“According to Edmonson, the new governor told him on the night of the election, at a party at the Hotel Monteleone, that he had never even considered another candidate for superintendent.”
—Baton Rouge Advocate story of March 15, 2017.
“Please tell me your intentions as to the re-appointment of Mike Edmonson.”
Tom Aswell
From: John Bel Edwards Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2015 12:50 PM To: Tom Aswell Subject: Re: QUESTION
I don’t intend one way or the other.
Email exchange between LouisianaVoice Publisher Tom Aswell and gubernatorial candidate John Bel Edwards on Oct. 27, 2015.
BOTTOM LINE? Someone’s lying.
Louisiana Voice 
Mike also had a distant relationship with the truth!
Can there be any more succinct disproving of his claims of an “Honor Code?” Great reporting on all fronts, Tom Aswell!
You seem genuinely surprised that JBE is a liar. His actions have proven it time and time again.
In all fairness, I have to accept that both statements could be true.
Well, I’ll bite. Will you elaborate further? If Edwards said that on election night (letting Edmonson know he’s the man and “was the only one even considered,”)then how can Edwards’ statement to Tom be true also?
The only way I can think of is if Edwards tried to say with a straight face that he just never even considered who he would appoint and suddenly made that decision on election night once he knew he’d won.
That would be complete horse manure because everybody acknowledges he committed to the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association that Edmonson would be reappointed as a condition they imposed for the Association’s endorsement (which is likely why Tom made the inquiry).
I think the evidence is overwhelming that, in this particular instance, Edmonson is totally truthful and Edwards simply lied to Tom. He did so because that likely may have been a “game changer” for Tom (though I know voting for Vitter would have been very difficult for him), and he just may be able to sway some of his readers because of Tom’s relentless pursuit of Edmonson scandals.
So, since nobody is apparently going to bite and ask for an elaboration (I waited almost two hours but can’t any longer), I volunteering to seek elaboration.
Thanks, Stephen.
I only said it was possible, Robert, not probable. But, if you accept that JBE never considered anybody else, then what he told Edmonson would be true. What he told Tom is less likely, but is also possible if Edwards could honestly argue that he had not considered anybody else, but also did not have firm and final intent to reappoint Edmonson – in other words, if he could honestly say that he had no intent one way or the other at the time Tom asked the question. I realize this is almost as big a stretch as the argument that the definition of “is” is debatable, ala President Clinton, but it is possible. Anyhow, sorry to have put you in the position of trying to figure out what I might have meant, but my post was as simple, if naive and/or legalistic as that.
P. S. Your argument certainly makes more sense.
Oh, there’s no need to apologize, Stephen. I was just curious what the thought pattern may be. To use yet another currently-hip phrase, “It’s all good.” 😊
Robert, I posted this on the thread below, but how would you interpret this quote from this morning’s ADVOCATE article?
“This organization will survive anything,” he added, “even the things yet to come.”
Well, I think what he references for the short term entails the results of Purpera’s audit which are likely to reveal extreme extravagance that we’ve been fitting the bill on for years.
Longer term, I think he’s referencing criminal charges that will ultimately result from Purpera’s audit, the current grand jury testimony entailing the illegal campaign contributions, and other matters that the FBI is investigating broadly entailing law enforcement improprietaries at numerous agencies throughout southeast Louisiana.
That’s my take on what he’s referencing, but only he knows for sure, and I doubt if he were asked to expand that he would volunteer anything further.
“This organization will survive anything,” he added, “even the things yet to come.”
We think he slipped up big-time, indulging himself in a rare moment of honesty.