Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera has released the investigative audit of Louisiana State Police (LSP) pursuant to receiving an undated letter from former State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson in which Edmonson said he felt “constrained” to notify Purpera to release the audit to the State Senate.
At the same time, Edmonson said he would submit his official response to the audit’s “various contentions” by Jan. 15, 2018.
Edmonson, in his rambling, grammar mistake-laden letter, continued to cling to the claim that the audit was released prematurely by Purpera’s office.
Simultaneous to the release of the audit, Gov. John Bel Edwards released a curious two-paragraph statement of his own concerning the findings of the audit report. In his statement, Edwards managed to avoid mentioning Edmonson by name, referring to him instead as LSP’s “previous leader.”
“I have welcomed this investigation from the beginning and instructed the Louisiana State Police to fully cooperate,” Edwards said. “The Legislative Auditor’s report uncovered some troubling findings and serious problems with past abuses of power from its previous leader who left his post in March. I believe that public servants must always hold themselves to the highest ethical standards,” the governor said. “That being said, our men and women of the State Police are honorable public servants who do a tremendous job protecting the citizens of Louisiana, often under very dangerous circumstances. Through the leadership of Col. Kevin Reeves (Edmonson’s successor), who took the helm of this department in March of this year, the department has already taken significant steps to restore public trust and accountability. Col. Reeves is one of the finest individuals I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and I am confident that he is already leading the State Police in a new, positive direction.”
Well, Gov. Edwards, I’m sorry, but you don’t get off that easily.
You have been governor now just a couple of weeks shy of two years. I have been writing about Mike Edmonson since June 2014, beginning with that bill amendment sneaked into the legislature on the last day of the 2014 session which would have given Edmonson an illegal boost to his retirement of about $100,000 per year. You voted for that amendment but then, to your credit, called for an investigation when the ruse was exposed by LouisianaVoice.
That story, which LouisianaVoice was first to break, put you and every other member of the Louisiana Legislature on notice of just what Edmonson was capable of. You knew from that day forward that despite his denials, he had encouraged Sen. Neil Riser to slip that amendment into the bill.
But LouisianaVoice didn’t stop there. We kept writing stories about Edmonson’s mismanagement:
- About his promotion of a supervisor who was hooked on prescription drugs;
- About his promotion of a trooper who tried to sneak an underaged woman (not his wife) into a Mississippi casino;
- About his lack of disciplinary action when a trooper had sex (twice) with a woman in his patrol vehicle while on duty;
- About a trooper who was allowed over an extended period of time to work a fraction of his shift before going home and going to bed;
- About how he lied to the State Police Commission about the creation of a lieutenant colonel position for a specific member of his inner circle;
- About how he lied when he said the raises he pushed through for State Troopers would not benefit him or the command officers immediately under him (they did);
There were dozens more such stories published by LouisianaVoice.
Yes, Governor, I wrote consistently about Mike Edmonson for the year before you were elected and for the two-plus years since. You knew what the problems were. Still, you re-appointed him.
You even danced the old bureaucratic shuffle on that issue when I emailed you on Oct. 27, 2015, following your election:
“Please tell me your intentions as to the re-appointment of Mike Edmonson.”
Your response:
“I don’t intend one way or the other.”
But you did intend. You already knew, thanks to your endorsement by the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association, that you had no choice other than to re-appoint him.
Edmonson himself told the Baton Rouge Advocate that you 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.”
But you did have a choice. You had the West Point Honor Code to fall back on. You could have done the right thing and cut Edmonson loose because you already knew he was a liability.
Still, you re-appointed him. The Sheriffs’ Association endorsement meant a lot, didn’t it?
So please, Governor, don’t try to take the high road on this issue. The auditor’s report did not uncover a single problem that had not already been publicized on LouisianaVoice.
For three years.
And now, like Lady Macbeth, you’re trying to get the spot out. But it won’t wash.
But enough of that. Back to Mike Edmonson’s letter.
“As you of all people know,” he wrote to Purpera, “the protocol used…is to provide the recipient (of an audit), whether it is an individual, a public board, or another public body, with a confidential draft report to afford the responding party and opportunity to address the statements in the draft report before it is publicly disseminated.
