[Editor's Note: This blog has been altered to reflect a phone call made to The Ind by Shane Romero, who denies any involvement in the anonymous email circulated in reference to Iberia CAO Sally Angers.]
An anonymous email sent by a “Parish Watcher” reveals that Iberia Parish Chief Administrative Officer Sally Angers has been using her parish government email address — during business hours — to gather voter information that could assist Iberia Parish President Ernest Freyou’s re-election campaign.
A Nov. 2 email from Angers to the Iberia Parish Registrar of Voter’s Office asks what it would cost for a “listing of all registered voters, a listing of registered voters that voted in the October 22, 2011 election” and “any new voters since October 22, 2011.”
Although the Louisiana Ethics Code states that public employees politicking on behalf of a public officials is only illegal if the workers are “compelled or coerced” to do so, a 2007 Legislative Auditor’s report recommends that “the parish not allow parish employees to perform non-parish duties while on Parish time.”
The auditor’s report was in response to abuse of office allegations against former Iberia Parish President Will Langlinais, who for more than a decade required parish employees to solicit campaign donations and take time off of their parish government jobs to work Langlinais’ annual golf tournament campaign fundraiser.
“In addition to Parish employees assisting with the campaign golf tournament, Ms. Jolyn Fleming, executive secretary, performed bookkeeping duties for Mr. Langlinias’ campaign fund while on Parish time,” the auditor’s report says. “Mr. Langlinais stated that she wrote checks and completed his year-end financial statements and used his personal stationery and stamps to mail checks and letters. Mr. Langlinais stated that he was not aware that she could not perform these duties during Parish time.”
The 17-plus page audit report was made very public in 2007, as it also referenced numerous other allegations of wrongdoing by Langlinais, which eventually led to his ousting from public office and criminal convictions for malfeasance in office.
In an email sent to media outlets and other contacts this week, Shane Romero, son of Freyou's challenger, "Romo" Romero, outlines several “facts” about incumbent Freyou, including one that references Angers’ emails to the registrar of voters.
Freyou, a New Iberia businessman and former administrator under the Iberia Parish Police Jury, faces Romo at the polls Saturday in a runoff. Romo, a former police juror, sheriff and state representative, took 41.9 percent of the vote in the Oct. 22 primary, while Freyou garnered 29.9 percent. New Iberia Mayor Pro Tem Freddie Decourt came in third with 28.1 percent of the primary vote.
Angers has not responded to a request for comment. View the Angers emails requesting voter information here.
JUNE 17 If anyone ever wonders why Saints fans hate Atlanta with a capital H, here's a good indication. Radio "professionals" at an Atlanta station created an entire segment around making fun of former Saints player Steve Gleason, who is now paralyzed by ALS. Listen, nobody's ever accused DJs of being rocket scientists. But how could someone think it is amusing to pretend to ask a man with a degenerative, fatal disease if he will be alive next week? The DJs have been fired, and are now whining about how gutless their former bosses are. Wow.
JUNE 18 Here's the latest from the Advocate on the fatal hit-and-run accident allegedly involving the president of the Livingston Parish School Board. He's accused by police of hitting a 21-year-old man on a highway early Sunday and driving away. The man died at a hospital later. On Monday, police seized the president's truck and towed it away. But he's available for board meetings: apparently a $500 bond is sufficient for this type of thing over in St. Helena Parish.
JUNE 18 Former broadcast journalist Griffin Scott has posted this plea on his blog for financial assistance from his readers. Scott, who says he was fired after he wrote something fairly innocuous (for Facebook) on his wall, is suing a media giant for his job back. He's framed himself as David going after a bloated media giant, and he's probably not far off.
JUNE 18 Here's a fairly absurd column posted on DIG Magazine about the completely absurd practice of naming killer storms. Tornadoes don't have names. Blizzards don't have names. But hurricanes do, and there's a big process to bestow them, Jacques Cormery writes. He's right about the crazy assemblage of names -- this year, there's everything from Tanya to Humberto -- and his idea that we don't waste good names on killer storms is a good one.
JUNE 17 Political columnist John Maginnis has some advice for Louisiana Republicans: grow up. After the schism that occurred in this past session - fiscal hawks teaming up with Democrats to spank the Republican "majority" and hand Gov. Jindal his, er, aspirations for continued solon control -- they need to figure out how to get along with each other, Maginnis writes.
JUNE 17 Here's the Picayune's obit story for Dorothy 'Miss Dot' Domilise, the lady who made poboys at the uptown restaurant that bears her name. Miss Dot moved to New Orleans during World War II, where she met and married her husband Sam. When she passed away Friday she was 90, and had spent more than 60 of those years working at the restaurant on Annunciation Street.
JUNE 17 This editorial in the Advocate speaks in favor of the consent decrees that have federal judges overseeing police operations and the sheriff's parish prison in New Orleans. Mayor Landrieu and Sheriff Gusman can't get along, so outside forces, like the Inspector General and the judges, are needed to make sure things run right, the editorial opines.
JUNE 18 Here's a post from Manny Schewitz on Forward Progressives that is good for a chuckle. Manny had an epiphany back in November, and is sharing it with us today: he believes that Fox "News" is killing the GOP by pandering to right wing nuts. Now, don't get it twisted: Manny's not broke up about it. He says he enjoys watching the downward spiral with a shot of whiskey and "a schadenfreude chaser."
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