In secret meeting, indicted La. Sen. Shepherd addresses colleagues
4/14/2008, 7:48 p.m. CDT
By DOUG SIMPSON
The Associated Press
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The state Senate closed its doors to the public on Monday while Sen. Derrick Shepherd, who faces federal money laundering charges, made a speech to colleagues about resigning his chairmanship.
The Marrero Democrat did not appear publicly while the chamber was in session, skipping the days' votes. Senators then voted to go into "executive session," during which all non-senators must leave the chamber. Shepherd was gone when the public was allowed back into the Senate 10 minutes later.
Senate President Joel Chaisson said the secretive session did not violate state public meetings laws because no votes were taken and a personnel matter was the only issue discussed — Shepherd's resignation as chair of the Senate Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs. Chaisson said he asked that the chamber go into the secret meeting at Shepherd's request.
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"I checked the legality of it and honored his request," said Chaisson, D-Destrehan.
Citing Senate confidentiality rules for executive session, several senators declined to discuss Shepherd's speech.
Federal prosecutors accuse Shepherd of conspiring with an unlicensed bond broker to launder roughly $2 million in fake construction bond fees.
He is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The first charge carries a maximum of five years in prison. Each of the other counts is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Shepherd, 38, has denied the allegations. He said the government targeted him because he couldn't help the FBI build corruption cases against other public officials.
Sen. Cheryl Gray, D-New Orleans, will replace Shepherd as chair of the municipal affairs committee on Tuesday, Chaisson said.
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