Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill was indicted by a New Orleans grand jury, accusing her of threatening local officials during a dispute regarding the Orleans Parish criminal court clerk’s office.
Charges against Murrill in the 16-count indictment include intimidation and malfeasance.
Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, said he would pardon Murrill “as fast as the law allows.”
“After taking on violent crime and entrenched corruption in New Orleans, it’s no surprise the status quo is looking for ways to stop me. This unprecedented action and the corrupt indictments spawned from it are retaliatory, meritless, and unconstitutional. After confidential information was illegally leaked to members of the press by the grand jury or the improperly appointed, unqualified special prosecutor, there are now indications that the court handcuffed and locked out members of the media—and threatened them with contempt—in clear violation of Louisiana law,” Murrill said.
“It is beyond ironic that the improperly appointed special prosecutor, who called my office and violated the confidentiality of the grand jury proceedings herself, claims protecting confidentiality justified closing the courtroom. And the grand jury that leaked information like a sinking ship hardly seemed concerned about privacy,” she continued.
“I will be immediately filing an emergency supervisory writ with the Louisiana Supreme Court. Hopefully this will be sorted out quickly. I will not back down. I will continue enforcing the law, fighting corruption, and doing the job the people of Louisiana elected me to do,” she added.
After taking on violent crime and entrenched corruption in New Orleans, it’s no surprise the status quo is looking for ways to stop me.
This unprecedented action and the corrupt indictments spawned from it are retaliatory, meritless, and unconstitutional. After confidential…
— Attorney General Liz Murrill (@AGLizMurrill) July 2, 2026
More from the Associated Press:
For months, political tensions intensified between Louisiana Republicans and New Orleans officials over a new law that abolished a court clerk office won by an exoneree, Calvin Duncan, who spent nearly three decades in prison. The change consolidated that job with another clerk’s office, which Republican supporters said would make the local judicial system more efficient.
The change was staunchly opposed by New Orleans leaders, and in May, the city council set a special election that would have given Duncan a chance to win the newly combined job. Murrill responded by warning local officials in letters that they could lose their offices for violating state “usurper” laws, which forbid support for an unauthorized officeholder.
“We’re very interested in elected officials in New Orleans not being intimidated or threatened by letter or any other way,” special prosecutor Laurie White told reporters.
Bond for Murrill was set at $400,000 on Thursday, according to court records.
Landry said he was ordering state police to investigate what he called “alleged improprieties” of the grand jury and those who ran it.
“The criminal justice system is a circus at its finest in Orleans and we will not have any of that!” he wrote on X.
The Republican Attorneys General Association said that making statements to local officials — in writing — was simply “issuing a legal opinion and warning public officials about the law” as part of her official duties. It called the indictment “as outrageous as it is dangerous.”
I would like to inform the great citizens of Louisiana who care about the rule of law, that our fabulous @AGLizMurrill will not have to worry about having her reputation tarnished by this kangaroo grand jury or the Orleans Kangaroo court as I will pardon her as fast as the law…
— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry) July 2, 2026
“I would like to thank the Louisiana Supreme Court for halting this circus. Leaking information to the press, arresting other members of the press, the disclosure of confidential information by the special prosecutor, ex parte communication to influence grand jury members, are all disturbing allegations. This is nothing short of a political witch hunt against @AGLizMurrill who was merely trying to uphold the law in accordance with the oath she took,” Landry said Friday morning.
“These type of abuses and misuse of public monies to carry out this illegal proceeding is an example of why New Orleans is in a budget crisis. Instead of spending money to prosecute thugs, you spend money to prosecute the prosecutor. Ridiculous!” he added.
I would like to thank the Louisiana Supreme Court for halting this circus.
Leaking information to the press, arresting other members of the press, the disclosure of confidential information by the special prosecutor, ex parte communication to influence grand jury members, are…
— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry) July 3, 2026
The Guardian shared further:
The supreme court order resulting in Friday’s stay says the case was meant to allow Murrill to “assert any and all necessary defensive pleadings, including motions to quash”.
“This stay shall not prevent the filing of a response to any pleadings filed by the attorney general,” the order also said.
The stay came a day after the announcement of the grand jury indictment that was shrouded in secrecy. News media members awaiting in the courtroom of the New Orleans judge Leon Roche to await the potential extraordinary return of the indictment against Murrill were escorted out after he ordered the room sealed.
The public has the legal right to access court proceedings. And Louisiana law requires grand jury returns to be made in open court. So news outlet WWL Louisiana, a Guardian reporting partner, protested against the closure to try to maintain access to the proceedings.
An investigative producer for the station, Danny Monteverde, and the outlet’s attorney, Elana Beiser, were subsequently handcuffed and removed from the courtroom as well as from an outside hallway.
Roche at the time did not explain why he had sealed the courtroom, local newspaper the Times-Picayune reported. Later, a statement from a court spokesperson said grand jurors must be physically present when indictments are returned – and that confidentially ensures their identities are protected so that they can deliberate “freely, objectively and without fear of public exposure”.
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