Louisiana attorney general wades into the governor's race

Photo source: SF Chronicle

Landry's name isn't listed on the paperwork for the Make Louisiana Great Again PAC filed with Louisiana's ethics administration office. But Landry's political consultant Brent Littlefield confirmed Thursday the attorney general is behind the effort, which hasn't yet filed information about its donors.

The PAC launched a 30-second statewide TV ad ahead of the Nov. 16 runoff election that slams Edwards on the bipartisan criminal sentencing law rewrite he championed, suggesting it damaged public safety.

Read more: Louisiana attorney general wades into the governor's race

Louisiana's coast needs solutions, not shakedowns

Gifford Briggs, President of the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association

The scheme recently announced by private plaintiffs' attorneys, which purports to provide a framework to settle government lawsuits targeting hundreds of energy producers over alleged coastal land loss claims, perfectly illustrates what we've known for a long time: these trial lawyer-driven lawsuits are a farce that have nothing to do with saving the coast.

Let's look at the facts.

In 2013, trial lawyers began pursuing litigation that seeks to hold Louisiana oil and gas companies hostage and punish them for legally conducting production activities, which were encouraged and welcomed by the state and carried out under rigorous state and federal regulations many decades ago. Six years of these divisive and unproductive legal attacks have failed to produce anything for our coast, while a similar baseless lawsuit was thrown out of federal court.

Then three weeks before critical elections are held across the state, lawyers representing six coastal parishes announce they've reached a breakthrough “settlement” with one sulfur mining company involved in the litigation that no longer does business in Louisiana. The deal would supposedly generate $23.5 million in cash payments that would be put into a fund and divvied up by a new state agency that does not exist. Another $76.5 million could be generated "subject to contemporaneous reimbursements from the proceeds of the prior sales of environmental credits.” Reams of lawyers, reporters and policymakers are still trying to figure out what that means.

Despite the lack of clarity, the plaintiffs’ lawyers steering this legal train wreck have provided no additional explanation, and it seems unlikely they will do so anytime soon.

Multiple news reports have revealed the attorneys did not discuss the supposed “deal” with many state and local officials, the named plaintiffs in these cases, while it was being negotiated. It is deeply troubling that elected officials across the coast continue to say they haven't seen the proposed settlement, and they weren't consulted on the details. One parish leader summed it up perfectly, saying, "I don't know nothing."

Specific terms of the proposed settlement still haven't been publicly released. But Gov. John Bel Edwards, who has received significant financial support from the lawyers driving this litigation, was quick to lend his support for the deal saying, “While the details are being conclusively negotiated, I am hopeful that the conceptual framework in this settlement will be used as a model for resolving other similar actions.”

We disagree with the governor and his trial lawyer supporters. This is a shakedown, not a solution.

We should not allow a small group of unelected trial lawyers with unbridled discretion to rewrite flood protection, coastal restoration and economic policy for the entire state of Louisiana through secret agreements that have been negotiated behind closed doors without input from state and local officials.

Strengthening Louisiana's working coast is a shared goal that requires collaboration amongst industry, policymakers, and world-class coastal researchers to develop real serious, science-based solutions. Trial lawyer-driven lawsuits and behind the scenes settlement schemes are not the answer.

Breaking: LOGA’s PAC Louisiana Oil & Gas Political Action Committee Endorses Eddie Rispone!

Eddie Rispone is a proven job creator, a strong fiscal conservative, and a valiant supporter of Louisiana’s oil and gas industry.

The future of Louisiana’s oil and gas industry depends on a stable foundation of wise tax stewardship, the ability to employ and keep a skilled workforce, and a pro-energy environment at Louisiana’s capitol.

That is why LOGA’s political action committee is proud to endorse Eddie Rispone for Governor!

On November 16th, vote EDDIE!

Louisiana Citizens for Job Creators: IDIOTS

Louisiana Citizens for Job Creators releases a TV add on the liberal Washington establishment - IDIOTS

Just In Time for Saturday's Election, "Honor Code" is Being Sued

Photo source: Politico

Speaking Tuesday outside a Baton Rouge district courthouse, Washington blasted Edwards’ decision to hire Anderson — who faced similar harassment claims while serving on the Southern University Board of Supervisors roughly a decade ago.

