Federal prosecutor in New Orleans asks to be removed from Landrieu phone caper case

Federal prosecutor taken off Landrieu phone caper

NEW ORLEANS — The top federal prosecutor for New Orleans has asked to be taken off the case of four conservative activists arrested while trying to capture hidden camera footage in a senator’s office.

The Department of Justice said in a news release Monday that Jim Letten, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, has recused himself from the case involving the men arrested in Democrat Sen. Mary Landrieu’s New Orleans office.

Assistant U.S. attorney Jan Mann is taking over the case.

The news release didn’t say why Letten asked to be taken off, and a spokeswoman for Letten said she couldn’t comment.

One of the men arrested, James O’Keefe, has said the group wanted to investigate complaints that constituents calling Landrieu’s office couldn’t get through.