Louisiana Voice

A stranger visiting Baton Rouge for the first time might well come away convinced that LSU is hawking a new degree program in advanced stupidity and mismanagement available only to members of the administration and the governor’s office.

It’s not enough that the state’s flagship university was so blatantly ham-handed in the way in which it disposed of IVOR van HEERDEN, STEVEN HATFIELD, DR. BRIAN SALVATORE or journalism professor Bob Mann but the administration felt it also had to make a point in the Paul M. Hebert Law Center by making similar examples of law professors NICHOLAS BRYNER and Ken Levy.

Apparently not having learned their lesson with van Heerden, whose litigation cost the school $435,000 (actually closer to $1 million when attorney fees and court costs are factored in), the university found itself again on the losing end of a court decision this week when a state district Judge ORDERED the school to allow Levy back in the classroom.

Following the judge’s decision, Levy said, “Everyone was vulnerable if I lost this.” Specifically speaking about other university faculty members and students, he added, “So, my win is their win.”

Jeff Landry, when he was attorney general, attempted to get Mann fired because Mann had the temerity to criticize Landry for sending a flunky to the campus to meet for a group discussion of the mask mandate during the Covid pandemic.

It was an ugly display of pettiness on Landry’s part and it failed. But when the little man with the huge ego got elected governor, Mann saw the handwriting on the wall and resigned in the knowledge that the governor controls the LSU Board of Stupidvisors and the university’s malleable president.

But the Levy case was unique in that the school’s general counsel Winston DeCuir RESIGNED just as Levy was suing the university, sparking speculation that DeCuir may have resigned over First Amendment issues. That left it up to Deputy General Counsel Carlton “Trey” Jones to represent the school in the ensuing court battle.

Then, during Levy’s trial, however, Jones found himself crossways with the judge who tossed the attorney OUT OF THE COURTROOM over his apparent violation of the court’s order of sequestration. The judge indicated that further punishment could be in store for Jones.

Witnesses were sequestered at the beginning of an evidentiary hearing but Jones discussed evidence with LSU Law School Dean Alena Allen, who was a witness.

So, basically, as one observer noted, LSU’s lead counsel quit over the Levy fiasco, leaving LSU second-stringer to argue the case but he gets himself kicked out of court, leaving former Jindal crony Jimmy Faircloth (See? These guys really are interchangeable) grinning like the proverbial cheshire cat as the only one knocking down billable hours for LSU.

Stand by for more assaults on the First Amendment by both LSU and Landry.

The never-ending drama of ongoing attempts by the Archdiocese of New Orleans to dodge responsibility for the 550 claims of child sex abuse at the hands of priests has taken on a new twist, it seems. Apostolates of the archdiocese have hired a law firm to represent their interests after being informed that they were expected to chip in substantially to the settlement of the multi-million-dollar settlement of the lawsuit whether or not they were named as defendants in the litigation.

The 188 apostolates include church parishes, schools, nursing homes, senior living facilities, charitable organizations and other community, service agencies and facilities affiliated with the archdiocese.

The apostolates retained the New Orleans law firm of Heller Draper after Archbishop Gregory Aymond fired the CEO and three board members of Second Harvest Food Bank after the charity refused Aymond’s demand that it contribute up to $16 million towards settlement of the five-year-old lawsuit.

In an amended statement filed with the bankruptcy court, attorneys said, “The apostolates are incorporated legal entities that possess their own employees, articles of incorporation, [tax identification] numbers and bank accounts separate from the archdiocese” while conceding that the archbishop or the archdiocese “is the sole shareholder, member or partner of each apostolate.”

The filing was served on some 130 individuals, mostly attorneys involved in some way in the ongoing litigation.

