NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- The president of the Orleans Levee Board has resigned, saying the flap over his actions is distracting from repairing damage done by Hurricane Katrina.
Jim Huey was under fire for no-bid contracts given his relatives immediately after the hurricane, the New Orleans Times-Picayune said, and for collecting almost $100,000 in back pay a few weeks before the hurricane.
"I didn't want to leave under these circumstances, but I fell victim to some other folks who don't know what they're talking about and they have to live with themselves," he said.
Huey said he had legal opinions from two lawyers that he could collect $1,000 a month in salary for every month he had been on the board. The newspaper said one of the lawyers was a cousin of Huey's wife and also the recipient of a no-bid contract, while the other was a close friend.
Huey was first appointed to the levee board in 1992 and has served under three governors. Gov. Kathleen Blanco controls six of the eight seats on the board.
