Meffert's defense cites deals outside N.O. to explain his pay
by David Hammer - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Greg Meffert's attorney says that when the former New Orleans technology chief was enjoying a city vendor's largesse -- using a corporate credit card to pay for island vacations for himself, his family and his boss, Mayor Ray Nagin -- it was justifiable compensation for deals he helped broker in other places.

With a federal investigation into New Orleans' crime camera dealings heating up, determining whether Meffert was paid for deals won by NetMethods owner Mark St. Pierre inside or outside New Orleans could be crucial.

Indeed, Meffert's legal strategy seems to rest on the distinction.

"Greg was compensated hundreds of thousands of dollars for business development outside of New Orleans; he successfully brought in millions of dollars in business for NetMethods," said Randy Smith, Meffert's attorney in a civil lawsuit alleging that Meffert conspired with St. Pierre's various companies to filch other firms' surveillance technology for their own gain.

When pressed for details about which deals Meffert helped NetMethods bring home, Smith said: "You are asking for a level of detail that we believe is inappropriate in this forum."