“My story is one that needs to be told completely and honestly,” Washington said. “Release the evidence, and just say ‘I’m sorry.'”

Read more: Lawsuit filed against La. governor’s office in sexual harassment case

LAGOP - United States Senator John Kennedy Message for Louisiana Voters

WATCH: LAGOP Releases New Digital Ad: “No More Silence”

Baton Rouge, LA – Last summer, after John Bel Edwards hired a known sexual predator as his deputy chief of staff, the State of Louisiana was forced to spend over $100,000 of taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment suit when Johnny Anderson found his latest victim.

Disturbingly, John Bel Edwards, his deputy chief of staff, and their attorneys demanded the silence of the victim as a term of their settlement. The video, titled "No More Silence" will remind Louisiana voters of the uncomfortable facts surrounding sexual predator Johnny Anderson and his enabler John Bel Edwards.

“At the last debate John Bel Edwards confirmed he never even reached out to his employee that was victimized by Anderson, he even referred to his friend Johnny Anderson as a “good” public servant,” said LAGOP Executive Director Andrew Bautsch. “John Bel’s lack of remorse is bad enough but the fact that taxpayer money was used to demand silence from Anderson’s victim is appalling.”
 

TRANSCRIPT Reporter 1:
A former top aide to the Governor facing sexual harassment allegations… Reporter 2:
Up until yesterday, Johnny Anderson was the deputy chief of staff for Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. He resigned when a political news website started digging into allegations of misconduct. Narrator:
According to a 2007 federal court ruling, six women filed official sexual harassment complaints against Johnny Anderson. Yet, John Bel Edwards brought Anderson to the State Capitol as his deputy chief of staff. John Bel Edwards promoted his friend Johnny Anderson, a KNOWN sexual predator to a position of power in the halls of the state capitol. And when Anderson struck again? John Bel Edwards used over $100,000 of taxpayer money to settle the sexual harassment lawsuit and silence the victim. No more silence.
No more harassment.
No more John Bel Edwards.

Republican Party of Louisiana Releases Statements on Left-Wing Democrat Impeachment Conspiracy

Baton Rouge, LA - Today, Nancy Pelosi and other radical Democrats announced the next phase of their attempted coup against the duly elected President of the United States of America.

The LAGOP has released the following statements:

“After an embarrassing Mueller Report and several disastrous debates, democrat leaders have come to the realization they are going to lose to Donald Trump, again," said LAGOP Executive Director Andrew Bautsch. “Now they are going to team up with the media and try to take away your right to vote for him.”

“John Bel Edwards is too scared of President Trump to say anything publicly, but his actions speak louder than words,” commented LAGOP Chairman Louis Gurvich. “From acting as a superdelegate for Hillary Clinton, to refusing to outlaw sanctuary cities in Louisiana, to accusing the President of making racist comments, John Bel Edwards has been on the front lines of "The Resistance" from the beginning.”

Louisiana Ranks, Yet Again, At the Top of Judicial Hell-Holes

Photo source: U.S. Chamber Institute
for Legal Reform

In what should come as no shock to anyone in the Louisiana, the Pelican State has set the standard yet again for one of the worst legal climates in the United States.

This is not surprising, as we have our Governor, Bayou Obama himself, John Bel Edwards, leading the charge in pursuing legal action against the largest employer in our state, the oil and gas industry. With this in mind, why would any company decide to come to this state and start a business?

The entire report can be found here

Let’s decide to say, once and for all, enough is enough. We need tort reform and we need a true conservative leader for our state. Let’s go out and elect Ralph Abraham.

After Rispone Decided to Go After Fellow Republican, Cajun Conservatism Endorses Ralph Abraham

In what has to be the absolute dumbest political move in the governor’s race thus far, Eddie Rispone’s campaign has decided to go the way of Jay Dardenne and Scott Angelle in the last election and attack a fellow Republican candidate. A piece that started running on television yesterday goes after Congressman Ralph Abraham on what can only be described as total irrelevant issues.

