Normally, a man’s tryst with a lady friend who is not his wife would be of no concern to us. It’s not an activity we would recommend but some things, after all, are really no one else’s business.
Unless the amorous couple happen to be chairman and vice chairman of a state commission that decides important issues like appeals of disciplinary action against state troopers or which votes on whether or not to conduct thorough investigations of illegal campaign contributions or which concocts evidence against its executive director in order to force her resignation because she insisted on following the law on certain procedures.
State Trooper T.J. Doss, a nine-year State Police veteran, is chairman of the Louisiana State Police Commission.
New Orleans attorney Monica Manzella, formerly the assistant city attorney for the City of New Orleans, was appointed to the commission by Gov. John Bel Edwards last October. She quickly rose to the position of vice chairman.
The commission has experienced considerable turnover in the past 12 months, with six members and an executive director submitting their resignations. After today, that number could increase to eight.
LouisianaVoice has been receiving tips that Doss and Manzella were each other’s overnight guests for several months—sometimes at the State Police Academy barracks where Doss was staying while assigned to Baton Rouge from his normal base at Troop G in Shreveport. Other times they were said to be staying at Manzella’s residence in New Orleans.
On Thursday, only hours after the monthly commission meeting, they got a little careless. We got word they were at a movie and were staying at the Watermark Hotel in downtown Baton Rouge. The hotel building, originally a bank, is the former State Office Building that was sold and transformed into an elegant hotel and restaurant.
Acting on our tip, it was a relatively easy matter to catch them exiting the movie theater CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO . As they exit, Doss can be seen carrying two mugs. They had just seen a movie at Baton Rouge’s Movie Tavern. The Movie Tavern serves beer and allows patrons to keep the containers. It is against State Police regulations to drink and drive a state police unit.
“Mug” shot
Less than an hour later, they can be seen exiting his state-assigned Ford Explorer entering the hotel where they went straight to the registration desk CLICK HERE, picked up their keys and headed straight for the elevators. They carried no luggage, an indication that they—or at least one of them—had checked in earlier.
Checkin’ in
As said earlier, it’s normally no one else’s business but when two people sit on a seven-person commission that literally has the power to make career-altering decisions, it is critical that a professional relationship be maintained between members. Personal affairs should be strictly off-limits in the interest of fair and impartial decision-making, uninfluenced by personal feelings for fellow members. The fact that Doss and Manzella serve as chair and co-chair of the commission only serves to underscore the need for separation—literally and figuratively.
Moreover, the two arrived at the Watermark in a state-owned Ford Explorer assigned to Doss. State Police policy and procedure strictly prohibits the transporting of civilians in the state vehicles for any purposes other than state police business.
State Police Ford Explorer assigned to Trooper T.J. Doss parked outside Watermark Hotel Thursday…in spot reserved for Baton Rouge City Police.
Manzella is a civilian and they certainly did not appear to be on state business as she twice slipped her arm around Doss’s waist as they were at the hotel registration desk, once even patting him gently on his buttocks.
At this point, the only reasonable option left open for each of them is to resign immediately from the commission. Should they decline to do so, State Police Superintendent would seem to have no choice but to direct Doss to step down. In Manzella’s case, it would be the responsibility of Gov. Edwards to remove her—and Doss should Superintendent Kevin Reeves does not do so.
Oops! In the words of George Costanza, “was that wrong?”
Was she underage ? If so, a promotion is in order, or at least that how it use to be with the last Administration…………………Lol
Doss had some good teachers, Mike Edmonson and Charles Dupuy. Only hope now is the new Superintendent who has impeccable integrity to do the right thing. Keep Waiting on Some Honor Code!
Then again, we might have another San Diego/Vegas Gate Investigation that takes LSP 6 months to investigate. LSP was once the premier Law Enforcement Agency in this State. No longer true after Edmonson sold it to the Sheriff’s Association. Rumor has it, Edmonson and Dupuy were at the Sheriffs Convention two weeks ago doing their magical corruption!
Oh my. Anyone know if they used a government credit card to pay for this?
Looks like Doss was doing business as usual. Robert Burns posted multiple videos of they meetings . It appears on many Doss has no knowledge of commission rules or any or rules regarding conduct. Now it appears he has no knowledge of policy. Wouldn’t it be nice to use state money and vehicles to take your girlfriend to the movies and finish it off with a nice hotel stay. I wonder if they charged it to the commission account and chalked it up as a business meeting. I guess we now know why he had the VIP suite. If they would get in a wreck, I guess our tax dollars would cover that too. Doss was an Edmonton plant, he systematically got the exsisting director and entire board to resign so he and Mike could control punishments and cover up investigations. Ironic that the guy who hired a PI to follow the former director is caught by the same sword. Let us see if he gets a punishment for violating policy. I guess he can appeal it to the commission he is in charge of. The State Police situation is still a joke. As is retirees sit back and watch, we are still waiting for the new colonel to clean up Edmonsons mess, his people.
