If anyone has any hopes that the matter of the Edmonson Amendment will be resolved Thursday when the Louisiana State Police Retirement System (LSPRS) Board meets, it might be worth your while to consider a few developments in the Department of Public Safety (DPS) on the watch of Superintendent of State Police Mike Edmonson, aka “Precious.”
We have already examined the placing of “consultant” Kathleen Sill on the state payroll and paying her $437,000 plus $12,900 in air travel for 21 flights for her between Baton Rouge and her Columbia, S.C. home.
And we told you about DPS Undersecretary Jill Boudreaux’s taking a $46,000 cash payout incentive to retire at her $92,000 per year salary as Deputy Undersecretary, plus about $13,000 in payment for 300 hours of accrued annual leave and then re-hiring two days later—with a promotion to Undersecretary and at a higher salary of $118,600—while keeping the incentive payment and annual leave payment.
We even told you about then-Commissioner of Administration Angelé Davis ordering her to repay the money but resigning before she could follow through on her instructions. Under her successor, Paul Rainwater, the matter was quietly forgotten.
But we didn’t tell you about Boudreaux’s son-in-law Matthew Guthrie who, while employed in an offshore job, was simultaneously on the payroll for seven months (from April 2, 2012 to Nov. 9, 2012) as a $25 per hour “specialist” for the State Police Oil Spill Commission.
Nor did we tell you about John W. Alario, the son of Senate President John Alario (R-Westwego) who serves as the $95,000 a year director of the DPS Liquefied Petroleum Gas Commission. (We had earlier told you about his wife, Dionne Alario, who was hired in November o 2013 at a salary of $56,300 to work out of her Westwego home supervising state police personnel in Baton Rouge—something of a logistics problem, to say the least.)
Or about Danielle Rainwater, daughter of former Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater, who works as a “specialist” for State Police.
And then there are the spouses brought into the fold.
Jason Starnes has benefitted from two quick promotions since 2009 as his salary jumped from $59,800 to $81,250, an increase of almost 36 percent.
As if that were not enough, his wife Tammy was brought in from another agency on Jan. 13 of this year as an Audit Manager at a salary of $92,900. So not only does she now make nearly $11,700 a year more than her husband, she also is in charge of monitoring the agency’s financial transactions, including those of her husband.
In January of 2008, just before Edmonson was named Superintendent of State Police by Gov. Bobby Jindal, State Trooper Charles Dupuy was pulling down $80,500. Today, as Edmonson’s Chief of Staff, he makes $122,200, a bump of nearly $42,000, or 52 percent. Dupuy, it should be noted, is the Edmonson staffer who originated the drive to push the Edmonson Amendment through the Legislature on the last day of the session that gives his boss a $55,000 pension boost because the amendment allows Edmonson to revoke his decision to freeze his retirement at 100 percent of his $79,000 captain’s salary some 15 years or so ago to 100 percent of his current colonel’s salary of $134,000.
Kelly McNamara and Dupuy, both troopers, met at work and eventually married and Kelly Dupuy’s star began ascending almost immediately. Her salary has gone from $65,000 in 2009 to $80,600 today
Doug Cain serves as State Police Public Affairs Commander at $79,000 per year but the position appears to have been created especially for him, according to payroll records.
State Civil Service records for most promotions indicate whether or not the person being promoted is moving into a slot previously occupied by someone else. In Cain’s case the “Former Incumbent” block on the promotion form is blank indicating there was no one in that position prior to Cain’s being named to it.
The same is true for Edmonson’s brother Paul Edmonson.
On Sept. 7, 2011, Paul Edmonson was promoted from lieutenant to Captain, filling the spot previously held by Scott Reggio. On Oct. 10, 2013, Paul Edmonson was again promoted, this time to the rank of major. This time however, he was promoted into a spot in which there was no incumbent, indicating that the position was created especially for his benefit.
His rise has been nothing less than meteoric. Since December of 2006, less than eight years ago, he has gone from the rank of sergeant to lieutenant to captain to major at warp speed and his pay rose accordingly, from $57,500 to $93,000 a year, a 62 percent increase—all under the watchful eye of his brother.
