Mike Edmonson, a veteran of 35 years with Louisiana State Police (LSP) and nine years as the state’s top cop, is reported to have been named Program Administrator for Police Patrol by the New Orleans French Quarter Management District (FQMD).
LouisianaVoice received an unconfirmed report on Tuesday that Edmonson, who retired at $128,559 per year after being forced out in March 2017, had been named to the post, advertised by the FQMD earlier this year.
An LSP spokesman said he had heard similar reports but could not confirm them.
Prior to making that request, LouisianaVoice attempted to obtain verbal confirmation from the New Orleans municipal offices but it took six calls to various offices before anyone even answered the phone.
Efforts to confirm the appointment and the salary of the position with the New Orleans mayor’s office by email met with referrals of all public records requests to an outfit called NextRequest.
NextRequest, headquartered in San Francisco, serves as a clearing house for public records requests for governmental agencies, schools, special districts, etc.
Apparently governmental agencies’ rush to privatize services now extends to responding to and complying with public records requests.
Edmonson retired from LSP in March 2017 following a San Diego conference attended by several LSP officials, including four troopers who made the trip in a state vehicle and who took a side trip to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon in 2016.
The investigation of that trip resulted in two of the most convoluted, confusing and controversial—and conflicting—findings by the State Board of Ethics. In April 2018, the ethics board cleared—in secret—the four troopers of any wrongdoing, concluding that they were simply following orders from higher-ups and had taken the vehicle and the side trip with the approval of Edmonson.
Sixteen months later, in August of this year, that same board CLEARED EDMONSON of any wrongdoing for that same trip. Edmonson, it should be noted, was represented before the board by Baton Rouge attorney Gray Sexton who once headed the ethics board.
Sexton said at the time that other agencies investigating Edmonson were dropping their investigations, as well. It’s unclear whether or not the FBI has actually dropped its investigation of Edmonson, who was harshly criticized for his management practices in an audit by the Legislative Auditor’s office.
If reports of Edmonson’s hiring are true, he would find himself working in a familiar—and friendly—atmosphere, given his ties to Robert Watters, owner of RICK’S CABARET.
Edmonson was instrumental in negotiating a cooperative endeavor agreement (CEA) whereby LSP would provide patrol duties in the French Quarter to augment New Orleans police.
In 2015, French Quarter residents approved a special quarter-cent sales tax increase in the district to pay for a PERMANENT LSP PRESENCE. Thirty-two troopers from Troop N were assigned permanently to the Quarter.
When proceeds from the sales tax proved insufficient, the Louisiana Legislature appropriated an additional $2.4 million to cover the shortfall.
In December 2018, a STATE AUDIT said LSP had not provided proof that $2.4 million in state funds set aside for policing the Quarter was actually spent there, a finding with which LSP disagreed.
If Edmonson has indeed been appointed program manager for the district, he will undoubtedly have interactions with his old agency that he left under a cloud two-and-one-half years ago.
Louisiana politics. Not gone, just recycled.
The entire Department of Corrections and Public Safety should be overhauled from top to bottom. It is corrupt, incestuous, and does not serve the public well. Certain people have special benefits; James LeBlanc retired years ago and still draws FULL salary and Full retirement benefits. He employed his wife and son. Burl Cain drew full retirement and full pay, got his sons jobs as captain with state police, and wardens position, and even got son’s wife a job. Certain retirees benefit from favorable treatment in business ventures such as work release, commissary and telephones. I believe an outsider should run corrections and state police and be replaced every four years – no retirement benefits.
It is interesting how people find their way back to their stomping grounds.
Maybe he can also get Michael Hebert a job since he did not make the cut and came up short for Sheriff in Cameron Parish.
Tom a police officer sees a woman pointing a gun at him through HER window and he shoots, a barricaded lone crazed man shoots / kills police. We have some real problems, RICO works, and devastated mob. Just one border away 13 police officers were overwhelmed by a military type gang….major problems exist.
Edmonson, should have done things better. In my company ALL employees get to send their bills with our postage and a once a month package, and at school time a few pens and paper its a company benefit so its not stealing! Edmonson should have brought the appointed position of Colonel to the legislature for establishment of a Retirement Position separate from his being a police officer. That was a gross mistake.
When the overworked underappreciated Baton Rouge council members took up the speed limits for ALL of the subdivisions, in the watchful age of Red Light Cameras, Google tracing Waze maps and Facebook among many others they failed to address the violations aspect as they reduced the speed limit by 5 mph across the parish. Yes Google can tell you ( to my dismay and google owns waze so they can probably tell you my speed) how I went to the grocery 2 years ago and returned home forgot the item sent for and embarrassingly had to return.
But your wife that sets the cruse control on 24 as the car varies above and below 25 over and over again is violating the law, irregardless of the acceleration rate or the amount, nor if adjudicated and has broken the law at the penalty rate for speeding each time. And now today we have the proof, in your wife’s purse. And Red light tickets my expectation a large percent would not even get one a warning much less a ticket from a normal police officer.
The need to fix so many laws that are “absolute or perfection” is upon us.Your use of a company cell phone for that family member call according to my read of the IRS without charging you as income or when you made those copies on the company copier for your grandchild are the same violation.
Edmonson is not charged with taking bribes, or allowing gang activity or failure to adequately train our state police recruits. It is entirely possible they brought him the cost of plane tickets vs driving and he said OK. Yes he should have denied any overtime, made them pay for any excess hotel rooms cost over the plane ticket costs. A private individual in a car should be able to sign a liability waiver. But these are administrative mistakes and taken in the whole not wholesale corruption. I think Edmonson retirement was stopped and the troopers were embarrassed, they were not charged with bribery, abandoning there post so gang members could retaliate, or worse. I consider the aristotrat legislators of our Legislature directed by their well heeled owners, similar to the city council’s failure the very root source of Louisiana’s continuous problems.
La has MASSIVE problems easily recognized by our 50 year national 49th -50th rankings by independent organizations…La’s total population is smaller than almost any Texas citiy, we could dissolve the leg. annex to Texas and solve the problem….after all so many of your friends, neighbors, family members, retirees and children have moved there already….
Thus due to the public light on his past actions, I think Edmonson might be a good resource and a good fit for the position.
Thanks for allowing my input and expressing my frustrations after spending a lifetime of trying to get LA off the bottom….Remi DeLouche. .
So MDE has resurrected himself? No surprise there. He’s sort of like Freddy Krueger but more dangerous. Someone recently reminded me that there’s a difference between being “cleared” in an investigation and the inquiry not proceeding further based on a lack of evidence. Since Hollywood’s attorney refuses to share the letter from the Ethics Board, I suspect the latter.
I think I speak for many of your readers who suffer from Edmonson fatigue. The lack of humility is surpassed only by his mendacity. His ego and desire for public admiration and adulation will not permit him to go quietly into the night.
Regrettably, the damage he did to the organization will endure for years to come, and one of your frequent posters (who obsesses ad nauseam about the Board of Auctioneers) attempts to link MDE and the current colonel. He is way off base, MDE and Kevin Reeves are from different worlds, and most of us view that attempt for what it is–a swipe at JBE.
Insofar are Mike’s new gig, he’ll be right at home–bare breasted women, carte blanche cocktails and food, and his pick of free Quarter lodging. Sort of like being colonel again but without the uniform. It would all be very funny if it weren’t so tragic and sad for him.