WBRZ - Baton Rouge

A motion was filed in Federal Court this afternoon in opposition to New Roads Mayor Tommy Nelson’s request for additional discovery in the corruption investigation against him and other local officials.

Nelson’s attorneys filed motions earlier this week in Federal court. The first motion asked to reveal the identities of any confidential informants. The second motion questioned if African-Americans were specifically targeted in the “Cifer 5000” case.

The response by the feds state that the investigation into corruption was not specifically targeted to African-Americans, but white local and state officials as well – and that Nelson was aware of this.

It is also the first time the government has admitted that this was a sting operation. According to the filing today, the “venture capitalist” involved in the Cifer 5000 project was a citizen who was paid to work for the FBI in a covert capacity. This individual was the “only private, non-government employee used in the investigation.”

In the summary, the response states:

“It is not the defendant’s race, but rather his corrupt conduct, that has resulted in his current predicament. The defendant’s attempt to deflect from his own wrongdoing should be denied.

“This investigation has included numerous subjects who are not African-American. The defendant is well-aware of this fact because of his cooperation with the government’s investigation in May and June of this year.”

“The defendant was also questioned about white subjects, including two state officials. Interestingly, while cooperating, the defendant encouraged and caused the United States to investigate an African-American official in his parish who had not previously been a subject of this investigation.”