensely criticized by the local media throughout this term. For example, his "100-day plan" to accelerate the rebuilding of New Orleans was bashed for what critics said was a tardy release, lack of details and activity in moving forward. Nagin administration spokesperson Rob Couhig backed away from a 100-day promise, stating that it was not meant as a "time period," but as a short-range initiative to improve quality-of-life issues. Delays in FEMA reimbursements and federal recovery dollars reaching the city caused many significant delays.

He was also a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino.

In 2006, Nagin was also criticized for devoting time to extensive lobbying in Washington, DC and a national speaking tour. Nagin's administration said this was necessary in order to correct inaccurate perceptions of New Orleans and secure recovery support.

In addition during 2007, a drastic increase in the city's violent crime rate led to more criticism of Nagin. Nagin called for and got help from the Louisiana National Guard and U.S. Justice Department. However, Nagin continued to be heavily criticized by the local newspaper. He reignited complaints when he said news of two killings should keep focus on the city's needs for more help and, "while sad, keeps the New Orleans brand out there."

King Abdullah of Jordan with Mayor C. Ray Nagin

Nagin hired recovery expert Dr. Ed Blakely in 2007 to head up a dedicated Office of Recovery Management. The Rockefeller, Ford and Bill & Melinda Gates foundations provided grants for critical staff enhancements. During the end of 2007 and into 2008 Nagin guided the city through an extensive planning process that documented a $14 billion need. However, the state only allocated 2% of the plan and it took almost three years to receive any of these federal recovery dollars.

By years 4 and 5, New Orleans made significant progress toward recovery. 85% of all city managed recovery projects were either recently completed, under construction, or in final design. By the end of 2009, there were over $20 billion in public & private sector construction related projects underway.

Business Week said New Orleans was one of the best cities in America to ride out the great recession. Money Magazine ranked the city as the sixth-fastest-growing real estate market. Outside Magazine said New Orleans was the 20th best town in American to live in. The U.S. Department of Labor in its April 2010 report said New Orleans had the lowest unemployment in the nation.

Prior to leaving office in 2010, Nagin was appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to head the United States delegation to a state and local governments conference on assistance to post-earthquake Haiti held in Martinique. A recovery plan was completed and presented to donor nations resulting in Haiti receiving billions in pledges.

Corruption allegations, indictments, and convictions

On April 7, 2009, the Times-Picayune alleged a conflict of interest with regard to a trip Nagin took to Hawaii in 2004. The vacation Nagin, then-chief technology officer Greg Meffert, and their families took in 2004 was claimed to be partially paid for by Meffert, but years later it was revealed that Meffert used a contractor's credit card to pay for Nagin's plane ticket. David Hammer of the Times-Picayune reported on April 23, 2009, that Nagin had taken "plenty of other trips" at the expense of NetMethods, a company owned by city vendor Mark St. Pierre.

In April 2009, Nagin was obliged "to sit for a deposition as part of a civil lawsuit over the city's controversial crime camera program." The Times-Picayune had obtained information that Mark St. Pierre, who allegedly paid for the holiday, had made substantial donations to Nagin's 2006 re-election campaign.

Meffert was later charged with 63 felony counts in what authorities said "was a lucrative kickback scheme." All but two of the counts were subsequently dropped, and Meffert eventually pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of filing a false income tax return.

In April 2010, as a result of a FOIA request from a New Orleans news station, Nagin was investigated for destroying his official city emails. After a forensic investigation by computer forensics firm SunBlock Systems, 5,400 emails were recovered. Many of these emails were subsequently used as evidence in his 2013 criminal trial.

In June 2012, Frank Fradella, who was facing major securities fraud charges, pleaded guilty in New Orleans federal court to one count of conspiracy to bribe a public official. According to The Times-Picayune, Fradella claims to have paid $50,000 and delivered truckloads of free granite to Nagin's sons' business in exchange for favorable treatment for Fradella's companies with city contracts.

On January 18, 2013, Nagin was indicted on 21 corruption charges, including wire fraud, conspiracy, bribery, money laundering, and filing false tax returns related to bribes from city contractors. The 21-count federal corruption charges were issued by a grand jury. On February 20, 2013, Nagin pleaded not guilty in federal court to all charges. Despite New Orleans' long history of political corruption, Nagin was the first mayor to be criminally charged for corruption in office.

Nagin was convicted on 20 of the 21 counts by jury on February 12, 2014. These charges included that he had taken more than $500,000 in payouts from businessmen in exchange for millions of dollars' worth of city contracts.

Incarceration

Judge Helen Ginger Berrigan ordered a pre-sentencing investigation. On July 9, 2014, Nagin was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, and more than $585,000 in restitution and forfeiture. Berrigan recommended that Nagin be sent to the Federal Correctional Complex, Oakdale. On July 15, 2014, Nagin's attorney filed an appeal with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Nagin lost another appeal of his case in July 2019.

On September 3, 2014, a judge deemed Nagin indigent and ordered the Federal Public Defender's Office to take over his appeal. Nagin said he was near penniless and relying on food stamps. Nagin reported to the Federal Correctional Institution, Texarkana, a prison camp, on September 8, 2014. Nagin was assigned as prisoner Bureau of Prisons (BOP) #32751-034. The terms of the sentencing include a possible release date of no earlier than May 25, 2023. However, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic spreading in the prison, authorities released Nagin to house arrest on April 27, 2020.

See also

References

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External links

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