As a result, Cajun Conservatism will publicly endorse Ralph Abraham for governor. Congressman Abraham is a proven conservative with a record that reflects such.

Rispone should immediately pull the ad and issue a statement repudiating it. If not, it will only show that he is in bed with the Edwards campaign.

LAGOP: Super PAC Supporting John Bel Edwards Fueled by Left-Wing Pro-Abortion and Anti-Gun Activist Groups

Baton Rouge, LA – The latest campaign finance report discloses that 79% of the money contributed to Gumbo PAC during the last reporting period came from two left-wing Washington D.C. based donors: The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) and The National Education Association (NEA).

This new report shows an additional $500,000 contribution to Gumbo PAC from the hyper-liberal DGA, bringing the total contributed by the DGA this cycle to $1 million.

The DGA, which spent millions to help elect Edwards in 2015, has had paid staffers on the ground to help his re-election efforts for months, funded in-part by the $570,780 incontributions from Planned Parenthood Action Fund between 2015-2018.

Both Planned Parenthood and the DGA actively campaign against pro-life legislationacross the country. Earlier this summer, the DGA sent out an email that opened with: “Friends, abortion rights are under attack in the states,” and tweeted that “attacks on women’s health care prove that the threat to women’s reproductive rights is real and present,” referencing legislation similar to Louisiana’s. Leading national Democrats including Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tom Perez have called for the party to be “100 percent pro-choice.”

The DGA’s liberal pro-abortion stance is not their only controversial position that is too far left for Louisiana.

A few weeks after sending the latest $500,000 check to Team JBE, the DGA attacked the Second Amendment (and President Trump) in a letter demanding “red flag laws, passing universal background checks, outlawing assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and establishing stricter reporting requirements to prevent those deemed by a mental health professional to be a danger to themselves or others from purchasing a firearm.”

The other Washington D.C.-based liberal activist group supporting John Bel Edwards is the National Education Association (NEA). The latest campaign finance report shows a new $350,000 contribution to Gumbo PAC from the left-wing NEA.

Earlier this summer, the NEA adopted a new “business item” declaring “The NEA vigorously opposes all attacks on the right to choose and stands on the fundamental right to abortion under Roe v. Wade.”

Of course, that is not their only left-wing position that is out of sync with the vast majority of Louisiana citizens. Like the DGA, the NEA has also decided to disregard the Second Amendment and take a liberal position on gun control. “We believe assault weapons and high capacity magazines are weapons of war that belong only in the hands of our military and law enforcement officers.”

“John Bel’s campaign commercials say that he is pro-life and pro-gun, but this campaign finance report shows clearly that he is just another left-wing democrat,” said LAGOP Executive Director Andrew Bautsch. “If he really believed in protecting the right to life, if he really believed in protecting the Second Amendment, he would not accept this dirty money.

Have You Seen the “Honor Code” Pic With the Little League Champs

On a recent visit to the Governor’s Mansion, the World Champs from River Ridge were treated to the now sold out Popeye’s chicken sandwiches.

Not content in letting this moment be about the boys, the arrogant Cajun Obama made it about himself and put himself in front of the boys.

If this doesn’t scream arrogance, nothing else does.

Louisiana Republican Executive Committee Announces Endorsements

Baton Rouge, LA - Last week, The Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Louisiana proudly announced its endorsements for the upcoming election on October 12.

“Under the failed leadership of John Bel Edwards, Louisiana is the only state in the country losing jobs,” said LAGOP Executive Director Andrew Bautsch. “This group of conservative difference-makers will make Louisiana work again.”

Make sure your friends and family are REGISTERED TO GEAUX VOTE!

September 11 – Deadline to register in person or by mail. September 21 – Deadline to register on GeauxVote Online System.
(Online registrants must show a Louisiana driver's license or ID card to vote.)

Election Day is October 12.
(The LSU/Florida football game is on October 12…so VOTE EARLY!)

