The hammer has fallen on Troop D.
LouisianaVoice has learned of a meeting in Lake Charles on Tuesday at which time state police were informed that they could consider the entirety of Troop D to be under investigation by State Police Internal Affairs.
We’re not certain of the reason for the latest IA scrutiny but we feel confident that it may be a not-so-thinly veiled message to troopers to cease talking to LouisianaVoice.
That’s what generally happens when events begin to make the guys at the top a little uncomfortable and the necessity to quell rumblings in the ranks becomes a top priority. The natural thing to do is to go after the messenger. Administration just doesn’t like whistleblowers.
It’s a time-tested formula that is pockmarked with successes and failures of varying degrees—but mostly, in the final analysis, abject failure. We’re seeing it with Julian Assange and WikiLeaks and with Edward Snowden for blowing the cover off illegal surveillance on the part of the U.S. government. We’re seeing with Hillary Clinton’s email debacle. We saw it with Nixon’s plumbers in the Watergate scandal. We saw it with Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinski.
It’s been an ongoing crusade of the Jindal administration for five years now, including placing state offices off-limits to LouisianaVoice and singling out and ostracizing the wrong state employees as sources for some of our stories. In the end, it only made Team Jindal out to be even bigger fools.
Such tactics usually do blow up in the collective faces of the perpetrators, those with the most to hide. It has been our experience that the more the Jindal administration tries to keep the lid on unsavory activity, the more determined state employees become to serve as anonymous sources to expose unscrupulous officials and questionable activities. LouisianaVoice is getting more solid leads to stories these days than ever before. Another reason for that is that where Jindal has only contempt for state employees, we maintain that no one should have his dignity undermined by a superior or an elected official with an agenda.
Take the long-simmering situation over at Louisiana State Police Troop D in Lake Charles. Events that occurred five years ago are just now coming to light and the glare of that light should concern each of us about the leadership in the vanguard of the state’s top law enforcement agency.
The reason we’re only now learning of these events? Failure on the part of top administration to take decisive action in the first place but instead to attack those coming forward with information of inappropriate and even illegal activity within Troop D.
It would seem enough that State Police Commander Col. Mike Edmonson condoned but then denied his part in an effort last year to sneak a bill amendment through the legislature that would’ve added about $50,000 per year to his retirement. It was only through an anonymous tip that LouisianaVoice was able to break that story and Edmonson’s furtive financial windfall was subsequently aborted.
Perhaps it is the mesmerizing effect of too many photo-ops with the governor that has given him delusions of celebrity status. But now, as more and more sordid details are leaking out of Lake Charles, the long shadow of doubt is being cast over Edmonson’s qualifications—and ability—to continue to lead and command respect from Louisiana’s state troopers.
The matter of Capt. Harlan Chris Guillory is an excellent example. Edmonson, instead of suspending Guillory for violating State Police regulations on reporting the use of prescription medication, went after those who prompted the investigation of Guillory’s drug use, imposing much stricter penalties on the messengers than on the offender.
Guillory, in fact, was promoted in rank and made commander of Troop D following an Internal Affairs investigation of allegations of prescription drug abuse—allegations that ultimately were proved accurate.
Capt. Barry Branton, a supervisor with an unblemished record who approved a Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) on Guillory was placed on administrative leave for several months and demoted in rank to lieutenant on July 20, 2010. The findings against him included making false statements to Internal Affairs investigators, failure to report suspected violations by a fellow officer, failure to conform to laws, improper dissemination of information, unsatisfactory performance, providing false information on departmental records and for conduct unbecoming an officer.
Branton appealed and ultimately reached a settlement with State Police. He agreed to accept a demotion to lieutenant but won a major concession by having his suspension expunged from his record and by receiving full back pay.
Lt. Chris Ivey, who first suspected a prescription drug problem on the part of Guillory and who initiated the PMP, was cited for unsatisfactory performance and for providing false information on departmental records.
Edmonson tagged Ivey with a 48-hour suspension without pay but he appealed and the State Police Commission overturned Edmonson’s penalty but did not award Ivey attorney’s fees. The story didn’t end there, however. Edmonson, determined to extract his pound of flesh, appealed to the First Circuit Court of Appeal through the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
Instead of reversing the State Police Commission, however, the First Circuit not only upheld Ivey’s reinstatement but also awarded him $1,306 in legal fees.
