Grand jury charges former New Orleans Mayor Nagin with corruption

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, a central figure in the city's response to Hurricane Katrina, was charged by a federal grand jury on Friday with 21 counts of bribery, money laundering and fraud.

The charges stem for allegations that Nagin took cash bribes and gifts from two city contractors, the New Orleans Times Picayune reports. Those two contractors — Frank Fradella and Rodney Williams — have both already pleaded guilty to providing bribes in exchange for receiving city contracts, and are expected to testify against Nagin.

Williams said he gave Nagin some $72,250 in cash over two years. Fradella reportedly provided $50,000 in cash, granite inventory, and nine payoffs in the form of wire transfers totaling $112,500.

According to the U.S. Attorney for Lousiana, if Nagin is convicted on all counts he could face decades in federal prision and extensive fines. 

Nagin tangled frequently with former President George W. Bush during the days and months after the storm, repeatedly criticizing the president's federal response. In a book released in 2011, Nagin suggested there was a racial component to the president's response.

"I'm not telling you that President Bush was a racist or what have you. But I think race and class and politics played in just about every aspect of this disaster," Nagin said in a interview with NBC's "Today Show."

-This post was updated at 3:40 p.m.