By Kathy Finn
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - A fire that badly damaged the home of a New Orleans political consultant on Thursday appears to have been set deliberately, authorities said, raising concerns it may have been a politically motivated attack.
Two vehicles owned by Mario Zervigon, a political fundraiser with no obvious enemies, were set ablaze at shortly after 2 a.m., authorities said. The vehicles were parked on opposite sides of the street, and the fire in the vehicle parked in Zervigon's driveway spread to his house.
"It was a politically motivated attack specifically targeting Mario," said Louisiana state Senator J.P. Morrell, a Democrat and client of Zervigon, according to the Uptown Messenger news website. "The other car across the street is a definite message."
Morrell declined to comment to Reuters.
Zervigon, along with his wife, two young children and four upstairs tenants, all fled the fire, though several cats may have died, said Special Agent Kevin Moran of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is involved in the investigation. Zervigon had received no threats leading up to the incident, said his friend and colleague, Andrew Tuozzolo.
"He's not a hatchet man," Tuozzolo said. "He's a guy who calls rich people to get them to give money to a campaign."
Zervigon had recently worked for Forest Wright, a Republican candidate for the Louisiana Public Service Commission, a regulator of utilities, whose race against another Republican is headed to a December run-off.
(Writing by Jonathan Kaminsky; Editing by Eric Walsh)