<div><img src="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/07/22/multimedia/22nat-nola-AG-mhlb/22nat-nola-AG-mhlb-facebookJumbo.jpg" class="ff-og-image-inserted"></img></div><p>A special prosecutor in Louisiana dismissed felony charges against the state’s attorney general, who had been accused of threatening and intimidating elected officials in New Orleans by sending letters claiming they could be removed from office for defying state law.</p><p>The dismissal followed a request from New Orleans leaders to drop the charges, saying the move would best serve the public by moving forward rather than prolonging litigation.</p><p>The original 16-count indictment charged the attorney general with malfeasance in office and intimidation and retaliation against a public official. The prosecutions were paused by the state Supreme Court hours after a grand jury indicted the attorney general over the letters.</p><p>The attorney general said the case should never have started and asserted there was no crime, calling the actions that led to the charges an abuse of the criminal justice system.</p><p>The dispute is tied to a broader conflict over a state-backed effort to reorganize New Orleans’ judicial system, including consolidating the criminal court clerk’s office with the civil clerk’s office. The change, opposed by many in the city, prompted the city to appoint an interim clerk and seek a special election after the state moved to implement the restructuring before an elected official could take office.</p><p>As part of the controversy, the attorney general sent May letters to eight elected officials warning of potential consequences under state law for resisting the changes, prompting recusals and the appointment of a special prosecutor to pursue the matter.</p><p>The investigation was initiated by a grand jury, and one official recused himself because he was a recipient of the letters. A retired judge was subsequently appointed as the special prosecutor.</p>
<br><br><br><br>