“For inexplicable reasons, the confidential draft report regarding me and the Louisiana State Police was leaked to the media and the contents of the draft then was (sic) disseminated to media outlets throughout the State—all before I could respond to the various contentions (sic). Realizing the inherent unfairness to me, the residents of our State, as well as respect for the normal procedures, I trust your office has begun an investigation into this improper conduct and will soon report your findings.
“…Given the publication of large segments of a preliminary commentary, and the apparent breach of normal practices that seems to have disclosed the entirety of the confidential draft report, I am now constrained (sic) to notify you that you can release the report and provide your report to the Louisiana State Senate this week. I, in turn, will promptly deliver my response feeling confident the residents of this State will not prematurely reach conclusions until all of the facts are presented. That is the way the process works, that is the only impartial and objective approach, and I strongly believe that is what our fellow citizens expect.”
First of all, Mike, the contents of the audit were not disseminated to “media outlets throughout the state.” Two media outlets had it and they were news partners—the Baton Rouge Advocate and WWL-TV in New Orleans. That was it. Not throughout the state. Not even throughout Baton Rouge.
Second, there were only two copies of the audit. One went to LSP and the other to Edmonson. And the one to Edmonson was the only one with a cover letter to Edmonson himself—and that was the one that was released. WWL-TV even flashed a copy of that COVER LETTER on screen when it aired its story about the audit.
Ergo, there is only one way that audit could have been leaked: from Mike Edmonson himself or someone acting on his behalf. The motive could only be what Edmonson expressed in his letter: to allow him to claim he was treated unfairly and that his defense has been compromised by the prejudicial release of the audit before he could respond.
Unsurprisingly, when LouisianaVoice first called attention to WWL’s posting a copy of that cover letter, the station promptly took the story down. But screen shots of the letter were captured by viewers who apparently anticipated just such a move.
oOo
Editor’s Note: There’s a lot going on with this audit that cannot be covered in a single story. For example, Reeves and several of the troopers involved in that San Diego trip have responded to the audit in writing. One of those responses was 16 pages in length.
Plus, there was a meeting Thursday of the Legislative Audit Advisory Committee which had some interesting exchanges.
LouisianaVoice will be taking these on in separate stories over the coming days.
Louisiana Voice 
As Always, Good Job Tom!
Just playing Devil’s Advocate here in terms of possibilities for the release of the report: presumably the Auditor’s office has copies of everything they mailed out, so it is conceivable that someone in that office could have been the source. I’m not saying I think that happened, but it is possible. Seventeen years ago with a different cast of characters, my office had a disgruntled former employee who made things up and tried to tell anyone who would listen. It became the subject of an audit by the Inspector General. We were also supposed to have been given an opportunity to respond prior to the release of the report. My first indication the report was out was when I was contacted by an out of town newspaper asking for a comment on the “draft” report.
Louisiana Voice has gotten some mention in reports by other outlets, but not nearly the credit I believe that Tom is due for his tireless reporting. The highest praise is that real change takes place when he reports. Not as fast as we would like, but look at what happened with the State Police Commission. There are thousands of former and current public employees who cringe when these debacles happen, and appreciate a watchdog bringing integrity back to public service.
You are so correct Tom. Edwards knew all along just what he had in place as his Superintendent. The Sheriffs’ Association had a lot to do with Edwards appointing Edmonson once again and he better quit trying to lie his way out of this mess. Edwards is done as far as I am concerned. If he wants to hob nob with the Sheriffs’ Association that is his problem but I will never support anyone who looks to the Sheriffs Association for whom they want to put where, when and how.
It has been through the efforts of no other than Tom Aswell and then Lee Zurik and the Metropolitan Crime Commission that this was exposed.
Edmonson knows just exactly what he has done illegally and he has finally been seen in public without that silly little grin on his face.
1.Edwards being exposed trying to cover up what he knew about Edmonson.
2.Edmonson finally outed for all his illegal actions.
3.Those state troopers who got caught stealing hours and pay while all the rest of the good, decent officers put in correct hours and worked hard.
Three strikes you are OUT and that goes for Edmonson and Edwards as far as I am concerned. Damn I hate liars, especially one standing behind a damn badge and one that is a highly elected official. Reporters are the best people on earth as far as I am concerned. Without them where would Louisiana citizens be?
