The National Rifle Association has filed a motion for contempt against Mayor Ray Nagin and the City of New Orleans over the confiscation of guns in the wake of Hurricane Katrina last fall.

According to an NRA statement, the motion, which also targets the acting chief of police, alleges the officials failed to comply with a temporary restraining order, handed down Sept. 12, ordering an end to all gun confiscations in the city.

"With looters, rapists and other thugs running rampant in New Orleans, Ray Nagin issued an order to disarm all law-abiding citizens," Wayne LaPierre, NRA executive vice president, said in the statement. "With no law enforcement and 911 available, he left the victims vulnerable by stripping away their only means of defending themselves and their loved ones. Now Ray Nagin thinks he's above the law, and that's just wrong."

The NRA says Nagin and Chief Warren Riley repeatedly ignored the court's restraining order against the confiscation of guns.

"Ray Nagin is a colossal disappointment," said Chris W. Cox, NRA chief lobbyist. "During a federally declared emergency, he abused his power and abandoned the very people he was sworn to protect. He took away the victims' freedom and their basic means of self-defense during an ill-fated and perilous time."

The motion, which was joined by the Second Amendment Foundation, also includes an order that all seized firearms must be returned to their rightful owners.

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