Some people use hearsay to make themselves feel better and to cover up their own problems/inadequacies by trying to somebody down. Even if you had revealing pictures–which you do not–it doesn’t make any difference.
Get a life– instead of trying live vicariously through someone else’s whose success you will never even be close to achieving.
Gee, I feel as though you know me so well…
Private Hellion,
I would like to make a complaint to the State Police Commission but I am a little hesitant at this time because i’m not sure who’s in bed with who and as a victim I would like to see justice and I don’t believe I will get justice if the individual I am making the complaint about has dirt on board members.
Therefore, Louisiana Voice reporting on things like this may cleanup the board and I may have a better chance of getting justice.
I was wrong in my assumption. I jumped too quickly in my assessment. Please accept my apology.
TOM ASWELL
No apology necessary. This forum is open for all to express opinions. The only censorship I exercise is with vulgarities and racial comments. Other than that, all opinions are welcome.
Tom, this has to be FAKE NEWS and photo shopped pictures (lol) A little “afternoon delight”
Mr. Aswell, I understand that the nature of your site is to provide bits of stories and information in such a way as to be inflammatory and damaging to certain people. People love a scandal, and you present information that gives them what they want-whether it’s true or not. Once in a while you have valid points. Mostly though, you are a mudslinger that misrepresents the truth for whatever your real motivations are. I feel no pity for whatever happens to you as you attack people based on tips given to you by others with similar agendas as your own. I do have sympathy for people like Doss who are trying to improve the working environment for troopers. Leave his personal life out of it. Regardless of how you transparently try to justify publishing this–it’s dirty, and certainly personal for your sources.
“Mostly though, you are a mudslinger that misrepresents the truth for whatever your real motivations are. I feel no pity for whatever happens to you as you attack people based on tips given to you by others with similar agendas as your own.” Nowtellthewholestory, you could not be more wrong with your comment.
I’ve always found the Louisiana Voice to be a fair, fact-based source of news. Few of the “real” newspapers go to equal lengths to check and present facts. Many simply publish news releases by state agencies and politicians. Few dig for facts and derive original interpretations that run counter to the official story. There are a few investigative journalists left in Louisiana. Most are bloggers. Mr. Aswell is one of them and he does more to keep us informed than the Advocate and all its resources. That the Advocate pays some of its employees for the unreadable nonsense they publish is the real crime. They should pay Mr. Aswell to do his work and publish it on the front page.
What’s the WHOLE STORY? Video tapes don’t lie. We don’t know what happened upstairs, but she definitely grabbed his butt. I wonder how his wife feels about that?
My first inclination is that this was out of bounds. But given the sordid history of this board, it finally revealed itself as karma.
My guess is that his wife feels absolutely nothing about this since he is not married, and, being non-existent, his wife has no capacity to feel anything. Classic hit piece—talks about a “tryst” but fails to state whether either are married (if the article said they were when they were not, that could open them up to damages for defamation). Note that the article does not say that there is any policy against members of the commission being in a personal relationship, either. Further showing that it is a good hit piece, it notes that beer is served in mugs you can keep at the theater but does not say if other beverages (non-alcoholic) are served in the same mugs. The article also says that they went straight to check-in, but one had obviously checked-in previously—if they were in the same room and one had checked-in previously, there would be no need to check-in. Also talks about using state resources with absolutely no evidence how the room/rooms were paid for.
As a defense attorney, I’d give you a C-minus. There were state resources in play here—the state vehicle assigned to Doss, who allowed a civilian as a passenger–against regulations. And Movie Tavern only allows customers to keep beer mugs. Soft drinks are served in more conventional paper cups. As for any policy against their dating, I never said there was but the fact that two members of a commission, the chair and co-chair, no less, are dating certainly creates an atmosphere of mistrust and gives rise to their objectivity. C-minus.
Re: tomaswell
1. I appreciate defense attorneys more than you know; tough work and hated by so many who do not understand that all deserve a good defense.
2. I give your response—a defense to my attack—a B+. You did what defense attorneys have to do: attack any weaknesses in the case against and ignore or try to pass off as inconsequential parts that are not so strong for your side. Then you finished off by stating an opinion that you pass off as strong and moral (that two members of this volunteer commission being involved in a relationship is wrong), implying that something shady is going on. (Yes, I ended a sentence with a preposition; the supposed “rule” against that has been crap for centuries.)