Early voting is Sept. 28 – Oct. 5 from 8:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. (except Sunday, Sept. 29) Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin announced that sample ballots and polling locations have been finalized and are available for you to view online HERE.

LAGOP: As the radical resistance comes to Louisiana, where is John Bel Edwards?

Baton Rouge, LA - Three leading members of the radical liberal “resistance” are descending on Louisiana this weekend for the College Democrats Summer Conference in New Orleans. 

California Rep. Maxine Waters, “Squad” member Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams are at Tulane University this weekend, motivating their socialist troops to reelect Governor John Bel Edwards. 

Despite his best efforts to fool Louisiana voters, Edwards’ connections to the radical left are well-established. 

He was a vocal supporter and superdelegate for Hillary Clinton, who advocates for Democrats to “resist, insist, persist, enlist” against President Trump. Far-left groups including the George Soros backed American Bridge, pro-impeachment Indivisible, and Abrams’ Fair Fight 2020 are supporting his reelection. And Edwards even donated $5,000 to Abrams’ failed gubernatorial campaign last year. 

John Bel Edwards and Louisiana Democrats need to answer – do they support the radical positions and hateful statements espoused by Abrams, Tlaib, and Waters? 

Abrams has suggested that illegal immigrants are part of the “blue wave” electorate: “But the thing of it is, the blue wave is African-American. It’s white, it’s Latino, it’s Asian-Pacific Islander. It is disabled. It is differently-abled. It is LGBTQ. It is law enforcement. It is veterans. It is made up of those who've been told that they are not worthy of being here. It is comprised of those who are documented and undocumented." 

Abrams supports efforts to impeach President Trump:VIDEO: “[I]mpeachment is absolutely a lever we need to look at…” 

Abrams attacked law enforcement officers, equating them with terrorists: “Democratic candidate for Georgia governor Stacey Abrams said Wednesday night that a program of the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office ‘terrorizes families.’” 

Tlaib used vulgar language when calling for the impeachment of President Trump: VIDEO: “We’re going to go in and impeach the motherf***er.” 

Tlaib supports abolishing ICE and claims that the agency has “militarized” communities: “Southwest Detroit is militarized because of ICE. It’s not keeping our families safe—it’s making families live in fear. It’s an international border neighborhood. [ICE has] shifted toward targeting Americans and our neighbors, folks trying to do the right thing. It’s made immigration a militarized operation. I want it abolished.” 

Waters encouraged her supporters to harass Trump administration officials in public places like restaurants and gas stations: "Let's make sure we show up wherever we have to show up. And if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere.” 

Waters stated that members of the Tea Party movement could “go straight to hell”: This is a tough game. You can't be intimidated. You can't be frightened. And as far as I'm concerned -- the Tea Party can go straight to hell.” 

Waters supports allowing the federal government to take control of private companies:“And guess what this liberal will be all about. This liberal will be all about socializ… uh, uh … would be about [long pause] basically taking over, and the government running all of your companies.” 

Jeff Landry Hosts Annual Alligator Hunt

This weekend, AG Jeff Landry hosted his annual Alligator Hunt, with hundreds of supporters coming out to enjoy Cajun hospitality.

Several local elected officials, along with those seeking elected office, were in attendance, including Dr. Ralph Abraham, who is looking to unseat Louisiana’s Cajun Obama, John Bel Edwards.

LAGOP: DisGraced Notes: Drew Brees should’ve known better than to associate with victim silencer and enabler of a known sexual predator

The local left-wing media is currently OUTRAGED that Saints quarterback Drew Brees appeared in a commercial to promote a program dedicated to getting Bibles into schools. Yes, you read that right. Earlier this week, left-wing ideologues descended on the group and decided to rebrand this clearly pro-Christian advertisement into some manufactured LGBTQ crisis. Then, they decided to make Brees guilty by association. This episode has definitely taught Brees a lesson. No matter how great a guy you are, no matter how much you give back, no matter how important you are to the city – today’s virtue signaling, outrage driven media will always think they know better than you. They will never miss an opportunity to cut you down just to score social points and they will always use their shrinking platform to force their agenda onto you and your family through shame and manufactured outrage. What a stark change in tone from last month when the exact same media outlet was gushing about Brees throwing footballs with their chosen Governor John Bel Edwards, or appearing in a conveniently timed “public service announcement” with the same desperate candidate. That is how it works with today’s Trump-deranged media, ANYTHING is ok, ANYTHING can be justified, as long as it promotes THEIR political agenda, but as soon as you invade their safe space and they feel triggered…watch out. If John Bel Edwards were conservative (LOL), you would have read the headline above in The Advocate a month ago.

