“Benefit cut urged if officials convicted”
New Orleans Times-Picayune
By Ed Anderson
Thursday, March 04, 2010

“Two Metairie lawmakers have filed proposed changes in the state Constitution that would bar government employees or elected officials from collecting taxpayer-financed retirement benefits if they are convicted of felonies related to their jobs.

Rep. Tony Ligi has filed House Bill 69, and Sen. Conrad Appel has filed Senate Bill 11, nearly identical bills that would give the Legislature the authority to curtail the payment of the publicly funded portion of the benefits once the individual is convicted of crimes that range from extortion and perjury to contract fraud, swindling and ‘intimidation to secure political contributions.’…

The two bills enumerate 35 separate state and federal felony crimes for which a ‘public servant’ can lose benefits…

‘I would hope this would serve as a deterrent’ to keep public employees and officials honest, Ligi said.

He said individuals who violate the law and abuse their public office ‘reflect badly on all of us’ in public life…”

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