Following is a list of the apostolates that retained the law firm:

1. All Saints Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
2. Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church, Bogalusa,
   Louisiana
3. Ascension of Our Lord Roman Catholic Church, LaPlace, Louisiana
4. Assumption of Mary Roman Catholic Church, Avondale, Louisiana
5. Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
6. Blessed Sacrament-St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
7. Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
8. Christ the King Roman Catholic Church, Gretna, Louisiana
9. Corpus Christi-Epiphany Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
10. Divine Mercy Roman Catholic Church, Kenner, Louisiana
11. Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
12. Holy Family Roman Catholic Church, Franklinton, Louisiana
13. Holy Family Roman Catholic Church, Luling, Louisiana
14. Most Holy Name of Jesus Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
15. Holy Name of Mary Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
16. Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
17. Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church, Marrero, Louisiana
18. Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
19. Mary Queen of Peace Roman Catholic Church, Mandeville, Louisiana
20. Mary Queen of Vietnam Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
21. The Apartments at Mater Dolorosa
22. Mater Dolorosa Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
23. Most Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church, Covington, Louisiana
24. Our Lady of Divine Providence Roman Catholic Church, Metairie, Louisiana
25. Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church, Reserve, Louisiana
26. Our Lady of Lavang Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
27. Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, Slidell, Louisiana
28. Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, Violet, Louisiana
29. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church, Belle Chasse, Louisiana
30. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church, Kenner, Louisiana
31. Our Lady of Prompt Succor Roman Catholic Church, Chalmette, Louisiana
32. Our Lady of Prompt Succor Roman Catholic Church, Westwego, Louisiana
33. St. John Paul II Roman Catholic Church, Waggaman, Louisiana
34. Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church, Hahnville, Louisiana
35. Our Lady of the Lake Roman Catholic Church, Mandeville, Louisiana
36. Our Lady of the Rosary Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
37. Resurrection of Our Lord Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
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38. Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church, Lacombe, Louisiana
39. Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church, Norco, Louisiana
40. St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church, Jefferson, Louisiana
41. St. Agnes Le Thi Thanh Roman Catholic Church, Marrero, Louisiana
42. St. Andrew the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
43. St. Angela Merici Roman Catholic Church, Metairie, Louisiana
44. St. Ann Roman Catholic Church and Shrine, Metairie, Louisiana
45. St. Anselm Roman Catholic Church, Madisonville, Louisiana
46. St. Anthony of Barataria Roman Catholic Church, Lafitte, Louisiana
47. St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church, Luling, Louisiana
48. St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
49. St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
50. St. Benedict Roman Catholic Church, Covington, Louisiana
51. St. Benilde Roman Catholic Church, Metairie, Louisiana
52. St. Bernard Roman Catholic Church, St. Bernard, Louisiana
53. St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church, Metairie, Louisiana
54. St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church, Destrehan, Louisiana
55. St. Christopher Roman Catholic Church, Metairie, Louisiana
56. St. Clement of Rome Roman Catholic Church, Metairie, Louisiana
57. St. Cletus Roman Catholic Church, Gretna, Louisiana
58. St. David Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
59. St. Dominic’s Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
60. St. Edward the Confessor Roman Catholic Church, Metairie, Louisiana
61. St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
62. St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, Metairie, Louisiana
63. St. Genevieve Roman Catholic Church, Slidell, Louisiana
64. St. Jane de Chantal Roman Catholic Church, Abita Springs, Louisiana
65. St. Jerome Roman Catholic Church, Kenner, Louisiana
66. St. Joachim Roman Catholic Church, Marrero, Louisiana
67. St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Church, LaPlace, Louisiana
68. St. John of the Cross Roman Catholic Church, Lacombe, Louisiana
69. St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Edgard, Louisiana
70. St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Folsom, Louisiana
71. St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church Paradis, Louisiana
72. St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Algiers, Louisiana
73. St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Gretna, Louisiana
74. St. Joseph the Worker Roman Catholic Church, Marrero, Louisiana
75. St. Katharine Drexel Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
76. St. Louis, King of France, Roman Catholic Church, Metairie, Louisiana
77. St. Luke the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, Slidell, Louisiana
78. St. Margaret Mary Roman Catholic Church, Slidell, Louisiana
79. St. Maria Goretti Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
80. St. Mark Roman Catholic Church, Ama, Louisiana
81. St. Martha Roman Catholic Church, Harvey, Louisiana
82. St. Mary Magdalen Roman Catholic Church, Metairie, Louisiana
