One of our sources told us early on to make a public records request for all text messages to and from the four State Troopers who drove to that infamous social event in San Diego by way of Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon last October as well as like messages from former State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson.
“Get those texts and you will see that Mike Edmonson knew the whereabouts of those four the entire trip,” our source said. “They were texting each other every mile of that trip. The four in the vehicle even sent photos.”
So, it was no surprise when The Baton Rouge Advocate ran a page-one STORY in which we learned that Louisiana State Police (LSP) had no texts—sent or received—from Edmonson, his former Chief of Staff Charles Dupuy, or any of the four who drove.
It was an LSP Ford Expedition issued to Dupuy that the four drove to San Diego via Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.
What are the odds that there would be no text messages or photos of the trip?
In this case, 100 percent.
And lest one take this too lightly, consider this: LSP was—and remains—under investigation for that trip, not only because of the vehicle being taken, but because Edmonson flew about a dozen others, including a part-time student worker, to San Diego at taxpayer expense just so they could witness him receiving a national award.
The FBI is known to be investigating the Louisiana State Troopers Association (LSTA) for political contributions funneled from the association through its executive director’s personal bank account. The scope of that investigation could extend to the San Diego trip, though that is not known for certain.
When you’re under investigation, it’s called evidence tampering to destroy electronic communications—if that’s what happened. And authorities normally frown upon the destruction of evidence. In fact, it’s a criminal offense.
Ironically, one of those making the drive to San Diego in that Expedition was Derrell Williams. At the time, he was head of LSP’s Internal Affairs which is charged with investigating reports of misconduct on the part of state troopers. He has since been relieved of those duties but he, of all people, should know the consequences of exorcising electronic communications that might have a bearing on an investigation.
As The Advocate pointed out, it’s improbable but possible that no text messages were sent by any of the six individuals. And, reporter Jim Mustian wrote, it’s even possible that messages, if any, were automatically deleted through some type of customized setting.
Of course the official word from LSP is that the agency has no formal retention policy regarding text messages.
So it would seem that all the bases are covered in the LSP Textgate mystery.
It’s like the lawyer who, upon being sued because his dog bit someone walking past his house responding by saying (1) “My dog doesn’t bite,” (2) “I keep my dog inside a fenced yard,” and (3) “I don’t own a dog.”
Now all other state agencies, thanks to LSP, can forgo instituting a retention policy or quietly go about abolishing any such policy they may already have just in case some other reporters come snooping around.
After all, if a no-policy is good enough for the state’s top law enforcement agency, why should other agencies be burdened by such an encumbrance?
Louisiana Voice 
you can’t delete data logged on phone bills. Somewhere there is a state account showing text messages with data size and time and the number it went to.
Excellent point. We will have to make a specific request for those billings. The problem is, with LSP you have to make requests as specific as possible or they will be denied or you get a response that they have no record responsive to the request.
This may sound like a stupid question but if the cell phones were state issued phones can’t the FBI subpoena the phone records?
Some are state issue. In other cases, LSP pays a $50 per month stipend to troopers who use their private cell phones. Of course, if the state is paying a stipend, it seems it would have a right to examine those phones and to recover any deleted messages.
Not a stupid question at all, and the answer is “yes;” furthermore, they can do so directly from the phone companies, and the contents of the texts are virtually certain to remain fully-recoverable from their servers. Ideally, FBI agents would subpoena those records and have them readily available during questioning (but without divulging that fact).
That way, those being questioned have two options. They can “come clean” and let the chips fall where they may. Alternatively, they can say, “we engaged in no texting on the trip” after which they can have the charge of lying to a Federal law enforcement official added to any other charges they may already be facing.
If anyone reads the very bottom of page 3 of this OIG report, http://www.auctioneer-la.org/IG_LALB_Edmonds_payroll.pdf, the OIG investigators used subpoenaed cell phone records to nail Sandy Edmonds on her extensive out-of-state vacations while claiming to be on the clock.
Furthermore, they noted that she failed to “come clean” on two such excursions. For that act of lying to them, they recommended “appropriate disciplinary action up to and including termination.” Of course, that _______ ________ (fill in the blanks with whatever you’d like) former governor of ours (I hate even seeing his name in print) “intervened” and said she could do all this, and that was that.
If these troopers are held accountable, and they should be, they have EVERY right to ask, “Well, why was Sandy Edmonds allowed to skate?”
Perhaps the nameless individual referenced above can provide the answer, and I would add that episode and many others similar in nature comprise a large part of the explanation of why he will NEVER be in the White House (except possibly in taking a guided tour at which time he can ponder what might have been).
Tom,
Could you look into the pay raise funding source? I understand the state has to fund the pay raise with oil and gas revenues. The raise was to be funded by fines collected from insurance violations and driving under suspension violations.
1) The LSP information retention policy is driving this wagon. If there is no policy (or a weak one) you may be able to determine that data was sent but you will not find the texts. That will mean no criminal or administrative action.
2) As I have posted elsewhere, if LSP wants to cover up this matter they will institute an administrative review ASAP. The officers involved are REQUIRED to provide any information requested during that investigation. That requirement, in turn, gives a very strong layer of protection for any potential criminal charges. As a target of a potential criminal investigation you cannot be compelled to testify against your own best interest (remember the 5th amendment?).
So any administrative investigation (where you are compelled testify against your own interest) muddies the evidence trail with a potential of all the information being excluded under the exclusion of evidence under the “fruit of the poisonous tree” doctrine.
Tom,
What amuses me here is, the agency that often obtains the same records from criminal suspects doesn’t have a policy in place to protect it’s own integrity. It sure seems like an excuse of convenience.
Something else to look into. Ask LSP it’s policy on preferential hiring if you have a father that works there. The last couple of Academy classes seem to have swayed in that direction. I am sure the rank heavy recruiting section of LSP could provide you with that statistical information.
Keep Digging, there are way more trips and purchases involving waste, fraud, and abuse of office. This San Diego affair is not an isolated incident.
The text messages may have been deleted but they are absolutely still on the server of the cell phone provider ( Verizon, At&t, etc.) Deleted text messages are repeatedly subpoenaed in court cases such as divorce cases from the cell phone provider.
The text messages are retained by the cell phone provider even though they are deleted.
that is pretty damn convenient. This is just the tip of the ice berg. The public has no idea what Edmonson and his minions have been doing for the last 10 years. If they only knew.
Really! Do you people think that we are as stupid as you are or what?
You can get any record of any text done on any phone, from any phone carrier, any day of the week. I hate it when those who do the wrong try to get out of their mess and on top of that try to blow hot air where it doesn’t belong.
I am sick and tired of it. Grow yourselves a big ole pile of intestinal fortitude, please, because you look like a bunch of idiots trying to pull this one off on the public.
Yep, you just can’t fix stupid now can ya?
Waiting on the disclosure of other Trips over the years on the public’s dime.
How lovely?
God Bless our good, hardworking, dedicated troopers all across the state.
Thank you all for the great job you all do each day and night.
Looks like the fun ship is on fire, trashed (like a Charlie Sheen’s hotel room) and sinking. The good troopers who had to watch this abuse are now happy the rats will be flushed.