Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is accusing New Orleans city leaders of violating state law by appointing a new clerk of court and calling for a special election. Now, Mayor Helena Moreno is pushing back against Murrill's allegations
In a statement released Wednesday morning, Murrill accused the city council, Mayor Moreno, and newly-appoint court clerk Calvin Johnson of violating Louisiana's "usurper laws." In her letters to the council, Moreno, and District Attorney Jason Williams, Murrill threatened to have them removed from office and replace by appointees selected by Governor Jeff Landry.
Murrill ordered the council to rescind the resolutions it approved Monday naming Johnson interim clerk and calling for a special election in November. Murrill also demanded that Moreno and Williams "retract any support" for the council's action and "take no further action recognizing the disputed office or appointment."
"The Attorney General warned that the Council’s resolutions purporting to appoint Judge Johnson as interim clerk and call a special election rest on the false narrative that Act 15 created a new, vacant office," Murrill spokesman Lester Duhé said in the release. "Act 15 did not create a vacancy. It abolished the former criminal clerk’s office, transferred its authority, duties, records, and funds to the former civil clerk’s office, and renamed that continuing office the clerk of court for Orleans Parish. Chelsey Richard Napoleon remains the lawful clerk of court for Orleans Parish."
“I specifically asked the Council to wait for the Louisiana Supreme Court to weigh in," Murrill said, as quoted by Duhé, in the press release. "Instead, they knowingly refused and moved forward with resolutions that attempt to displace Chelsey Richard Napoleon from her lawful office as Clerk of Court for Orleans Parish. There is no vacancy, and no public official should recognize this fictional office or Judge Calvin Johnson’s purported appointment to it. Louisiana’s usurper laws carry serious consequences, and I will enforce them."
In a Facebook video, Moreno said "she would not be intimidated or threatened" by Murrill and her attempt to remove her for office, adding that the case should play out in court.
Moreno then accused Murrill of violating state law.
"It's surprising that the attorney general put all of this in a letter considering that there is a criminal law, which is Revised Statute 14:122, that prohibits intimidating or threatening a public official in an effort to try to influence a decision or to change their position," Moreno said in the video. "In this case, the letter says that we must reverse course and change our position on appointing an interim clerk. There's also a variety of different ethical and professional conduct issues with this letter that was sent."
Moreno closed by saying Murrill's threats won't sway her.
"I will not be intimidated or threatened and I won’t back down," Moreno said.
The five councilmembers who approved the resolutions said in a joint video statement that they too will not take Murrill's threats lying down, adding that they look forward to having this matter resolved in court.