• FACT: John Bel Edwards hired a KNOWN sexual predator to be his Deputy Chief of Staff.

• FACT: This same Deputy Chief of Staff sexually harassed another employee in the Edwards Administration.

• FACT: In the middle of the state’s “fiscal cliff” debate, John Bel Edwards paid oversix figures in settlement and legal fees, all paid withTAXPAYER MONEY.

• FACT: Attorneys for John Bel Edwards and his Deputy Chief of Staff included a “non-disparagement clause” as part of the settlement tosilence the victim.

As triggered opinion writer Stephanie Grace hypocritically notes in today's Advocate, “A guy like him (Drew Brees) has to know that any group (or desperate politician running for reelection) would want to have its profile boosted by, well, a guy like him…He really should be more careful about how he lets other people with other agendas use it.” Drew Brees is NOT responsible for every opinion of Focus on the Family, just like Brees is NOT responsible for John Bel Edwards hiring a sexual predator and then silencing his victim. Drew Brees is responsible for throwing touchdowns and winning another Super Bowl. Brees is responsible for the words that come out of HIS mouth. That’s it. Louisiana loves football because it is everything politics isn’t. While the media is using politics to drive us apart – in Louisiana, we use sports to bring folks together. When it comes to football, let’s all just leave our politics on the sidelines.

Criminal Justice Reform Fail!!!

Louisiana Citizens for Job Creators released its first ad of the 2019 campaign season highlighting AG Jeff Landry's efforts to keep us safe and expose the flaws in recent criminal justice reforms. 

LAGOP: NEWS UPDATE: Scandals and Controversy Are Surrounding John Bel Edwards (Part II)

Baton Rouge, LA – Yesterday we covered FOUR of the scandals surrounding John Bel Edwards. (You can read Part One here.)

But you guessed it- there’s STILL MORE!

SCANDAL #5

Last year, John Bel Edwards proudly announced that Wanhua Chemical planned to invest one and a quarter billion dollars in a new plastics plant in the St. James community of Convent. 

Louisiana taxpayers will be paying for the privilege: Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat,has pledged a cash grant of more than $4 million to the company.

Those plans were delayed this summer when it was learned that a division of the company sought trade tariff exemptions, and also wanted to have the plant property declared a foreign trade zone through the Port of South Louisiana, both of which measures could mean less tax revenue for the community.

According to analysis from The Washington Times, Kimberly Terrell, Director of Community Outreach at Tulane Environmental Law Clinic in New Orleans and a scientist by training, stated, “In its response to the Land Use Permit Appeal [to St. James Parish], Wanhua falsely claimed that neither Wanhua U.S. nor Wanhua China is owned by the Chinese government.”

However, Ms. Terrell says, “publicly filed documents contradict this claim by proving that Wanhua U.S. is 100% owned by Wanhua China, and that Wanhua China’s ‘ultimate controlling shareholder’ is a municipal government of the PRC. Like all local governments, Yantai is entirely controlled by the PRC central government and the Communist Party of China.” Wanhua even has its own Communist Party committee embedded within the company’s leadership structure.

At the same time the Trump administration is calling China “an economic enemy” and their business practices a threat to “the economic and national security of the U.S.,” John Bel Edwards has identified the People’s Republic of China as Louisiana’s “primary foreign direct investment” partner!

SCANDAL #6

Earlier this month, The Washington Times reported that when John Bel Edwards visited Hollywood in October, he was seeking money, not controversy. Instead, he got both.