83. St. Josephine Bakhita Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
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84. St. Matthew the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, River Ridge, Louisiana
85. St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
86. St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, Port Sulphur, Louisiana
87. St. Paul the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
88. St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, Covington, Louisiana
89. St. Peter Roman Catholic Church, Reserve, Louisiana
90. St. Peter Claver Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
91. St. Philip Neri Roman Catholic Church, Metairie, Louisiana
92. St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
93. St. Raymond and St. Leo the Great Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
94. St. Rita Roman Catholic Church, Harahan, Louisiana
95. St. Rita Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
96. Mary, Help of Christians Roman Catholic Church, Harvey, Louisiana
97. St. Thomas Roman Catholic Church, Pointe a La Hache, Louisiana
98. Sts. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, Pearl River, Louisiana
99. St. Martin de Porres Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
100. The Visitation of Our Lady Roman Catholic Church, Marrero, Louisiana
101. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church, Braithwaite,
     Louisiana
102. St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church, Gretna, Louisiana
103. St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
104. The Congregation of St. Rita Roman Catholic Church of Harahan
105. Saint Joseph Abbey and Seminary College
106. St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church, New Orleans, Louisiana
107. St. John the Baptist, New Orleans, Louisiana, Inc.
108. Blessed Sacrament, Inc.
109. Epiphany, Inc.
110. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Inc.
111. Incarnate Word, Inc.
112. Our Lady of Good Counsel, Inc.
113. Our Lady of Good Harbor, Inc.
114. Our Lady of Lourdes, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana
115. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Inc.
116. St. Francis de Salles, Inc.
117. St. Julian Eymard, Inc.
118. St. Lawrence the Martyr, Inc.
119. St. Louise de Marillac, Inc.
120. St. Maurice, Inc.
121. St. Monica, Inc.
122. St. Philip the Apostle, Inc.
123. St. Raymond’s, Inc.
124. St. Rose of Lima, Inc.
125. St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, Inc.
126. St. Ann, New Orleans, Louisiana, Inc.
127. The Congregation of the Annunciation Roman Catholic Church
128. The Congregation of St. Cecelia Roman Catholic Church
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129. The Congregation of Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church
130. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, New Orleans, Louisiana, Inc.
131. The Congregation of the Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church
132. St. Henry’s, Inc.
133. Our Lady Star of the Sea, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana
134. St. Bonaventure, Inc., Avondale, Louisiana
135. St. Gabriel, Inc., New Orlena, Louisiana
136. St. Gertude, Inc., Des Allemands, Louisiana
137. St. Hubert, Inc., Garyville, Louisiana
138. St. James Major, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana
139. St. John Bosco, Harvy, Louisiana
140. St. Theresa of Avila, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana
     Agencies:
141. Annunciation Inn, Inc.
142. Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans
143. Catholic Community Foundation Archdiocese of New Orleans
144. Roman Catholic Center of Jesus the Lord
145. Christopher Homes, Inc.
146. Christopher Inn, an Affordable Housing Entity
147. Clarion Herald Publishing Company
148. Korean Catholic Community of New Orleans, Inc.
149. Metairie Manor, an Affordable Housing Entity
150. Metairie III, an Affordable Housing Entity
151. New Orleans Archdiocesan Cemeteries
152. Notre Dame Health System (f/k/a Chateau de Notre Dame)
153. Notre Dame Seminary
154. Dubourg Home, an Affordable Housing Entity
155. Project Lazarus
156. Rouquette III, an Affordable Housing Entity
157. School Food and Nutrition Services of New Orleans, Inc.
158. St. Anthony’s Gardens
159. St. Bernard Manor, an Affordable Housing Entity
160. St. Martin’s Manor, Inc., an Affordable Housing Entity
161. St. Thérèse Catholic Academy
162. Villa St. Maurice, Inc., an Affordable Housing Entity
163. Monsignor Wynhoven Apartments, Inc.
164. Holy Trinity Drive Land Corporation
165. Nazareth Manor
166. St. Tammany Manor, an Affordable Housing Entity
167. St. Bernard II
168. St. Bernard III, an Affordable Housing Entity
169. St. Tammany Catholic Cemetery
170. The Mental Health Association Development Corporation, an Affordable Housing
     Entity
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171. Villa Additions, doing business as St. Teresa’s Villa, an Affordable Housing Entity
172. Padua House (merged into Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans)
173. Aspiring Scholars
174. Catholic Charities Group Homes (merged into Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New
     Orleans)
175. Catholic Charities Children’s Day Care Centers
176. St. Michael Special School
177. St. Jude Community Center, Inc.
178. 7887 Walmsley, Inc.
179. Archdiocese of New Orleans Indemnity, Inc.
180. Pace Greater New Orleans
181. Philmat, Inc.
182. The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Archdiocese of New Orleans
183. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Latin Mass Community, Covington, Louisiana
184. Archdiocesan Spirituality Center
185. Iberia Investment Fund II, LLC
186. The Apartments at Mater Dolorosa, an Affordable Housing Entity
187. Nazareth II
188. Second Harvest of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana

