Louisiana Voice

It appears to be a simple case of one man’s word against another. In this case, however, it’s the word of the Louisiana State Police (LSP) top dog versus a subordinate who happens to be interim president of the Louisiana State Troopers Association (LSTA).

LouisianaVoice has received conflicting reports from State Police Superintendent and the president of the Louisiana State Troopers Association about whose idea it to request that LSTA write a letter to Governor-elect John Bel Edwards endorsing Edmonson for reappointment to lead state police for another four years.

The board last Monday (Nov. 30) voted unanimously not to write the letter.

The board also voted on a new policy whereby in the future, the LSTA membership will be polled before the association again takes action to endorse any candidate for political office.

Twice within 24 hours—once in a meeting on Thursday and again Friday through Public Information Officer Doug Cain—denied that he had any part in the board’s consideration of such a letter.

LSTA Interim President Stephen LaFargue, however, confirmed—also for the second time—that Edmonson asked him about the prospects of LSTA sending a letter to Edwards asking that Edmonson be reappointed.

LouisianaVoice received a copy a summary of Monday’s (Nov. 30) LSTA board meeting held in Baton Rouge at the LSTA office. The minutes were written by a member of an affiliate troop who attended the meeting and who has asked not to be identified by name or troop.

The summary of the meeting said, “Interim President S. Lafargue stated he was contacted by the Colonel to write a letter on behalf of the LSTA to Governor elect J.B. Edwards on his behalf. That said, Interim President S. Lafargue made a motion to deny the request. Troop C seconded the motion and the motion passed 11-0 by the board.”

Membership of the board is comprised of one representative from each of the state’s nine LSP troops as well as one representative from LSP Headquarters and state police retirees.

The Troop I (Lafayette) representative made a motion, seconded by Troop A (Baton Rouge) to pass a by-law that in the future, LSTA “will not endorse any candidate in any political race.

The meeting summary said that LaFargue “took responsibility” for the LSTA endorsement of Edwards in the Nov. 21 runoff election against U.S. Sen. David Vitter. Edwards won over Vitter by a 60-40 percentage point margin.

That effort failed by a 6-5 vote, but Troop C (Gray) made a second motion, seconded by Headquarters, which was passed. That motion said in the future, when LSTA wants to endorse any candidate, a ballot will be mailed to each member who will vote on the proposal. The vote was 7-4 in favor of that motion.

Upon receipt of the meeting summary, we contacted Cain who confirmed that Edmonson on Thursday had said he played no part in initiating an effort to generate a letter in support of his reappointment. When told what the summary reflected, Cain said he would double check with his boss. A few minutes later he called back to say that Edmonson continued to deny his role in any effort to produce such letter.

Cain suggested that we check with LaFargue to obtain his version of events.

We did.

When contacted, LaFargue was asked about minutes of the meeting and he immediately asked, “What minutes? The minutes haven’t been written yet and I’m the one who has to approve them.”

We told him we were referring to unofficial meetings compiled by an affiliate member and we read the passage in which he was credited with saying he was contacted by Edmonson who requested the letter.

“What happened,” he said, “was that Col. Edmonson attended the board meeting and he told me he was going to apply for reappointment. He then asked about the possibility of the LSTA board writing a letter of endorsement. I told him I didn’t know, that it would have to be taken up by the board.”

Edmonson had earlier insisted to LouisianaVoice that he took no part in the request to write the letter. “It’s no secret that I would like another four years at my job,” he said, “but I would never ask someone to write a letter like that or to do anything on my behalf. This has to be the governor’s decision and I would never attempt to influence him in such a way.”

Following is an excerpt from the summary that was provided by the LSTA affiliate. The paragraph pertaining to the proposed letter of endorsement is in boldface:

On, Monday, November 30, your LSTA held a board meeting in Baton Rouge at the LSTA Office. The following is a summary of the meeting:

Interim President S. Lafargue took responsibility for the endorsement of the governor elect.

Interim President S. Lafargue stated he was contacted by the Colonel to write a letter on behalf of the LSTA to Governor elect J.B. Edwards on his behalf. That said, Interim President S. Lafargue made a motion to deny the request. Troop C seconded the motion and the motion passed 11-0 by the board.

• Troop I President D. Latham made a motion that in the future, the LSTA will not endorse any candidate in any political race and this will become a by-law of the LSTA. Troop A seconded the motion and the motion failed 6-5.

