The FBI appears to have taken quite a liking to Amite, the parish seat of Tangipahoa Parish and the home town of Gov. John Bel Edwards.
For the third time in the last seven months, federal agents have come calling, this time armed with subpoenas for many of the town’s elected officials, including the mayor, police chief and most, if not all, of the Amite Town Council members.
Sources told LouisianaVoice the list included Mayor Buddy Bel, Mayor Pro Tem Jonathan Foster, council members Neil Carrier and Rose Sumrall, and Police Chief Jerry Trabona, Independence Town Council member Calvin Baptiste, former Roseland Mayor Louis Ruffino and Amite businessman Tom Ed Brumfield.
Two independent sources told LouisianaVoice the FBI is investigating allegation of vote buying in the 2015 statewide election in which John Bel Edwards was elected governor and his brother, Daniel, was re-elected sheriff.
Unconfirmed reports said a judge and an attorney are also under investigation for their alleged participation in the vote-buying.
While it may not be the specific voter fraud that Donald Trump has been alleging—his election was a year later and he claimed illegal voters, not vote-buying—but it has attracted the attention of federal investigators who were said to be looking into claims of widespread distributions of cash for votes on election day.
There was no word on which candidates the cash was supposed to help.
One of those served with a subpoena, Baptiste, is an employee of the sheriff’s office and a member of the Independence Town Council. He was earlier embroiled in allegations of VOTE BUYING lodged by local businessman Larry Holland.
It was unclear what role those issued subpoenas might have played or what information they may have that brought them to the attention of investigators but the folks in Amite must feel by now that they’re on a first-name basis with federal agents and are exchanging vacation stories.
Last December, about 100 federal agents simultaneously RAIDED the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Hammond Police Office in a far-reaching U.S. Justice Department investigation of a joint federal drug task force that also included sheriff’s deputies. Computers, cellphones and case files were seized in those raids.
Three months later, they were back, this time to investigate a fraudulent bail-bond SCHEME involving several sheriff’s department employees.
Fraudulent bail-bond operations are certainly not new to Louisiana and federal authorities successfully PROSECUTED one such scam in New Orleans earlier this year.
LouisianaVoice will monitor the activities of the Amite branch office of the U.S. Justice Department and provide updates as received.
typical Louisiana!
Amite branch office of the DOJ. LOL
they allege they buying something from you and never pick it up, thats how they do that
What about the TP Sheriff’s Office. I have a problem with them but I don’t know who to contact to report it…
There’s a “Got a tip?” link on our web page. But you may also email us at louisianavoice@cox.net
This is really good news. There must have had a lot of whistle blowers collecting data and sending it off to bureau. You can never stop kicking on that door of corruption until the hinges fall off.
You will only have what you tolerate around you. It is up to the people to join together and fight for justice and it looks like the bureau had open ears!
I am so happy for the people in this parish and proud to see the bureau doing its job.
Ben Franklin defined corruption simply as placing personal interest ahead of the public interest. bel Edwards ownership by the nursing home lobby is the most hurtful to the 25000 suffering captives in nursing homes.
Nothing Surprises me in the Amite City or Tangipahoa parish anymore, Typical Louisiana Politics
Exactly! Way more likely that its true! Maybe this is the time they get caught?
Is there any way of unmasking the judge and attorney?
Those names were not provided and will only be released when—and if—the feds deem it appropriate.
Tangipahoa Parish Louisiana will stay corrupt until the FBI gets enough evidence to prove ALL the corruption,starting with the GOVERNOR and the Family that has been deep in politics since 1968,Get real The last 3 deaths in the JAIL.ARDEN WELLS may not be the best person to call out The things that are going on because they have discredited him.But believe me the stuff he says is true.They need to really dig deep.Funny on the DEA ,FBI investigated but now it all hush hush,so Edwards can get elected sheriff again.SCARY everyone knows something just afraid to say something because they have to live here,they say and have families.SAD SAD,PRAYING FOR OUR STATE