Virtually anyone who calls themselves (I still get uncomfortable using a singular verb with a plural object) informed is at least vaguely aware of five major families in the New York City Mafia: the Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese families. Of course, that list doesn’t account for the Marcello family of Louisiana, the Trafficante family of Florida, Chicago’s one-time mob leaders Al Capone or George “Bugs” Moran, the Scalish family of Cleveland or any the other lesser-known names scattered around the country.

And yes, organized crime is an ugly scar on the American landscape. So much so that in 1950 and 1951, Tennessee Sen. Estes Kefauver took his Special Committee on Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce on a 14-city show-and-tell road show tour of the country. One of those cities was New Orleans where quite a bit of corruption on the part of local sheriffs, especially in St. Bernard, Orleans and Jefferson parishes was revealed.

But as deep and Widespread were the tenacles of that form of organized crime, it was – and is – pale in comparison to another brotherhood of organized crime that makes its home base in Washington, D.C.

Three things drive corruption among public officials: money, power and sex. If you have any two of those, the third is easily obtained and our folks in the Beltway have it down to an art form. We have had U.S. representatives and senators and even at least one vice president who used their offices, through their influence and power, as a springboard to illicit wealth or sex – or both. There were and are members of Congress who, while making a career of “public service,” have taken full advantage of their positions to gain from insider trading, prior knowledge of regulatory statutes that affect stock prices, and other means to stay a couple of steps ahead of the stock market, steps that have reaped them millions of dollars. It’s either that or sex that is the ultimate goal.

And that doesn’t even count the contract kickbacks, under-the-table contributions, free vacations for legislators and Supreme Court justices.

If you would like some heavy reading, THIS LINK will take you back to the country’s beginnings and will provide a thorough list and dishonor roll of office holders and bureaucrats who bent the rules until they snapped – all for personal gain, the bulk of it illegal or immoral, or both.

If you’re not inclined to peruse the entire list (and it is longer than an early New Orleans Saints blooper film), I’ve decided to go back only to 2001 provide a few of the lowlights over the past 24 years.

I believe you will agree with me that the so-called Mafia, while not to be trifled with, does not pose nearly the threat of harm to the average American as do the ones we send to Washington to look out for our best interests.

George W. Bush (R: 2001-2009)

Executive Branch:

Scott Bloch – appointed to head Office of Special Counsel, pleaded guilty to criminal contempt of Congress for having several government computers wiped. Sentenced to one month in prison.

Lewis “Scooter” Libby – Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice. Sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined $250,000. Sentence commuted by President George W. Bush.

Karl Rove – Senior Adviser to President George W. Bush, investigated in connection with a number of cases of improper political influence. Resigned in April 2007.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales – resigned rather than to testify under oath about the firing of 11 U.S. attorneys for prosecuting Republicans and not prosecuting Democrats.

Harriet Miers – legal counsel to President Bush, found in contempt of Congress, resigned.

Philip Cooney, chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality, resigned after being accused of editing government climate reports to emphasize doubts about global warming.

Jack Abramoff – sentenced to four years in prison in connection to bribes of 11 legislators and staff members as part of Abramoff’s lobbying efforts. Served 70 months in prison and was fined $34.7 million.

Randall Tobias, U.S. Director of Foreign Assistance and advocate of abstinence, resigned after it was learned that he was a client of a D.C. prostitution ring

Courtney Stadd, Chief of Staff of NASA and White House Liaison, convicted of ethics violation for giving $9.6 million in NASA funds to one of his clients, Mississippi State University. Sentenced to six months of house arrest and also charged with seeking kickbacks for steering a separate $600,000 NASA remote sensing contract to MSU and then submitting falsified invoices to stop a NASA investigation. He was found guilty and sentenced to 41 months in prison.