Universal Pictures filmed “The Hunt” in New Orleans, Louisiana, earlier this year. The studio selected the location only a few months after Democrat Gov. Edwards traveled to Hollywood to discuss Louisiana’s controversial film tax credit program and raise money for his reelection campaign. Edwards met with Universal Pictures and other studio executives in Los Angeles, California, in October 2018.
 
The production was for “The Hunt,” a recently canceled Universal Studios movie that depicted liberal elites hunting down “deplorables” — a phrase 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton used to describe supporters of then-candidate Donald Trump.

President Trump slammed “Liberal Hollywood” as the “true racists” and decried “The Hunt” for attempting to “inflame and cause chaos.”

Universal canceled the movie’s release, slated for Sept. 27, in the aftermath of the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.

SCANDAL #7

Last summer, while John Bel Edwards was threatening to throw seniors out of nursing homes and cancel LSU Footballbecause of the “fiscal cliff”, the State of Louisiana was forced to spend over $100,000 of taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment suit against his deputy chief of staff.

Most disturbingly, John Bel Edwards, his deputy chief of staff and their attorneys attempted to silence the victim. According to a report fromNOLA.com, as part of the settlement, the woman, Anderson and the Governor’s office cannot make "disparaging remarks" about one another.

Why did John Bel Edwards ever hire Johnny Anderson as deputy chief of staff, after Anderson had previously faced claims of sexual harassment when he worked for Governor Kathleen Blanco more than a decade ago?

SCANDAL #8

Earlier this summer, John Bel Edwards kicked off his campaign for reelection in his childhood hometown of Amite, Louisiana. The event was hosted by Amite Mayor Buddy Bel and emceed by Amite businessman Tom Brumfield.

Yes, this is the same Buddy Bel accused by the Amite Police Chief of cutting the power to the local evidence room and allowing it to be burglarized.

Yes, this is the same Buddy Bel who was subpoenaed by FBI investigators regarding his connection with a vote buying scheme in Tangipahoa Parish.

Yes, this is the same Tom Brumfield that was ALSO subpoenaed by federal agents regarding his involvement with the same vote buying investigation.

According to an exclusive report by The Advocate: The FBI has cast a wide net, examining parish races going back to 2011, two sources stated. Yet agents have taken a special interest in certain political operatives, including Louis Ruffino, a former mayor of Roseland who for years has offered "get out the vote" services to local candidates.

Long-time Tangipahoa Sheriff Daniel Edwards, John Bel Edwards’ brother, said he never hired Ruffino, the north shore operative who is under federal investigation. But John Bel Edwards acknowledged paying Ruffino $8,750 ahead of his 2011 re-election to the Louisiana House of Representatives to put up signs and perform other “routine campaign work”.

SCANDAL #9

Shortly after John Bel Edwards moved into the Governor’s Mansion, the FBI raided his brother Daniel’s Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Department. "We are conducting multiple court authorized actions. The investigations are ongoing. We have no further comment at this time," said Craig Betbez, public information officer for the FBI New Orleans’ office. 

The Advocate reported that three of its enforcement sources said the raid is related to a broader federal investigation of a drug task force that has come under scrutiny for allegedly selling confiscated narcotics and tampering with witnesses.

The task force included several members of the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office and was led by Chad Scott, a special agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency who has been suspended from duty as a result of the probe, the newspaper reported.

According to a report from NOLA.com, the materials taken by federal agents included a computer from the office of Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards.

"It's very unusual for the FBI to raid the office of a sitting governor's brother, irrespective of whether he's sheriff," one senior law enforcement official said.

The people of Louisiana deserve better. Make Louisiana work again. FIRE John Bel Edwards.

LAGOP: NEWS UPDATE: Scandals and Controversy Are Surrounding John Bel Edwards

Baton Rouge, LA – The Edwards family is not new to political scandal, but over the last three years this Edwards administration has become so corrupt that even members of the local press have taken notice:

SCANDAL #1

While John Bel Edwards is busy campaigning and promoting his Medicaid expansion program, the bidders for the next round of multibillion-dollar contracts to manage health services for Medicaid patients are accusing the Edwards administration of bias and conflicts of interest.