Okay, it’s broken record time for me:
The Governor says, “I believe that public servants must always hold themselves to the highest ethical standards,” I also agree with that, but I believe it lets the people to whom they report, up to and including the governor off the hook. Most people will do what is expected of them. Mike Edmonson reported to the governor. As much as he traveled and otherwise spent time with Edmonson, the governor had to know about at least some of the things in the audit.
As I have said before, if I was a reporter I would ask the governor what, precisely, he is doing to hold the very highly paid officials he appoints to the highest standards. Why isn’t it working? If it was, we would not read about these things at various departments on a regular basis. The Legislative Auditor’s website contains hundreds of audits. Does the governor ever look at these and think, “Hey, maybe I, as governor of the state could and should do something about this.”?
The public’s faith in the effectiveness, efficiency, and integrity of our government is at an all time low. How can the governor expect people to support taxes when they have little faith they would be used for the public good?
The governor is a military man. Has he forgotten the purpose of a chain of command?
You are absolutely right about this. I have always wondered how a state employee would have the opportunity to run up $60,000 in debt on a state credit card. Sure, you have an employee problem, but you primarily have a management problem.
I had the opportunity to meet Col. Reeves and I must say he seems to be a very honest man, I guess we will see. I also had a meeting with my Senator (Sen. Mills) this week and told him the way I felt after hearing Col. Reeves speak at the Press Club and that was that now more than ever State Police and the new Col. need our prayers.
As the old saying goes “walk slow you’re walking on quick sand.”
As children playing cowboys and Indians, well when you’re the cowboy you get to ride tall in the saddle and have a shiny gun, but I must say it’s good to be the Indian sometimes that way you’ll learn how to cover your tracks.
Good job, as usual.
🤔🤔 hmm, “for shame, for shame, for shame” Gomer Pyle ~~
Like I’ve said here before, and much to the sound of a “broken record”. Until the Louisiana State Statute is change, and until a person without any ties whatsoever to the Louisiana State Police can be put in charge as “Top Cop” nothing will ever change within the Upper Command of the State Police. Remember where you heard it “Col. Reeves” will continue his little song, and dance, but at the end of the day he’s still cut from the sleazy cloth of the Mike Edmonson clan, and was Edmonson’s “lap boy” from day one. Why? To put the fix in for Edmonson that they all knew was coming. Col. Reeves was a shoe in as Edmonson’s successor from day one.
A classic example is how Col. Reeves simply demoted several High Ranking State Trooper’s for committing FELONY THEFT, by falsifying their timesheets, by thousands of dollars, during their sightseeing trip out west. These High Ranking State Trooper’s committed multiple felonies and were simply demoted, and this is only the tip of the iceberg of criminal wrong doing going on in the department.
To blatantly lie, cheat, and steal at the felony level with any other company, or organization would result in immediate termination, and prosecution.
Since when has the Louisiana State Police reached a point where it has become above the law. Where State Police Officer’s that lie, cheat, steal, and violate the very laws they are sworn to uphold simply get a small demotion, and a “slap on the wrist” when they blatantly commit felonies.
When Col. Reeves stated he was “going to turn this department around”, but only issued small demotions for blatant felonies committed by the very sworn officers he stated he was going make an example out of told the entire state that nothing has change in the corruption running rampant in Baton Rouge, and threw the ranks of the Louisiana State Police.
As to anything of any magnitude regarding charges, and prosecution on Mike Edmonson moving forward. Don’t kid yourself, Col. Reeves has got Edmonson’s back on this “behind the door deal!”
Tom, with only a little research you will find that Col. Reeves climbed the ranks of State Police just like his mentor Mike Edmonson. Just as Edmonson, he was promoted over much more deserving men, again, and again.
I don’t have anything personally against Col. Reeves with the only exception being that he, just as Edmonson are “poster boys”, as to what is wrong with the Louisiana State Police, and has been wrong with the department for a very long time. Good men are passed over for promotion, when others who have done next to nothing get the promotions due to the “political spoons” in their mouths.
I couldn’t agree more. Until there is a source that can hold LSP accountable and review IA complaints and disciplinary action, this will continue. Col Reeves has just as much power as Ed did. Nothing has changed in that respect. There is still no governing body over LSP that is not connected to LSP unless you consider DOJ to be in that position. If that is the case, DOJ is next to impossible to get in touch with by citizens and/or mistreated Troopers who aren’t a part of the upper ranks. Nothing will change until “upper management” changes and we have someone to hold them accountable.
