THE CASE AGAINST THOMAS Tuesday, August 14, 2007 Times-Picayune       In outlining the government's case against City Councilman Oliver Thomas, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten detailed a kickback scheme dating to late 2001 in which Thomas and a close associate profited from a city parking contract.     The factual basis, a presentation of the facts against the defendant, has been agreed to by both Thomas and federal prosecutors. In pleading guilty to one count of bribery of a public official, Thomas acknowledged the following:   In late 2001 or early 2002, he met with Stanford "Pampy" Barré, who told Thomas he was concerned that incoming Mayor Ray Nagin would select another company for a long-standing city parking contract. Common Street Ventures, a company owned by Barré, held a share of a contract to operate three city-owned parking lots on the downriver end of the French Quarter during former Mayor Marc Morial's tenure from 1994 to 2002.     Barré solicited Thomas to help him maintain his contract with the city agency overseeing the contract, the French Market Corporation, which is run by mayoral appointees.    Barré believed that Thomas, the longest-serving City Council member and a member of the French Market Corporation board, could "delay, at least temporarily, the termination of Barré's parking contract with FMC." Barré paid Thomas $10,000 at the conclusion of their initial meeting. He later paid Thomas an additional $5,000.     Thomas agreed to help Barré if his close personal associate, Joseph Jourdain, got a cut of some of the parking proceeds.     The deal was struck. Thomas later gave Jourdain contact information for Barré and told Jourdain he needed to meet Barré. In a meeting at his office, Barré, upon explaining how he received revenue from the parking lots, told Jourdain he would "kick back to him one-third of what he received from his parking proceeds." Barré gave Jourdain a check in the amount of $1,487.33. Jourdain deposited it into his bank account. Barré gave Jourdain three additional checks (for $1,723.33, $1,666.85 and $4,295.91) at separate meetings in March, May and July of 2002. Each time ,Jourdain would receive a phone call from Barré's office informing him the checks were ready.     Meanwhile, Jourdain received a phone call from Thomas asking him to meet. Thomas told Jourdain he needed $1,000. Within a day, Jourdain gave Thomas $1,000 in cash. Jourdain and Thomas met three other times in 2002, according to Jourdain. At each meeting Jourdain gave Thomas cash payments of $1,000, for a total of $3,000 to $4,000 in kickbacks.