We’ve seen how the Office of Inspector General has a travel budget for out-of-state conferences and conventions that is more than twice the amount budgeted for in-state investigations of official corruption. (See story HERE)
Now, LouisianaVoice has learned that even though Inspector General Stephen Street receives $230.77 per two-week pay period—$6,000 per year, or $500 per month—in addition to his regular salary of $132,620, he also makes generous use of state vehicles while traveling on state business.
Mileage allowances for certain state officials is optional and is paid in lieu of their use of state vehicles.
One former employee said Street was told that it was improper for him to use state vehicles when he was receiving the mileage allowance. As a result of that exchange, the former employee said, Street would have subordinates check cars out in their names and accompany Street on trips.
Two of those, the ex-employee said, were former agency attorney Robert Collins and current legal counsel Joe Lotwick.
Records obtained from OIG show Collins and Lotwick each checked out state vehicles on numerous occasions in 2013 and 2014 and Lotwick also checked out a vehicle on three occasions in May of this year.
Street, contacted by LouisianaVoice, said, “Whoever told you that Joe Lotwick and Robert Collins checked out vehicles in their name so that I could drive them in order to ‘circumvent’ a ‘prohibition’ is an unequivocal liar. Robert and Joe are both honorable and honest men with distinguished legal careers and impeccable reputations. Neither I nor they would do such a thing.”
Street’s name was not listed as checking out a state vehicle in either 2013 or 2014.
In 2015, however, Street is shown as having used a state vehicle on 10 separate occasions over five months.
Those trips and the dates in 2015 they were made included:
- January 21: Trips to the New Orleans FBI offices and to the Louisiana District Attorney Association in Baton Rouge;
- March 2: To Covington, New Orleans and back to Baton Rouge;
- March 3: From his home to the OIG office;
- March 3 and 4: Destinations for three trips redacted but mileage driven was two miles for each trip—the same district as the mileage reported for the trip from his home to the office;
- March 9: Baton Rouge to Crowley, Crowley to Port Allen, Port Allen to Baton Rouge;
- March 16: Baton Rouge to Opelousas, Opelousas to Port Allen, Port Allen to Baton Rouge;
- August 28: New Orleans FBI offices;
- September 3: New Orleans and return to Baton Rouge;
- November 2: Trips of 2.6 and three miles to destinations that were redacted;
- November 10: To New Orleans and return to Baton Rouge and an additional trip of two miles, destination also redacted;
- November 17: Trip of three miles to destination that is also redacted.
So why the destination on a two-mile trip be redacted?
“On the occasions you asked about in 2015 when I used an OIG vehicle, I had time-sensitive OIG official business and my personal vehicle was not available,” Street said. You have the records that show the combined fuel cost for those trips was $95.88.”
If he was taking the state vehicle home and driving it to work, he would be in violation of the provision prohibiting him from both using a state vehicle and receiving an allowance for mileage.
In the past, the OIG’s office has steadfastly refused to pursue a matter concerning a state board employee who turned in time sheets showing she was working in the office while simultaneously posting Facebook photos of her and her family on vacation trips. The investigator on that case was ordered to re-write his entire report.
The office also refused to even investigate complaints of two board members each claiming mileage to meetings even though they rode together.
LouisianaVoice has also learned of other apparent illegal activity that OIG failed to pursue or issued reports of no wrongdoing.
Of course, the office spared no expense or effort in attempting to prosecute former Alcohol and Tobacco Control office director MURPHY PAINTER at the express wishes of Bobby Jindal. Jindal desperately wanted to discredit Painter over Painter’s refusal to grant a liquor permit that would have benefitted New Orleans Saints owner and generous Jindal campaign supporter Tom Benson.
That PROSECUTION fell flat and the state ended up having to pick up Painter’s legal expenses.
“I‘m glad that you decided to contact me before posting another column,” Street said. “Had you done that before posting last week’s column on OIG travel, you would have learned quite a bit.”
Louisiana Voice 
IRS Rules demand that all business trips taken in the taxpayer’s personal auto, mileage driven, destination, and purpose be maintained in a log to be surrendered/produced upon examination in order to support the taxpayer’s claim that a mileage allowance paid rather than actual auto expenses paid by the taxpayer reimbursed by his employer NOT be included as taxable income to the allowance recipient. I would suggest that you request that Mr. Street provide the details of his log to you in order to substantiate that he is, in fact, eligible to receive his travel allowance from the state as tax exempt income. Then there is always the opportunity to exercise your rights under the “whistleblower” statutes to report your suspicions to the IRS as to the potential tax evasion by Mr. Street for not claiming his state auto allowance as taxable income. If you’d care not to do that, then I’ll be glad to stand in your stead and hopefully collect the whistleblower reward.