According to a report from the Associated Press, both Republican AND Democratic lawmakers are worrying publicly about whether health care access will be disrupted for half a million Medicaid enrollees, many of whom are in Edwards' expansion program.

Even Democratic U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond sent a letter to Governor Edwards arguing that Louisiana's health department has been plagued by technology problems that would likely make it difficult to shift patients to new health plans without "at least some of these patients falling through the cracks for a time."

Several lawmakers from both parties have publicly questioned how Humana Health Benefit Plan of Louisiana, which hasn't done Medicaid managed care work in the state but was handed a contract by the Edwards’ administration, will quickly ramp up to service a new health plan without a network of doctors, clinics and hospitals available to Medicaid patients.

The Governor and his health department are defending the bid evaluation and contractor selection, saying it followed the detailed requirements laid out in Louisiana procurement law.

"We anticipate that we're going to be able to move forward without any interruption in services," the Governor assured us. Unfortunately for the Governor, he was promptly contradicted by his administration’s own health department, which asserted in that there would likely be claims made in the paperwork filed with the state procurement office about the dispute over the contracts.

In a letter to Louisiana's chief procurement officer, the Louisiana Department of Health warned that if the ongoing legal challenges caused delays in contract negotiations, that could "disrupt and jeopardize the provision of health care to more than one million of Louisiana's most vulnerable citizens”.

This controversy is just getting started and will likely ramp up over the next few weeks.

But wait… there’s more:

SCANDAL #2

This past weekend we learnedthat John Bel’s dark money group, Gumbo PAC, is relying on more than just Planned Parenthood money being funneled through the hyper-liberal Democratic Governors Association- its biggest Louisiana donor is New Horizons USA PAC. This new dark money group was founded by Dominick Fazzio, the longtime chief financial officer at River Birch Landfill and former target of a four-year federal investigation for his role in payroll and embezzlement conspiracies.

New Horizons USA PAC has given at least $200,000 to Gumbo PAC and is funded primarily by two companies owned and operated by Fred Heebe and Jim Ward: River Birch and Willow LLC, a development company. Since Edwards’ election in 2015, River Birch has funneled at least $150,000 into New Horizons, and Willow has contributed $100,000.

According to a report from The Advocate, Ward, Heebe and other landfill executives are some of the largest financial backers of the effort to reelect Gov. John Bel Edwards, even as they prepare their defense in a civil racketeering case over long-standing accusations that some of their earlier political donations constituted bribes — in particular, a batch of checks they gave to convicted former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who currently sits in prison on corruption charges.

River Birch and its affiliates must still face the lawsuit filed by the state Ethics Board in Jefferson Parish in 2012. That case largely mirrors the federal investigation, accusing the firm and its principals of violating state campaign laws by bundling donations through bogus companies. That matter has been on hold because of the other litigation.

But wait… there’s even more:

SCANDAL #3

A few weeks ago, The Advocate reported that three years after floods swept across portions of southern Louisiana, only thirty-six percent of homeowners who applied for help through the Restore Louisiana program have been approved for grants, and only about one-third have received checks for repairs, according to a recent report from the relief program.

More than 65,800 residences across East Baton Rouge, Ascension and Livingston parishes were impacted by flooding in August 2016, according to federal data. Of those who applied for grants, only 15,634 homeowners were offered grants through Restore Louisiana and 12,980 homeowners have been sent checks as of July 26.

More than $1.2 billion in federal funds were allocated for rebuilding efforts following floods in March and August 2016, but only $575 million was offered to homeowners across the state. Of that total, $412 million was disbursed as of July 26.

As part of the contract, Innovative Emergency Management (IEM) will receive $308 million as payment for managing the program, and that money comes directly from Restore Louisiana funds. That’s right, IEM will be paid $300 million while flooded homeowners in Louisiana will get $575 million!

Of course, IEM, a North Carolina-based disaster management company, was awarded the contract to oversee the state's $1.6 billion flood recovery plan twice, after previously winning and then being stripped of the contract in a botched bid process.

