A federal court Tuesday completed selecting 12 jurors and four alternates for the tax fraud trial of New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams and his business partner Nicole Burdett.
Prosecutors say Williams and Burdett inflated business expenses and conspired to hide income from the IRS to avoid paying taxes.
Both defendants say they are victims of an unscrupulous tax preparer. They claim Henry Timothy lied about being a certified public accountant and acted without their knowledge or approval. Timothy pleaded guilty and is cooperating with prosecutors.
Williams, who ran for district attorney as a progressive criminal justice reformer, has said the charges against him are politically motivated. However, U.S. District Judge Lance Africk has ruled that Williams will not be allowed to argue that during trial.