Sen. Ted Stevens – wrongfully convicted of bribery and tax evasion after U.S. Department of Justice withheld exculpatory evidence. Later exonerated.

Legislative Branch:

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) – failed to report $75,000 income from the rental of his villa in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Ordered to pay $11,000 in back taxes.

Senatorial candidate James Treffinger (R-NJ) – pleaded guilty to corruption and fraud as Chief Executive of Essex County and ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution and serve 13 months in jail.

Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-CA) – pled guilty to charges of conspiracy, bribery, mail fraud, and tax evasion after being accused of accepting $2.5 million in bribes (which included a 42-foot yacht and a Rolls-Royce) from contractors doing business with the US government. He was sentenced to over eight years in prison.

US Sen. David Vitter’s (R-LA) – name popped up in the address book of DC Madam Deborah Palfrey. He admitted his adultery and lost his race for governor. Wife, though, became a federal judge.

Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) – had $90,000 in cash in his home freezer seized by the FBI in August 2005. He was re-elected in 2006, but lost in 2008. Jefferson was convicted of 11 counts of bribery and sentenced to 13 years on November 13, 2009, and his chief of staff Brett Pfeffer was sentenced to 84 months in a related case.

Rep. Jim Traficant (D-OH) – found guilty on 10 felony counts of financial corruption. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and expelled from the House. 

Barack Obama (D: 2009-2017)

Executive Branch:

Steven T. Miller – resigned as acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service after IRS admitted to investigating groups associated with the Tea Party.

National Labor Relations Board member Terence Flynn resigned after being accused of ethical violations for leaking information to the National Association of Manufacturers.

Martha Johnson resigned as head of the General Services Administration after it was revealed that the agency had spent more than $800,000 on a four-day training conference for 300 GSA employees in Las Vegas.

David Petraeus resigned as director of the CIA after pleading guilty to providing classified documents to his biographer with whom he was having a sexual relationship.

William Mendoza, director of the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education, received a suspended sentence of 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to using his government-issued iPhone to take upskirt photos of women on the D.C. Metro.

Legislative Branch

Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA) – resigned after investigation for financial improprieties and using his staff to pressure George officials to continue a vehicle inspection program benefitting his family’s auto business.

Rep. Mark Souder (R- IN) – resigned after the family values and abstinence advocate admitted to an extramarital affair with a female staffer.

Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA) – sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and resigned after found guilty on 23 charges of racketeering, money laundering and fraud.

Rep. David Wu (D-OR) – resigned four days after a report that a young woman called his office complaining of an “unwanted sexual encounter” with the congressman.

Rep. Chris Lee (R-NY) – resigned after soliciting a woman on Craigslist and emailing a shirtless photo of himself.

House Speaker Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) – resigned after it was learned that he used campaign funds for travel, redecorated his office with taxpayer funds to resemble the set of Downton Abbey TV series.

Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) – pleaded guilty to one felony count of fraud for using $750,000 of campaign funds to purchase personal items.

Judicial Branch

Alabama Federal Judge Mark Fuller – George W. Bush appointee resigned after being found guilty of domestic violence.

Louisiana Federal Judge Thomas Porteous – Bill Clinton appointee unanimously impeached by U.S. House of Representatives on charges of bribery and perjury. Convicted and removed from office.

Texas Federal Judge Samuel Kent – George H.W. Bush appointee sentenced to 33 months in prison for lying about sexual harassment of two female employees. Resigned after being impeached.

Georgia Federal Judge Jack Camp – George W. Bush appointee arrested while attempting to purchase cocaine from FBI agent. Pleaded guilty to three criminal charges, sentenced to 30 days in jail; 400 hours’ community service and fined.