The vote breakdown is as follows:

For: Troops A, B, F, I, and Retired

Against; Troops C, D, E, G, L, and HQ

• Troop C made a motion if in the future the LSTA wants to endorse a candidate, a ballot will be mailed to each member who will decide whether or not that candidate receives the endorsement from the LSTA. HQ seconded the motion and the motion passed 7-4.

The vote breakdown is as follows:

For: Troops C, D, E, G, L, HQ, and Retired

Against; Troops A, B, F, and I.

The Louisiana State Troopers Association (LSTA) has called a board of directors meeting for 9 a.m. Monday, LouisianaVoice has learned and the issue of the LSTA’s lobbying Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards to reappoint State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson “may be on the table.”

At the same time, LouisianaVoice has learned that some LSTA members are requesting withdrawal of their membership in the organization in protest to LSTA’s involving itself in first endorsing Edwards prior to his runoff election victory over U.S. Sen. David Vitter and more recently by the proposed lobbying of Edwards for Edmonson’s re-appointment.

Several members made it clear that the issue was not with Edwards, but over the LSTA’s involving itself in politics—particularly in doing so without polling LSTA’s 950 active members. The organization had never endorsed a political candidate at any level prior to its endorsement of Edwards. They said they likewise objected to the proposal to send a letter requesting that Edwards appoint Edmonson to another four-year term as State Police Superintendent.

Because there was no agenda posted for the Monday meeting, at least one retired LSTA member feels the lack of an agenda and the timing of the meeting (on the Monday following a holiday) may be an “extortion trick to get active board members who under their (LSTA’s) thumb to vote without putting an agenda out to the retirees.”

LouisianaVoice last week obtained a copy of an email poll sent mostly to members of Louisiana State Police (LSP) Troop L. The poll contained only a single question: “Do you want the LSTA to write a letter to the governor asking that we retain our current colonel?” https://louisianavoice.com/2015/11/25/lsta-proposes-asking-edwards-to-reappoint-edmonson-troop-i-members-demand-lsta-presidents-resignation/

That email was sent by incoming LSTA President Jay O’Quinn who is presently the Troop L LSTA Affiliate President. He will succeed Frank Besson in January. Besson was recently promoted to captain’s rank. No state trooper with a rank higher than lieutenant may serve as president of LSTA.

LSTA is a fraternal organization representing men and women of LSP and its membership is comprised of approximately 97 percent of the commissioned officers as well as a substantial percentage of state police retirees.

There currently are 950 active members and 550 retired members. Membership dues for active members are $30 per month and $15 per month for retirees (no dues for those ages 65 or over), giving the organization an annual budget of at least $400,000 just from membership dues.

Among the benefits enjoyed by members and retirees are life insurance coverage, dental and vision plans and eligibility for the Honor Fund and Benefit Fund for additional dues. LSTA also enjoys “legislative support” as an alternative to a state police union.

But growing discontent over LSTA’s first-ever endorsement of a political candidate and now efforts to lobby on Edmonson’s behalf have resulted in some members cancelling their membership. In addition, LouisianaVoice has been told there has been increased discussion of state troopers leaving LSTA en masse and forming a state police affiliate of the Fraternal Order of Police.

One source has indicated the endorsement of Edwards came down the chain of command from Edmonson, though Edmonson, in a telephone call to LouisianaVoice last week, denied that he had anything to do with it.

LouisianaVoice reported last week that some members of Troop I in Lafayette had reportedly demanded the resignation of both LSTA President O’Quinn and Executive Director David Young over the Edwards endorsement.

Young, however, was said to have been opposed to and to have advised against both the Edwards endorsement and the email poll promoting the sending of a letter to Edwards asking him to re-appoint Edmonson.

A copy of the minutes of the Nov. 17 LSTA Troop I Affiliate meeting reveals the simmering resentment among rank and file officers over the endorsement and subsequent proposal for the letter. Two major questions, which to date have gone unanswered, were posed to board members:

• Can a vote be taken over the phone with there being no minutes?
• If the endorsement was so important that the board members were called on the phone for an immediate vote, why wasn’t it on the agenda or brought up at the board meeting?

The minutes also reflect that members requested a copy of the letter asking Edwards to re-appoint Edmonson as well as a copy of the minutes of the previous board meeting, supposedly to learn if a vote was taken on the board’s actions.

Here is a copy of the LSTA BOARD MINUTES FOR NOV. 17, 2015