3. On the positive parts of your defense, you smartly avoid the point that the article indicated that one had checked in earlier and that would mean that checking in later would mean that they were not in the same room. You also avoid the point that you keep saying that Ms. Manzella is a “civilian” while simultaneously arguing that she is the vice-chair of the Louisiana State Police Commission, not exactly a civilian when leaving a commission meeting unless “civilian” is defined very specifically (and the article gives no definition in law of a civilian). That’s the tricky part about being the defense attorney of an attacking article—you are really the prosecutor here; burden of proof is on you. You also indicate that two not married people on this commission (at least you provide no evidence or even argument that either are married) being involved in a relationship is bad and could result in poor decisions by the commission. An outsider, as a normal human being, might think that people on such a commission, both unattached, could meet through the commission and start a relationship, without there being any problem. An outside might also think that a website titled like this on is would not be a forum for a faction that used to be in control of said commission and is trying to attack those in said faction’s way. No idea what is going on here myself, but there are rumors and “reports.”
4. On the negative side, and this gets you down off of an “A,” you are making a closing argument and argue facts not in evidence—the policy of what you call “Movie Tavern.” Unless you have been there and ordered both alcoholic and not alcoholic drinks there—or been with people who did—you would not know this. (I have no idea what this place is or how they serve their drinks–hell, maybe non-alcoholic beer is served in the mugs, too, or they do not offer those, I have no clue.) That’s a clearly objectionable argument.
5. In sum, there is a lot of innuendo and argument and a lack of proof. If you are the prosecutor here, tons of reasonable doubt.
As long as I have receiving Tom’s posts I do not recall one that has been incorrect. What was done in this story was time sheet fraud, especially the overtime differiental pay. Why should we not know the truth about this incident when the person in question was not honest?
I believe it is more than the public having a right to the truth. I am certainly not an attorney, but I think we are talking about public payroll fraud as found in La. R.S. 14:38:
§138. Public payroll fraud
A. Public payroll fraud is committed when:
(1) Any person shall knowingly receive any payment or compensation, or knowingly permit his name to be carried on any employment list or payroll for any payment or compensation from the state, for services not actually rendered by himself, or for services grossly inadequate for the payment or compensation received or to be received according to such employment list or payroll; or . . .
The penalty can be pretty severe, and more than a slap on the wrist.
Nowtellthewholestory, are you not aware of a few basic policy violations with Doss on ‘date’ with Manzella? If he was on the clock, at a movie, drinking beer, and later most likely relieving his ‘stress,’ all on the taxpayer dollar…..how can you question anyone for reporting this? In my LSP retired opinion, Doss and his conduct has been very questionable from the outset. The events of this ‘date’ are downright despicable from a professional perspective. Baton Rouge has a heavy workload to instill public trust from an integrity standpoint. I think Reeves is letting this drag on hoping it will go away. We as voters can only vote JBE out of office and hope things start changing then.
As a female and former state employee whose job required statewide travel on occasion over a 35 year career, I sometimes checked into hotels in the company of male coworkers. I mean, we may have been at the registration desk at the same time, but were certainly getting separate rooms. Playing devil’s advocate, I guess we don’t really know what the sleeping arrangements were in this case. A couple of things should be pointed out, however. First, we never stayed in top notch hotels. Second, I never felt the need to slip my arm around a coworkers waist, nor, it should be pointed out, did I EVER feel the need to pat one on the butt. Sounds like time for a sexual harassment refresher.
IF this is true that she put her hands around his waist and patted him on the butt then it is past time for both of them to be removed from their positions.
Why should the public have to pay for them to play?
Success is a very beautiful thing to accomplish because it would mean that the person stood up to the deserve it, not lying down to earn it.
This state police commission needs a major overhaul SOON!
I too wonder if this was charged to the commission account. Must be nice to use a state vehicle to go to the movies and check into a hotel. I guess that’s why he needed the VIP suite at the academy. Everyone knows Doss was an Edmonson and Dupuy plant to get the former director and certain members to resign so they would have full control over the department. Robert Burns had shown many videos of Doss not knowing his own commission rules. It appears he is not too knowledgeable about policy either. If they hit another vehicle and she was injured I guess our tax dollars would pay for that also. Ironic he paid for a PI to follow the former director around and he falls upon the same sword. Well I guess if he gets a write-up he can appeal it to the commission where his girlfriend can find in his favor. As a retiree I find the fact that Dupuy and Edmonson holdouts are still sliming around Baton Rouge. The new colonel needs to clean house and move people around, and not like that fella at The troop D that drives from lake Charles to Baton Rouge every day. It’s no wonder they are kicking the retirees out of the association, but they can’t stop us from going to the commission meetings. Louisiana State Police is still a sinking ship,with just a different captain.
