Doctor arrested in Katrina hospital deaths sues attorney general

A physician arrested in the deaths of four patients at a New Orleans hospital after Hurricane Katrina filed suit against the Louisiana Attorney General on Monday, accusing him of using her arrest to fuel his re-election bid.

The lawsuit by Dr. Anna Pou, filed in state court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, also seeks to force the state to provide a legal defense for Pou against civil lawsuits filed by families of three of the patients.

Last year, State Attorney General Charles Foti claimed Pou and two nurses killed four people with a "lethal cocktail" at Memorial Medical Center during the chaotic conditions after the August 2005 storm. The four were among at least 34 who died at the sweltering, flooded hospital in the days following Katrina.

Pou, who is free on bond, has not been formally charged. A New Orleans grand jury is looking into the case.

Foti was not immediately available for comment when telephoned Monday afternoon.