Here is the CHRIS IVEY FIRST CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEAL DECISION
So while Internal Affairs investigators Kevin Ducote and Kelly Dupuy (wife of Edmonson Chief of Staff Charles Dupuy—which raises a whole new set of questions about impartiality and fairness of the investigation itself) prepared a 10-page report on Guillory’s use of prescription drugs, believed to be OxyContin, while on duty, a series of interviews produced an 80-page report highly critical of Branton and Ivey.
It was that 80-page report that sent a clear message to Branton and Ivey, whose concerns about Guillory were, in the end, validated. They were punished and demoted while Guillory was promoted from lieutenant to captain—and to Commander of Troop D.
And that same message went out to the rest of Troop D on Tuesday: Don’t rock the boat.
But don’t take our word for it. Here is that 80-page LSP BRANTON REPORT (It’s long and takes awhile to load, so be patient.)
Edmonson is a criminal and has been since the 1990s when I worked for him when he was Lt. at fleet operations.
I must correct you somewhat. Edmonson has been a criminal and a drunk since he was a trooper in the 1980s.
Thank you!
See no evil hear no evil speak no evil
Branton does LSP a favor by trying to rid the department of a “bad Apple”, Chris Guillory. And Branton’s allegations and actions vindicate him. Guillory is found guilty as charged. Meanwhile, Edmonson and his so-called “Ethics Police” stooges, primarily Charlie and Kelly Dupuy, “railroad” Branton for a highly questionable Form-Over-Substance transgression. One can only ask why did Edmonson direct this guilty verdict even before the investigation of Branton began. Because he is obviously complicit in this drug use and trafficking matter or others where Guillory has performed personal illicit favors for Edmonson. We can only be pleased that Edmonson’s Reign of Terror and Ineptness will be over very shortly and the LSP can get back to being the stellar organization it once was.
Well done Tom.
This is a common theme with state employment. The people who do the right thing get hammered while the buttkissers don’t know much about anything get a raise and promotion. Someone once told me at least past administrations were open about who they were and didn’t try to put on a good front.
As a retired peace officer from California, what this department requires is a clean sweep to rid said department from corruption. If this is what is going on internally, one can imagine what the public is being forced to endure.
LSP, Heal Thyselves, why do you say this dork dynasty at LSP will soon be gone? This sort of combination of corruption, arrogance, and incompetence seems ingrained in the administrative culture of so many state agencies that even if a particular group is fired more cockroaches will quickly and inevitably swarm in to replace them. Obviously the Jindal administration encouraged it through example, but it would take a genuine, forceful, politically masterful reformer as Governor to change that culture. Do you someone like that in our future? I pray so, but I fear Tom will have no shortage of material for his investigations for the foreseeable future.
We have to start flushing these cronies out of office. Keep the heat turned up, Tom! You are getting under their skin.
This is why it is so important that Democrat & outsider John Bel Edwards become our next governor. We need someone who is in no way complicit with the outrageous illegal activity that has been winked at, and even promoted, by Jindal, Edmonson, & their cronies.
Although I am a fan and supporter of John Bel Edwards he is inclined to leave Edmonson and crew in charge because that is what the Louisiana Sheriff’s Assn. and the chiefs of police want. Of course they want him to stay because Edmonson gives them whatever they want including say so over department policy. In other words Edmonson has sold out his command to them for political traction. This was a calculated maneuver. Our only hope is that Mr. Edwards will lean on his intelligence and military background to see through this facade and do what is best for LSP and the citizens of Louisiana instead of what is desired by the LSA and the chiefs of police.
Isn’t Jon Bel’s father the local Parish Sheriff? If so, Jon Bel will have to convince his dad that in the best interests of everyone, his dad must NOT support Edmondson’s reappointment. But that should be of little concern at that time as Jon Bel would never permit Edmonson to be a blight on his administration.
You are correct, Slim. It is a fact…
You were so right on this issue. I had such high hopes for changes in LSP with this new administration. What a disappointment!
Wow! Go get ’em, Tom!