Donald Trump (R-2017-2021)

Executive Branch

Donald Trump:

• Impeached for trading $400 million in congressionally-approved aid to Ukraine in exchange for damaging information on Joe Biden;
• Impeached for obstruction of Congress;
• Impeached for Incitement of Insurrection under 14h Amendment.
• Found guilty of sexual assault against E. Jean Carroll, penalized $5 million in damages;
• Found guilty of libeling E. Jean Carroll subsequent to first trial and hit with another $83.3 million in damages;
• Found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records concerning payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels.
• Trump, his company, executives and two eldest sons accused of exaggerating his net worth. He was found guilty of lying and fined $355 million. Court also imposed a three-year ban on Trump’s serving as an officer of director of any New York company.

Republican National Committee Deputy Finance Director Elliott Broidy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy after being accused of failing to reveal that he had received $9 million from the Malaysian government to act as its agent. Pardoned by Trump.

Paul Manafort – Trump campaign manager, charged with 18 counts of tax and bank fraud for keeping $65 million in foreign bank accounts and spending $15 million on himself. Found guilty on eight counts, sentenced to 7 ½ years. Later released to home confinement.

Tom Price – secretary of Health and Human Services forced to resign after spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on private flights.

Ryan Zinke – Secretary of the Interior resigned as result of Justice Department investigation into questionable real estate dealings in Montana.

Alex Acosta – Secretary of Labor resigned after controversy erupted over his role in the dismissal of federal charges against Jeffrey Epstein who had been charged with sex crimes against underage girls.

Rudy Giuliani – Trump legal counsel lost his law license over misleading and false statements about results of the 2020 election.

Sidney Powell – Trump legal counsel. See above re. Rudy Giuliani.

Legislative Branch

Rep. Katie Hill (D-CA) – resigned after investigations revealed “inappropriate” relationships with both a male and female subordinate.

Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) – resigned, pleaded guilty to securities fraud, sentenced to 26 months in prison.

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) – resigned after accusations of sexual misconduct.

Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) – convicted on 23 felony counts of perjury, fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to steal money from charitable foundations and individuals who ran them. Sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) – resigned after it was learned he had paid $27,000 settlement to a staffer who had accused him of sexual assault.

Judicial Branch

Federal Appeals Court Judge Alex Kozinski, a Ronald Reagan appointee, retired after allegations of sexual misconduct from several former clerks.

Louisiana Federal Judge Patricia Head Minaldi, appointed by George W. Bush, resigned after DUI arrest.

Joe Biden (R-2021-2025)

Executive Branch

Tyler Joseph “TJ” Ducklo – Deputy Press Secretary, threatened to “destroy” a reporter if she published a story about his extramarital affair. He later apologized and resigned.

Alejandro Mayorkas – Secretary of Homeland Security was impeached in a razor-thin partisan vote of 214-213 but the politically-motivated charges were dismissed.

Eric Lander – Director of the Office of Science and Technology resigned after several accusations by staff members of insulting and embarrassing behavior.

Legislative Branch

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) – found guilty of making false and misleading statements to the FBI about the source of $189,000 in campaign contributions from a Nigerian billionaire. Sentenced to two years’ probation, fined $25,000, and resigned.

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) – expelled after refusing to resign for blatant lying, collecting unemployment and misuse of campaign funds. Subsequently pleaded guilty to felony charges of identity theft and wire fraud.

Nancy Marks – treasurer for Santos pleaded guilty to conspiring with congressional candidate to commit wire fraud, make false statements, obstruct Federal Election Commission and aggravated identity theft.

Rep. Van Taylor (R-TX) – married with three children allegedly paid Tania Joya, aka “Isis Bride” for her position as a commander of the Islamic State, $5,000 to keep quiet about affair. News leaked and Taylor withdrew from reelection campaign.

Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) – accused of variety of misconduct, including insider trading, appearing in a nude video, appearing in women’s lingerie, attempting to bring loaded gun onto an airplane, orgies and sexually aggressive behavior (by several women). Lost next Republican primary.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) – resigned after being accused of sexual harassment by a lobbyist for an incident at a bar.

Rep. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) – sentenced to 11 years after conviction on 16 counts of bribery, fraud and acting as a foreign agent.

Judicial Branch

Alaska Federal Judge Joshua Kindred – resigned after determination he had engaged in misconduct by creating hostile work environment, having an inappropriate sexual relationship and then lying about it.

This is a long list but does not include every miscreant since the beginning of the administration of George W. Bush 24 years ago. This story would be twice as long and if I went all the way back to Nixon, it would be much longer. If I had gone all the way back to Washington (George, that is), this post would rival War and Peace in length.