How did IEM manage to win this contract twice?

IEM and its CEO, Madhu Beriwal, have contributed over $50,000 to John Bel Edwards and Gumbo PAC since 2015, with most of the donations coming in the months AFTER they were awarded this contract by John Bel Edwards and his administration.

The state has already beenforced to withhold $1.3 million in payments to IEM for failing to meet its responsibilities and making errors in hundreds of flood victim cases.

But wait… there’s still MORE:

SCANDAL #4

Earlier this month, the Edwards administration announced a complex agreement that could lead to the widespread privatization of energy systems at state agencies and universities throughout the state.

Rather than requiring an open and honest process for future privatization, the Edwards’ administration has attempted to build an “option” into this latest agreement which will allow LA Energy Partners to obtain additional state contracts without a new competitive bidding process.

According to The Advocate report, Bernhard Energy Solutions partnered with the HVAC company Johnson Controls at the request of the Edwards’ administration after both firms submitted proposals to the state.

Bernhard Energy Solutions is one of several companies controlled by Bernhard Capital Partners, a private equity firm run by former Shaw Group chief executive and Democratic Party chairman Jim Bernhard, who was floated as a potential Democratic candidate for governor before ruling it out last year.

Johnson Controls, a multinational electrical and HVAC group that moved its corporate headquarters to tax-haven Ireland in recent years, was at the center of a bribery and kickback scandalduring the Morial years in New Orleans which saw more than a million dollars skimmed off the top by subcontractors and more than a dozen people convicted of related crimes. More recently, in 2016, the company found itself caught up in a ponzi scheme, which lead to the resignation of its CEO. In the same year, Johnson Controls found itselfpaying $14.4 million to end an SEC probe into a corruption and bribery scandal involving Chinese businesses.

As the campaign season goes into high gear and more people begin paying attention to the shady dealings of John Bel Edwards, we can be sure that MORE scandals will come bubbling to the surface.

The people of Louisiana are tired of political deals crafted by the likes of Huey Long, Edwin Edwards, and John Bel Edwards. This fall we have the opportunity to stand-up to the corrupt good-ole boy network of “pay to play” government contracts.

This fall we must FIRE John Bel Edwards!

Republican Whip Steve Scalise: I’m with Jim!

Republican Leader Endorses Commissioner Jim Donelon

Today, Republican Whip Steve Scalise endorsed Louisiana Insurance Commissioner James J. “Jim” Donelon for reelection. Scalise cited their long-time working relationship, Donelon’s commitment to Republican values and support for the President Trump’s agenda in Louisiana:

“I’ve known Jim as a friend for more than 20 years. He’s always worked hard for Louisiana families, and has been focusing on bringing car insurance rates down. In fact his efforts are paying dividends for hard-working families – this year we’ve seen more than a 7 percent decrease in auto insurance rates in Louisiana, and there’s more Jim wants to do. Jim is an advocate for reform and steered the Department through the wake of the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as the BP Oil Spill and the Great Flood of 2016,” said Whip Scalise.

Commissioner Donelon has championed a long-term renewal of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and worked tirelessly with members of Louisiana’s Congressional delegation to bring more insurers to our state. Jim stood with other statewide elected officials to ensure the people of Louisiana will have access to affordable health insurance in the wake of Obamacare. Jim Donelon resides in Metairie, LA, with his wife of 52 years and has four daughters and eight grandchildren. He also served our country for thirty-three years in the Louisiana National Guard, retiring honorably with the rank of Colonel. Louisiana needs to keep Jim Donelon working for us.”

Commissioner Jim Donelon said, “Receiving an endorsement from my friend, Republican Whip Steve Scalise, is an honor. Steve is a leader in our party and a leader in our country. Not only do I admire Steve’s political experience, but his personal story as well. Having him recognize the work I’ve done with the Department of Insurance confirms that that work has been prudently. I look forward to continuing to work alongside Congressman Scalise, and the entire federal delegation for the people of Louisiana.”