Well somebody has to say this-politics makes for strange bedfellows (lol). Let’s just hope that no other troopers have been “screwed” by any other commission members, so to speak. This is clearly a conflict of interest. Col. Reeves should remove those troopers who had a close relationship with the former superintendent. Start with a clean slate. Get rid of this troopers or put them back on the road to do enforcement—their primary job. Chris Guillory is still in a position of authority even after lying and committing payroll fraud on a large scale. Those who supported him and even turned the other cheek while he did those things should also be disciplined. That includes his immediate supervisor Major Beckett Breaux. I heard that he was sent to the prestigious FBI Academy even though he allowed Guillory to commit all those violations of policy and procedure orders and then tried to punish those troopers who he thought were leaking that information. If you are going to clean house, make sure that you get every corner and underneath the furniture too.
I have firsthand knowledge in regards to fraud in Calcasieu Parish, that’s one crime if you are with the government at any level you can get away with.
Mr. Aswell,
I believe the question should be asked (on the record) to our Attorney General what is his thought in regards to this matter.
I believe the questions needs to be asked to our “conservative” State Officials how they intend to clean this type of stuff. It appears they’re using our tax dollars to run an escort service.
We might all do well to remember what Charlie Rich sang 44 years ago – or at least the title.
Interesting that the couple made no effort to hide their relationship in public or display any attempt to be discreet. They must not fear any consequences from using state resources for their trysts. Wonder why someone in law enforcement would be so cavalier.
Tom, really? You are a better journalist than this. I agree with Mr. Winham. It appears from most of the comments, that Trumpism is everywhere in La. love always and oh, to be young again, ron thompson
There is something wrong with you if you bring Donald Trump into this. You need help.
I see the party continues, even after being exposed for the $70,000 dollars Free Vegas Trip. I wonder if he claimed this as business for the Commission where he don’t even have to use his own money for this crazy wild night/ nights?? I wonder if he even had the dignity to pay for the movie and booze they drank before driving away to the hotel room. I wouldn’t be surprised if he charged that to LSP too. So the sum the up, we have good Troopers who work nights, dealing with drunks and working many vehicle accidents at late hours only to discover that some butt kissers are watching movies, drinking, using LSP vehicle after drinking, staying in nice hotels with women, gets to do all this in his state vehicle and doesn’t have to use his money. He can basically use excuses of “business of the Commission” to cover his tracks. Now, I guess you could say….He is really screwed.
T.J. Doss resigned from the Louisiana State Police Commission Friday after an early morning meeting with State Police Superintendent Kevin Reeves.
Wow.
Well done, Tom. Sunshine is a big problem solver. Consequences. And thanks to Col. Reeves – re-establishing honor and integrity within LSP.
Jerel Giarrusso
Thanks Mr. Tom for everything you do to expose wrong doing. You just don’t know how much you are respected and appreciated by all.
I would like to thank everyone who steps up to the plate to expose corruption. Strength is in numbers and Tom has shown everyone that many,many times.
Wow! Sometimes the good guys win one. Congrats Tom.
Now that the investigative reporting is done and has made a real difference in cleaning up state government, no doubt the Advocate will publish a version of this story (without any attribution to this blog, of course). Thank you, Tom! Advocate?: I recycle the advertiser / newspaper you leave on my lawn without even opening it.
Now if they could get the others to resign!
The Colonel made the right decision. It is nice to see how many closet fans there are for the Louisiana Voice. Now, do they pursue his lying to the commission and misuse of state vehicles? Seems for the most part a resignation absolves all wrong doing.
And now it is time to put the icing on the cake by having legislation passed (which legislator will be brave enough to introduce it?) and then have a vote of the people (since the commission is, unfortunately, in the constitution) to eliminate the State Police Commission and put state police back in state civil service. As I have said before, it is clear it is dysfunctional and is not likely to ever be what it was intended to be.
The Representative man enough to do it would be Rep. Landry (The Hammer).
And I have written him along with my own representative.
When we got to the end of the posts we were going to comment that it was “put up or shut up” time for Col.Reeves but from Tom’s update it seems he he took a step in the right direction.
