La. lawyer for suspect in Sen. Landrieu office caper meets with prosecutors

La. lawyer in talks to resolve Landrieu caper case

NEW ORLEANS — A lawyer for one of the four conservative activists charged with trying to tamper with Sen. Mary Landrieu’s office phones says he has met with federal prosecutors in an effort to resolve the case.

Attorney J. Garrison Jordan wouldn’t discuss any details of his meeting Wednesday with prosecutors. Jordan said he was trying to quickly resolve his client’s case, but he wouldn’t say whether the talks involve a possible plea agreement.

“We’re in discussions with the government, trying to resolve this matter as expeditiously as possible in a fair and just manner,” Jordan said.

A spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Jim Letten’s office wouldn’t comment.

Jordan’s client, Robert Flanagan, and three others face a charge of entering federal property under false pretenses for the purpose of committing a felony. The four were arrested Jan. 25 after visiting Landrieu’s New Orleans office.

The four defendants were freed on $10,000 bond after their arrests.

On Thursday, their lawyers agreed to waive a preliminary hearing that had been scheduled for Friday. A date for their next court appearance hasn’t been set.

A lawyer for suspect James O’Keefe, a videographer famous for wearing a pimp costume for a stunt that embarrassed the community organizing group ACORN, said he never discusses any conversations he may have with prosecutors.

An attorney who has represented Joseph Basel of Minnesota and Stan Dai of the Washington, D.C., area didn’t immediately return call Thursday.

O’Keefe has said the group was trying to investigate complaints that constituents calling Landrieu’s office couldn’t get through to criticize her support of a health care reform bill.

Letten removed himself from the case a day after their arrests without explaining why. His top lieutenant, assistant U.S. Attorney Jan Mann, has taken over.