I might also add that the current Lieutenant in hot water over felony searches and dissemination of information also rose to rank rather quickly as pointed out by fellow Troopers whom he passed along the way. The upper ranks of LSP hand picks the weak minded that they can “groom” to follow their lead. Nothing will change until upper management changes. Nothing!
It appears many corrupt law enforcement employees hide behind the curtain of civil service protection.
Tom certainly did a great job on “not letting Gov. Edwards off that easy.” I will only add that he left one major point out, but he’s probably got too much class to remind his readers of this fact:
Tom was the FIRST and, for about 48 hours, the ONLY reporter to report that Edmonson would be “retiring” imminently. What did Gov. Edwards’ PR (i.e. Richard Carbo) folk do? They put out a press release saying that such reports are “rumor” and “some folk got ahead of themselves,” thus falsely portraying a narrative under which Edmonson may be retained when they knew damn well he was “retiring” after Edwards told him it was that or be terminated.
Meanwhile, for 48 hours, by Tom’s own admission (on the Jim Engster show after it was made “official”) Tom was left hoping his sources didn’t lead him astray. He even said on the Engster show, “My whole reputation was on the line.”
Well, when The Advocate article broke once it was “official,” http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/politics/article_febae06e-05d1-11e7-b3e7-47a081091ed6.html, I made a comment that I’d like to repeat verbatim here:
“Gee, less than 48 hours ago, Gov. “Honor Code” said this was all rumor!! They didn’t like the fact that a political blogger, Tom Aswell, broke this story late Friday before any other media outlet would even touch it. Then, when it didn’t happen ON Monday, Edwards’ folk (most notably Richard Carbo) said, “It’s rumor. Some people got ahead of themselves.” Well, if anybody READS his article, it says this announcement will come “Monday, at the earliest.” Sounds like pretty damn accurate reporting to me and NOT rumor!! This administration owes someone with the initials TA a freaking apology, but I’m not about to hold my breath waiting on it!”
I’m sure Tom didn’t hold his breath waiting on any apology, and that’s obviously a good thing!
14 Houma Police Officers worked the Rougarou Festival in Houma, Louisiana. Officers were hired for a minimum of four hours, at $25 per hour. Several left after two hours and were paid for 4 hours.
The supervisor Duane Farmer when asked why officers did not work the full four hours for which the wetlands center paid said they should have made it clear that they wanted officers to work the full four hours for which they were paid. “Next year, all he has to say is work the full four hours,” Farmer says the organization was getting $60,000 from the parish to defray costs of the festival officers were being “nickeled and dimed.” Farmer said he should have said it from the start that he was expecting them to work downtown,” Farmer said “A lot of these guys were working shift and talking, ‘Yeah, I’ll work the corner if I can go home after that.’ All he’s got to say is I require them to work the whole four hours and that would be fair.”
Farmer is then told that the following year, event organizer might seek officers from Terrebonne Sheriff rather than Houma PD. “That’s awesome, tell him to go,” Farmer said. “I heard his whole story. Let him go to the sheriff’s office. Invite him to go.”
https://www.houmatimes.com/news/the-devil-in-the-hpd-details/article_6198b41c-5bbb-11e5-9eab-9bd6f83fdca5.html
Note: According to the current HPD Chief this resulted from a lack of communication between the promoter and law enforcement,” “The officers that were assigned to work this parade fulfilled their assigned responsibility.”
Typical statement to cover up corruption…..Also, Duane Farmer has since been promoted to Asst. Police Chief and oversees all operations to include details within the department.
The entire conversation with Duane Farmer re: the Rougarou Festival was captured on audio recording. Farmer also commented….(We’re getting taken advantage of,” “They don’t want to work the f—ing parade; they want to take their families.”)
Note: The recording and many others were provided to the Terrebonne Parish Government and civil service board.
well gosh durn, yall have put me in a position of agreeing with Timmy teepell re use of the col’s house for the col. All communication, all communication, is based upon 3 personal attributes we all have. fear ignorance, and prejudices. I see a lot of whiners, ignorance and of course prejudices. The Russians and the alternate right are combing the meta data and seeing all of these remarks. I recommend we all quit using “I” and think “US”. It is important. love always ron thompson