Perhaps it’s time to direct some hard questions to Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPSC) Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc.
LeBlanc, after all, is technically Mike Edmonson’s boss. Besides holding the title of Superintendent of State Police, Edmonson is also Deputy Secretary of DPSC.
LeBlanc only recently came through an intensive investigation into the Corrections, also under the DPSC umbrella. That investigation cost Angola Warden Burl Cain and several of his family members their jobs.
And yet DPSC general counsel Kathy Williams notified retired State Trooper Leon “Bucky” Millet by letter dated last Thursday (March 2) that DPS would not consider his complaint against the Louisiana State Troopers’ Association because Louisiana State Police (LSP) “considers the matter closed.”
She may wish to revisit that decision.
Today, FBI agents fanned out across the state to simultaneously serve federal grand jury subpoenas on 18 State Troopers, LouisianaVoice has learned. Included among those served were officers and directors of that very same LSTA that DPSC refuses to investigate.
One report indicated that the LSTA board of directors was in its monthly meeting Wednesday when federal agents walked in and served each board member with his subpoena.
LouisianaVoice has not learned the date of the grand jury nor was the specific subject readily available. But because troopers from across the state were served, it would seem reasonable to assume that the thrust of the federal investigation is the laundering of campaign contributions by the LSTA through the association’s executive director David Young, a story LouisianaVoice broke more than a year ago.
It was not immediately known if Young was one of those served on Wednesday.
It was also learned that the FBI has already interviewed some of those slapped with subpoenas today.
The LSTA board is comprised of trooper representatives from each of the eight state police troops. The individual troop headquarters are located in Baton Rouge in East Baton Rouge Parish, Kenner in Jefferson Parish, Mandeville in St. Tammany Parish, Lake Charles in Calcasieu Parish, Lafayette in Lafayette Parish, Monroe in Ouachita Parish, Bossier City in Bossier Parish and Gray in Terrebonne Parish.
Neither Edmonson, Deputy Superintendent Lt. Col. Charles Dupuy nor Director of Management and Finance Lt. Col. Jason Starnes were among those handed subpoenas. Only LSTA officers, directors and former officers and directors were served.
Regardless, reports out of State Police headquarters in Baton Rouge say command personnel have been in “full panic mode” all afternoon as they hunkered down in meetings. As my grandfather used to say, you probably couldn’t pull a needle out of their butts with a John Deere tractor. A federal grand jury subpoena, after all, is less welcome than an IRS audit letter—and who knows? That might not be far behind.
LSTA general counsel Floyd Falcon cannot represent any of those served if their legal interests should conflict with those of the association, as they quite likely will. That means that each of those served will have to retain his own legal counsel.
With that many having been served subpoenas, it’s likely that at least one, maybe several, will roll over and give the feds information they’re looking for in order to cut a deal. The scramble will be to see who can give up whom first because that’s will will likely get the best deal. What’s not likely is for any of them to lie because we’re sure they are all keenly aware that lying to the FBI, even if not under oath, can get a quick trip to a federal facility where one can work in the laundry for 20 cents per hour.
One thing you can expect out of all of this: there will be no united front. Targets are almost certain to turn on each other as the cannibalization begins in earnest. Edmonson already has thrown the four men who drove the expedition to California—and his secretary—under the bus.
And make no mistake: the clock is ticking on Gov. John Bel Edwards. Mike Edmonson, Charles Dupuy and Jason Starnes represent baggage he simply cannot afford to carry into his campaign for reelection. That campaign cranks up in less than two years.
Edmonson needs to go and he needs to take LeBlanc with him.
Back to you, Kathy Williams.
Louisiana Voice 
FYI, one thing I keep seeing in stories are references to the “Department of Public Safety” and the “Department of Corrections”, neither of which actually exists. There is one Department of Public Safety and Corrections, with two major divisions (Public Safety Services and Corrections Services). That came about the last time a new state department was created, because of the constitutional limit of 20 departments – two had to be officially merged into one, with one secretary. (In practice, the DPSC secretary has usually focused solely on Corrections and left the PSS section to run itself under the Deputy Secretary (who heads the State Police).
Otherwise keep up the great work!
So , who is really in charge of LSP ? Seems crazy !!
Kevin Morgan has accurately reported the structure and reason for this confusing situation. Although, as Tom points out, Leblanc is the Secretary of the whole department, Edmonson functions as both the superintendent of State Police and head of the Office of Public Safety Services (the old Department of Public Safety) and, in practice, reports directly to the governor although, by law, he is appointed by LeBlanc and serves as his Deputy Secretary.
Below is what the law says. It was written this way so as to continue to allow the head of State Police to operate with maximum autonomy despite combination of the two departments into one.
§405. Deputy secretaries for public safety services, corrections services, and youth services
A.(1) There shall be a deputy secretary for public safety services and a deputy secretary for corrections services. Each shall be appointed by the secretary and serve at the pleasure of the secretary at a salary fixed by the secretary, which salary shall not exceed the amount approved for such position by the legislature while in session. Each appointment by the secretary shall be submitted to the Senate for confirmation. The duties and functions of the deputy secretaries provided for in this Subsection shall be determined and assigned by the secretary, except that:
(a) The office of state police shall be under the immediate supervision and direction of the deputy secretary for public safety services.