Scandal after Scandal. Tom is on the right track. But I see Troopers arresting Chiefs of Police for doing less. I see Deputies indicted for doing less. I see Troopers not part of the Edmonson Clique terminated and demoted for doing less. I See Corrupt indictable flunkies in State Police Promoted! Who is Behind it all, the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association!!! I see the Fire Marshal’s Office now being exposed Thanks For Tom, Where people have DIED and see no Criminal Prosecution. (Fire Marshal Falls under DPS State Police). When is this going to End?
I sure remember alot of Honor Code last election, Where is it?
Where is the US Justice Department, The Attorney General, the Inspector General, District Attorney? Their Heads are in the Sand!
The State Police Commission has had a 100% turnover in the last 18 months behind scandal. Mr Windham is right, a duplication of service that now must be turned over to State Civil Service on the interest of public accountability.
Drain The Swamp! Stand Up Louisiana!
There may be a place for the State Police Commission with it’s members being those who are familiar with law enforcement and understand the nature of the job, but who have the guts and ability to make uncomfortable decisions. The members should be chosen according to the bylaws. There should be no hidden agendas. The Chairman should not be a State Trooper, as was the case with Mr. Doss.
There may be “some” good members who still on the Commission and one flunky remains (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pJa-gfCER8&feature=youtu.be) Once he is out, maybe it can be re-organized properly into a productive, impartial group that can function correctly.
Your solution is the best hope we have since mine requires several more hurdles. I would really like to be optimistic enough to believe what you put forth is possible, but without a sea change in ALL of government, it is hard to see it.
Maybe they can try it with new, vetted people to see if it works. No hand-picked cronies, just those dedicated to the cause and Mission of the Commission. It seems that once the self-serving and ego-driven personalities are eliminated, it could be a good thing.
Checking into a hotel carrying no luggage = quick afternoon bang before parting ways.
I agree that publishing someone’s personal life should normally be off limits but there are some circumstances that override that rule. This situation would be one. These two sit on a state board that make important decisions regarding troopers careers and lives. There is no way to remain impartial when you’re tangled up in a secret relationship with your fellow board member. You lose yourself, your direction and your focus and start making extremely bad decisions which leads to what is laid out in this article.
How can someone who is violating LSP policy sit in judgment of other troopers in the same situation? They can’t.
It’s time to dissolve the LSPC. It’s been plagued with drama and trash the last few years. Its function is too important to be handled so carelessly.
There is no reason for the State Police Commission to exist when you have State Civil Service providing quality service to various agencies throughout the state. What is even more surprising is the Ethics Board does not even have jurisdiction over the State Police Commission. The former director had guts and ability to make uncomfortable decisions and was forced to resign. The members should be chosen according to the bylaws. There should be no hidden agendas. The Chairman should not be a State Trooper, as was the case with Mr. Doss. Why isn’t the Governor embarrassed? I agree with the comment above, “There may be “some” good members who are still on the Commission and one flunky remains (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pJa-gfCER8&feature=youtu.be) Once he is out, maybe it can be re-organized properly into a productive, impartial group that can function correctly.
A lawyer’s conduct should conform to the requirements of the law, both in professional service to clients and in the lawyer’s business and personal affairs. The same goes for an attorney serving as board member who governs an employee in the state police service shall also confirm to the requirements of law. https://www.ladb.org/Material/Publication/ROPC/ROPC.pdf
Which lawyer on this commission who knows that another lawyer has committed a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct that raises a question as to the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer in other respects, will inform the Office of Disciplinary Counsel?
Check this out—a fine representative on this Commission! How can the troopers/taxpayers have confidence in someone like this:
http://www.soundoffla.com/?p=590
He needs to go too—bring Grafton back.
Yes Bring Grafton Back! That is who should have been Chairman!
Dump Manzella and Riecke, and Doss is already gone. The other three—Pierite, Neustrom, and Simien seem to be honest.
So add back Grafton and his experience, fill the two vacancies from the appropriate College nominations, and let the State Police add their new member as required by law.
Then maybe it will smooth out.
Great job – keep up the good work. Any exposure of corruption is a good story, no matter how unseemly it is. Politics is a slimy, unseemly sport, especially in Louisiana.
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[…] taken by Burns of the two exiting a movie theater and checking into the Watermark hotel were published by fellow blogger Tom Aswell that same day) if Feeney could restate the reason for the change in justification for executive […]
[…] Disgraced former LSPC Chairman T. J. Doss and Vice Chairman Monica Manzella check into watermark hotel mere hours after the August 10, 2017 meeting of the LSPC meeting (photo courtesy of Louisiana Voice). […]