And keep in mind all this transpired while the rank and file state troopers—and other state employees—were having to make do without pay raises.
As his reward for taking care of his people in such a noble way, Dupuy and State Sen. Neil Riser (R-Columbia) conspired, along with Gov. Bobby Jindal, to sneak the amendment to Senate Bill 294 during the closing minutes of the session that allowed Mike Edmonson a “do-over” on his decision to enter the state’s Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) which froze his retirement at his pay at that time.
The major problem with that little plan is that it leaves other state troopers and state employees who similarly opted to enter DROP and then received significant promotions or raises out in the cold because the amendment does not afford the same opportunity for them.
Accordingly, a group of retired state troopers have indicated their willingness to litigate the matter should the LSPRS board not decide to challenge the amendment in court themselves.
And it’s not at all likely the board will take that decisive step—for two reasons, neither of them sound.
First, Florida attorney Robert Klausner, an authority on pension law, advised that the amendment is unconstitutional and that the board should simply ignore it and refused to pay the increased pension should Edmonson and one other trooper caught up in the language’s net apply for the higher benefits.
The board would have a difficult time justifying such action, however, because it is bound by the Louisiana Constitution to comply with laws passed by the Legislature. The only recourse to that action would be to file a lawsuit formally challenging the constitutionality of the amendment. To ignore it would solve nothing, several attorneys and State Treasurer John Kennedy, a member of the board, have said.
Second, the LSPRS board is stacked heavily with those who are unquestionably Edmonson and Jindal loyalists. It was Jindal who signed the bill into law as Act 859 and his Commissioner of Administration Kristy Kreme Nichols is an ex-officio member of the board, assigning as her designee Andrea Hubbard. No way she’s going against the administration.
State Sen. Elbert Guillory (R/D/R-Opelousas), chairman of the Senate Retirement Committee, is nothing short of wishy-washy as evidenced by his constant switching from Republican to Democrat and back to Republican. He is Jindal’s lap dog and would cut his throat before invoking the governor’s ire and potential endorsement for lieutenant governor.
Dupuy is a member as well but should be run off by a mean, biting dog if he does not abstain from voting for his obvious conflict of interest as Edmonson’s Chief of Staff as well as the one who originally pushed the amendment.
A couple of other members are active troopers and they are a lock for bucking litigation since their boss will be watching and waiting for any sign of weakness or betrayal.
The only certain vote in favor of litigation will come from Kennedy when the board convenes Thursday at 3 p.m. in the Louisiana State Employees Retirement System LASERS) Building at 4501 United Plaza Blvd. in Baton Rouge.
And unless Chicken Little was correct about the sky falling, Kennedy’s will be a lone voice when the dust settles.
And yet another law passed by the legislature is found to be blatantly unconstitutional. Now Jindal will again write a blank check to Faircloth to litigate another clearly losing battle only to again gain nothing and frivolously spend taxpayers money so desperately needed by legitimate needs.
I so hope that every retiree in the state joins in the suit that is sure to come over this–and wins. Maybe then we can get an entire new Legislature and a Governor like John Bel Edwards, a man of principle.
Tom, another excellent summation of where we came from and where we are. I wish I could disagree with any of this but am unable. I am a retired State Trooper who is embarrassed and ashamed of this group and our Governor. There are many good men and women who daily go about their sworn duty to the citizens of this state who have nothing to do with this. But I have received so many calls from many of them saying they too are ashamed, when they interact with the public, in court, and when taking breaks in restaurants. They are asked about it almost as a joke and it troubles them. It troubles me too that the honor and integrity of the State Police is tarnished by those out for personal and political gain. I and many others with me and before me worked hard to establish the pride that has always been State Police. I served almost 28 years in State Police and I have never seen it this bad. I am afraid to read each new development as it just shows more how out of control these people are. It’s like someone gave them the keys to the candy store and they can’t carry enough out the door. I don’t blame you and the others from bringing this out in the open, I actually appreciate it. The only way to weed out the crooks and thieves in government corruption is to shine the light of honesty on them and their antics. It just hurts when it is an agency you served honorably and when you see the impact on the trust of the public that always looked favorably on State Police. I have heard that the FBI has been contacted and may already be involved. It is a sad day for State Police and for the citizens.