Why, I didn’t even mention the House banking scandal of 1992, aka Rubbergate (as in rubber bouncing checks) involved more than 450 current and former representatives, including 22 specifically cited for leaving thousands of overdrawn checks unpaid for at least eight months.

Nor did this include the Congressional Post Office scandal of 1991-1995. Despite efforts by Democrats to shut down the investigation, the reports of embezzlement and money laundering, pressure grew for a full-blown investigation and eventually Democrat Dan Rostenkowski was sentenced to 18 months for mail fraud, but pardoned by Bill Clinton just before he left office.

Just remember: this was the short version of the story.

Let’s see La Cosa Nostra try and top that record of greed, larceny and lust.

Could there be two Chris Youngs – one from Louisiana – toiling away for Elon Musk and IMPOTUS in an obscure position in the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)?

One such Chris Young, an LSU graduate from Monroe, has held a number of positions linked strongly to the Repugnantcan Party, the most recent of which appears to be several layers from any real authority in the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – that is, if we’re talking about the same Christ Young.

Before that, he was either in high demand or just had trouble holding a job. His most recent gig before being hired by Elon Musk back in August before being shuttled off to CFPB was nearly five years as a lobbyist and vice president for PhRMA.

He was executive director for 15 months of Engage Texas, a Repugnantcan super PAC focused on voter registration. He also served as executive director of Nevada’s Future, a GOP PAC for that state for two years before moving to the Texas position.

Prior to that, he served nearly four years on the Repugnantcan National Committee as a state director and then as national field director and before all of that, he served as a shill for…wait for it…Bobby Jindal.

Now, though, he’s hit the big time. Or so it seems. But is it the same Chris Young?

MATT BERG WROTE on X that “Chris Young, a lobbyist for Big Pharma and past field organizer for former Gov. Bobby Jindal” has “appeared in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) internal staff directory.”

His quarter-century of experience in consumer financial services and banking law has landed him the lofty position of Deputy Assistant Director for Supervision Policy at CFPB, according to an internet post by the American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers (ACCFSL). Not director, mind you, and not even assistant director, but deputy assistant director.

Of course, Washington is awash in such titles but truth be known, he’s pretty far down in the pecking order, lodged in a position where he really shouldn’t be able to do much harm.

But wait. Young’s LINKEDIN PROFILE cites all his positions in working for the Repugnant Party, but it says nothing about any experience in consumer financial services. Moreover, his profile lists him simply as Chris Young while the ACCFSL identifies him as Chris J. Young and cites his banking experience rather than his political jobs.

Regardless, having his name linked to that of Elon Musk is certain to have its own consequences down the road when the giant egos of Musk and Don the Con clash – and that’s a certainty, my friends. Those two can never co-exist on an equal footing as they are trying to do at the moment.

When the fallout occurs, there are going to be casualties galore and don’t be surprised if at least one Chris Young is not sent packing back to Monroe, Louisiana.

It’s almost as confusing as trying to keep up with IMPOTUS’s on-again, off-again executive orders and trade wars.

At a time when Americans are fast becoming inured to an unending string of nonsensical gibberish from the mouth of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., word that IMPOTUS plans to can the KENNEDY CENTER board members and install himself as chairman carries an especially ominous tone.

At a time when the nation is reeling from inflation, conflation, depression and sensation, one would think that rather than becoming the Cultural Icon of the Beltway, Frump might be considering a more appropriate career move, like, for instance, retiring to a mayonnaise farm in Montana.

The obvious question must be asked: What the blazes does this orange-tinted Genghis Don know about culture and the performing arts other than cheating at golf?

Hitching up his Depends, he posted on Truth Social that he was immediately terminating “multiple individuals who do not share our vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”

Golden Age? Is that some secret code that he intends to coat the Kennedy Center in the same ostentatious gold that he does all his other properties?

Do the terms Arts and Culture now portend coming attractions like WWE SMACKDOWN?

Maybe we can look forward to one of those events where a cage is locked and two participants, namely Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin fight to the death. Better yet, let’s have a no-holds-barred match between Elon Musk and Marjorie Taylor-Greene.