Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has pleaded not guilty to charges he accepted bribes, free trips and other gratuities in exchange for helping contractors secure millions of dollars in work for the city.

U.S. Magistrate Sally Shushan set Nagin's bond at $100,000 during his arraignment Wednesday on charges that include bribery, wire fraud and filing false tax returns.

Nagin's trial date is set for April 29.

The ex-mayor declined to answer questions from reporters. "No man, I can't make any comments," he said when walking with his lawyer Robert Jenkins to the courthouse.

Jenkins also had little to say as he and Nagin left the courthouse, telling reporters only, “We don’t have any comments. We’re preparing for trial. That’s all I can tell you."

A 21-count indictment last month accuses Nagin of accepting more than $200,000 in bribes, free loads of granite for a family business and trips to Hawaii, Jamaica and other places.

The charges against Nagin are the product of a City Hall corruption investigation that already has resulted in guilty pleas by two former city officials and two businessmen and a prison sentence for a former city vendor.

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