(b) Public safety services, including the office of state police, the office of legal affairs, the office of motor vehicles, the office of state fire marshal, code enforcement and building safety, the office of the Louisiana oil spill coordinator, and their assistant secretaries, shall be under the supervision and direction of the deputy secretary for public safety services. The deputy secretary for public safety services shall be an ex officio member of each board and commission in the Department of Public Safety and Corrections which is related to the functions of public safety services. However, the deputy secretary may appoint a designee to be his representative as an ex officio member of each board and commission which is related to the functions of public safety services.
(c) Corrections services shall be under the supervision and direction of the deputy secretary for corrections services.
(2) The deputy secretary for public safety services shall be selected from the ranks of sworn, commissioned state police officers who have graduated from the state police training academy. The deputy secretary for public safety services shall serve as acting secretary in the absence of the secretary over all functions of the department except corrections services and youth services. The deputy secretary for public safety services shall employ, appoint, remove, assign, and promote such personnel as is necessary for the efficient administration of public safety services and for the performance of the powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities of public safety services, including any agencies transferred to the department which are related to the functions of public safety services, except as otherwise provided by this Title. The deputy secretary for public safety services shall be solely responsible for employment, assignment, and removal of all personnel employed for public safety services on a contractual basis. The deputy secretary for public safety services shall be solely responsible for the transfer of all personnel within public safety services, and no personnel shall be transferred to or from public safety services to any other office of the department without his prior approval.
At the end of the day (I really hate that phrase), Edmonson has to be held responsible. But as I wrote and as Steve Winham explained, the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Jimmy LeBlanc, and in the chain of command/organizational chart, is over Edmonson and should be held accountable as well.
20 cents per hour will be quite a comeuppance from these six-figure salaries obtained left and right by the FOM (Friends of Mike) crew.
Developments in the next few weeks should be VERY intriguing!
FBI Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans Office has gone on record saying governmental corruption is rampant in Louisiana, and looks like we may FINALLY have someone willing to do something about it. The people have endured a freaking nuff!!
It is time these issues are addressed—and properly.
You would figure this would be headline news at The Sadvocate. Nope. Nothing. Sad!
Well You see, the Advocate has to Check with the Governor’s Office and the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association first so they won’t upset anyone in political power. That is how things work in Louisiana.
Sheriff’s association, are they involved ?
But of course they are. After all, the Col is their “man”. I don’t see how the LSA hasn’t yet officially started to severe their ties, as this also looks really bad for them also. Just another spade in this house of cards.
Why no subpoena for Edmonson and Dupuy who had the most to gain?
My guess is they are coming. The feds want to get what they can from the others in the anticipation that their testimony will lead to higher-ups.
Tom, there was mention a few months back that the investigation may involve JBE’s brother. Do you know anything about this?
That’s the FBI modus operandi. The goal is always to nab the biggest fish (in this case John Bel Edwards if possible, but Edmonson would be a huge fish too), and it begins with putting the screws to lower-level folk whom they have solid material on.
Maybe one day they can take a close look at the Louisiana Interior Design Board and Deborah Steinmetz: http://www.soundoffla.com/?p=613.
Robert, at least the nail salons got some kind of settlement from the cosmetology board – another one that needs a much closer look by JBE, for sure.
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/courts/article_cf7a818c-04fb-11e7-bbef-3b961e3d9715.html
Thanks so much for providing that link, Stephen, and I think Landry was smart to find a way to settle that one too and, YES, that is a Board that Edwards REALLY needs to look at hard. I can practically guarantee you more litigation against it is going to be forthcoming if it continues to operate as it historically has.
[…] From Louisiana Voice: […]
Thank you Tom for your efforts in bringing all the shady and more than likely illegal behavior to light. The citizens of Louisiana all owe you a debt of gratitude.
Finally:
http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/crime_police/article_9685153e-04f3-11e7-ae57-4fa632dbcb2d.html
Thanks for that link to the Sadvocate story on this. It even acknowledged that LV broke this story. Nice! I suspect the Sadvocate has an intern who has the job of monitoring LV for stories. Hi intern!
“What goes up must come down”. This could get interesting !
Oh it should be. What will be even more interesting is how this plays out if in fact the investigation is performed correctly and transparently. If public records requests (travel approvals, emails regarding this and other situations) are provided in factual form, so much more will come to light. The pseudo DPS employee grievance procedure (under Jill B’s tenure, the HR director was forced to do the bidding of Jill and ME), the retaliation against whistle blowers (a la the firing of the tentured LSP pilots a couple of years ago when they reported wrong doing), the issues at Troop D and all the drama surrounding Guillory, blatant and rampant payroll fraud, federal laws broken during Katrina regarding money spent from FEMA within Radio Communications (in fact, as a current DPS employee, I know for a fact they have rehired one of the whistle blowers back at the Radio section), the list goes on and on and on. Also, the admin assistant making “friendly time” with an inmate, only to tell ME when disciplined that if he made anything of the ordeal she’d make public of her previous intimate relationship with ME himself…..and on and on and on and on. To borrow a popular phrase on this blog, you just can’t make this stuff up!