New Orleans city council President Jason Williams indicted by Feds (tax fraud)

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A federal grand jury on Friday indicted New Orleans City Council President Jason Williams on charges of tax fraud, just weeks ahead of qualifying in an election in which Williams has said he plans to challenge Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro.

Williams, a criminal defense lawyer, is accused of inflating his business expenses during several tax years. Also indicted in the case was Nicole Burdett, an attorney in Williams' law office who also handled administrative duties.

The two were charged in an 11-count indictment that says they conspired to inflate Williams' expenses in order to reduce his tax liability by more than $200,000 over five tax years, ending in 2017. The indictment also says they failed to report cash payments from clients totaling $66,516.

The charges include one count of conspiracy, five counts of preparing false or fraudulent tax returns and five counts of failing to file tax forms related to cash received. The indictment offers few specific details about which expenses the government is questioning, but it asserts that Williams specifically told a tax preparer in 2011 that he wanted to reduce his tax liability, and notes that he "had a long history of owing taxes to the IRS and of not paying the IRS in a timely manner."

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