Well, this post really got to me!! I opened up Act XIV of the “Edmondson Scandal Play,’ http://www.lspripoff.com/act14.htm and, at the bottom, I decided to editorialize both on the adverse UAL impacts of these practices and a few other select comments (and one noun in particular used to characterize these people).
What’s unbelievable to me is that eight weeks ago, before all this broke, neither me nor any of my friends or associates knew ANYTHING about how badly LSP is being run!! Obviously, as Jerry points out, now everybody is justifiably making Edmondson, Jindal, and this corrupt crew the brunt of every joke imaginable! What baffles me is how long the charade went on unexposed. I guess the ultimate act of greed (the “Edmondson Amendment”) in the end caused the whole house of cards to come tumbling down.
Great job, Tom!!
This is so disgusting. Super cricket Jindal is so transparent and above board. Right. See comments about Guillory J
great job, Tom. col Edmonson was on Kleckleys website clowning at the Border looking for criminal children with diseases taking our jobs. ron thompson
Cannot some entity of the federal judicial system stop this corruption?
If the appropriate justice authorities are not already looking into this, something’s wrong.
What about Tammy Penouilh, wife of retired Lt Col. Val Penouilh, who was promoted to a position in Jill Boudreaux’s office from LSP? Has anyone mentioned the “bonuses” the select who were chosen for Lean Sigma Six obtained?? Cronyism at is best!!
State Police HQ reminds me of the Star Wars cantina scene. Let me be fair here; we have good men but they have short careers. I made an early choice to stay out on the back roads—tussling drunks, smelling battery acid along with alcohol and blood—a unique mixture reserved for road cops and wrecker drivers. State Police needs restructuring. This little mini-empirical dynasty has feasted off the backs of working (road) troopers, and yet they wear the same uniforms. Jindal has turned a blind eye to DPS for good reasons. Full disclosure has yet to come. Historically,when troopers get into sworn depositions, “all hell breaks loose”.
Wow, I wish someone in the national press would open their eyes and see what is really going on in Louisiana and quit listening to Jindal’s propaganda bureau.
As much that has been brought to the top of the barrel I believe there is a lot of dirt at the bottom that hasn’t even been touched. If a true investigation by the Feds were to occur I believe from the jilter house to the supers house would be in the creek without a paddle for their wasteful spending, hiring, firings, layoffs and under the table dealings. Hopefully someone in the inner circle will be strong enough to step up and put the top on the barrel to stop the wastefulness that’s hurting the image of the state of Louisiana and the people including themselves and their family
Every year (thanks to Jindal’s legislative lackeys) teachers must read and be tested on LA’s new and “improved” ethics laws, many of which these guys have violated. But that’s life in Third-world Jindal land.
http://theadvocate.com/home/10183205-171/louisiana-state-police-chiefs-top
Thanks Senator Dan Claitor… for doing what the Board would not. The MSM seems to imply the board did something. The agreed not to defend against Sen Claitor s lawsuit to declare the bill unconstitutional. That is the A/G’s responsibility by law so their action was useless. They were just trying to fool everyone. And since Edmonson indicated Dupuy lied to him and the Legislature is he going to be disciplined? How about Starnes who wasn’t around to provide false talking points to protect Edmonson and Dupuy? Will he be disciplined for his part? And what about Edmonson who is obviously out of control and has no trust from his own Troopers or the public? Where is Bobby “On the campaign trail” Jindal? Is he going to get involved and clear out the top levels of State Police as should be done? It’s time for somebody to be a leader and I haven’t seen one lately.
I appreciate the tenacity of our retired troopers in being determined to force action on this travesty of justice. Being retired from the State Police since 1975 I wholeheartedly support actions to rectify and return the State Police to the respected status of yesteryears. I support any appropriate action to punish the activists in this event!
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