NEW ORLEANS — Wednesday businessman and city contractor Randy Farrell plead not guilty to federal bribery charges. After his court appearance, he and his lawyer doubled down when they spoke to reporters.
"I'm very mad this has come to this," Farrell said. "I've never taken a bribe in my life."
Farrell allegedly bribed Mayor Latoya Cantrell with tickets to a Saints championship game, a cell phone and a steakhouse dinner so she could fire a city employee who was looking into him. Farrell's lawyer, Rick Simmons, says those weren't bribes but simply gifts.
"We don’t think they were bribes. What we’re talking about is a luncheon for six people for $800 and the Saints tickets what a dozen tickets to the Mayor who probably can go to any one of the suites in the stadium anyway," Simmons said.
To Farrell, the mayor doesn't need his help to get into a Saints game, but to others, like President of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, Rafael Goyeneche, modesty doesn't matter. He says whether big or small corruption is corruption. Still, Farrell and his lawyer are adamant they did nothing wrong and are seemingly trying to challenge the charges. Wednesday, they revealed they'll be filing motions.
"There will be a bunch of motions filed, there’s a series of issues like whether the federal government is authorized in these cases for honest services, there’s an issue of five years statute of limitations. The tickets and the lunch were over five years ago," Simmons said.
Goyeneche though, doesn't think those will work. He says when you look at the indictment, the evidence seems strong.
"I think the government has indicated through this indictment that their case is not just built on the allegations of 'Businessman One,' but the cell phone records of the accused, Randy Farrell, as well as business is one and public official one's cell phone responses," Goyeneche said. "So that'll be evidence that will be difficult to overcome going forward."
Farrell is expected in court on Friday.
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