Prosecutor Won’t Seek to Indict Gov. Edwards in Pardon Scandal

A prosecutor announced Friday that he will not pursue indictments against Gov. Edwin W. Edwards in connection with a pardon bribery scandal.

Dist. Atty. Bryan Bush asked Edwards to testify before a grand jury last week about a warning he had sent to Pardon Board Chairman Howard Marsellus during a state police investigation of the board.

Bush issued a statement Friday saying no indictments will be considered against Edwards.

He noted that such a statement was unusual. “However,” he said, “because Gov. Edwards is a public official and because the event attracted a substantial amount of press coverage, I feel compelled to issue this statement.”

Bush asked Edwards to testify after the governor said he had sent an aide to tell Marsellus that he was concerned by persistent rumors of wrongdoing involving the board.

Bush had suggested that the governor’s message might constitute an obstruction of justice, since Edwards knew that state police were investigating Marsellus.

Marsellus was indicted last month along with state Rep. Joe Delpit for allegedly taking bribes from an undercover agent seeking a pardon. Edwards has said that Delpit and Marsellus made no unusual effort to influence his decisions in pardon cases.

Edwards, his brother, Marion, and three business associates were acquitted in May of federal racketeering and mail fraud charges stemming from state approvals of hospitals and nursing homes.