I now must call into question the official explanation for why the travel voucher fraud by the two board members wherein they rode together (allegedly many times over a five-year period) to and from Monroe to Baton Rouge, yet they claimed they rode separately had no investigation whatsoever. That explanation for not pursuing it, despite an investigator for the state agency willing to testify that they had in fact done so, was, per former IG investigator Greg Lindsey, “We’re under the same budget constraints as everyone else, so we’re mainly interested in big-name, headline grabbing investigations to defend our funding before the Legislature.” I now must openly wonder if it would not have been a case of the pot calling the kettle black!!
Entailing the payroll fraud, the investigator stated that the report would be released the first week of November, 2013. When it wasn’t out at Thanksgiving, I called, and he was very agitated in saying, “I am having to re-write the entire report.” Jindal was not about to have appointees of his having acquiesced and condoned such obvious payroll fraud, so here is the heavily watered-down report (totally re-written according to the lead investigator) that finally did get released on December 13, 2013: http://www.auctioneer-la.org/IG_LALB_Edmonds_payroll.pdf.
As Tom points out, all the relentless pursuit of the “big-name, headline grabbing” investigations appear to have yielded is multi-year civil lawsuits against Street, many of his current and former employees, and the agency itself which have cost us taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend. They grabbed headlines all right!! As Al Robert, Jr. (Painter defense attorney who is also serving as his attorney in Painter’s civil action against the state) famously said during the Painter trial: “Your honor, this is not the FBI. This is the OIG. These people do not know what they’re doing!”
As C. B. Forgotston always said, “You can’t make this stuff up!”
so much for good Louisiana government. And some wonder why there is no trust in our state government.
“I‘m glad that you decided to contact me before posting another column,” Street said. “Had you done that before posting last week’s column on OIG travel, you would have learned quite a bit.”
I wonder how glad he is you did so? 🙂
He’s mad as hell in hindsight.
Street has ZERO credibility, and that’s been the case with me since June of 2010 when he threatened me with prosecution for referencing a work paper his office left behind during an investigation that revealed the identity of the complainant. I want to also add that, though he denies saying it, former Jindal Special Assistant Jonathan Ringo, FLATLY told me Jindal wanted my resignation, and that Inspector General Street had recommended my removal from the Auctioneer’s licensing Board: http://www.auctioneer-la.org/Ringo_email.pdf.
I am perfectly willing to pay for a polygraph examiner to administer an exam to me, Ringo, AND Street about the incident. I guess, however, that may not be necessary because, unlike his former investigator serving as Tom’s source, Street has never publically called me a liar. The fact that he’s tacitly acknowledging the truthfulness of my assertions speaks volumes as to his total lack of credibility in the way he has managed that office.
Friendly piece of advice: If you have evidence of state government fraud, waste, or abuse, DO NOT DARE go to the OIG with it. Find a reputable agency to which to report it (LLA, AG’s Office –now that Caldwell is gone–, or FBI).
Since the email link above references a letter to Ringo wherein I stated IG Street sought my resignation, here’s a link for the letter I sent upon my resignation being JOINTLY sought by Ji dal abd Street: http://www.auctioneer-la.org/JR.pdf.
I will try to find my letter from Street in 2011/12,who wished me luck in requesting an investigation because Jindal, Teepell,Lane Carson used state equipment to film a political spot re The goofy “Honor” Medal for Veterans. I have yet to hear from the “Ethics” group about my request. Hilarious stuff, but we can’t let the Repubicans destroy our country. love always ron thompson
Give the Republican bashing a rest. Not sure why you haven’t figured out but both parties suck.
I guess the more times I read this article, the more teed off I get. Here is a link for the complainant whose identity the IG’s office compromised (and was later told there would be no investigation due to an apparent inability to get press headlines from it) saying she doesn’t regret reporting the fraud (despite a petition being circulated by the main perpetrator to auctioneers in north Louisiana to have the LALB vote to fire her — and the IG’s Office was FULLY AWARE of his actions in that regard!!!!!!!!!!!!!):
http://www.auctioneer-la.org/toc_travel_voucheri.htm
In the video, she says, “All members of a public body are responsible for the paperwork they submit regarding the disbursement of public funds.” Apparently, that’s not the case when you’re the OIG!!
Like I said, I now have to wonder if the REAL reason her complaint wasn’t pursued was because Street does the same damn thing (i. e. Pursuing would be akin to the pot calling the kettle black).
It’s time to drain the swamp. This office can’t seem to justify its existence. Shut it down.