Sound Off Louisiana

Billy Broussard, being filmed in a Baton Rouge attorney’s conference room on Monday, April 29, 2024, makes a point using a FEMA map of his allegations that local Calcasieu Parish drainage officials diverted money FEMA obligated to pay him and instead diverted the money to pay its own workers for debris removed a mile-and-a-half south of that FEMA map entailing GPS sites that were clearly ineligible for FEMA reimbursement.  During his presentation, Broussard also provided pictures of the workers and the massive amount of debris they removed from Indian Bayou.

When we published this feature lambasting Gov. Jeff Landry over his efforts to block access to public records, we included a video of Senate Governmental Affairs Committee testimony of Wednesday, April 17, 2024 by Billy Broussard, who is Jeff Landry’s cousin.  In that video, which is the most-widely viewed of all the videos presented for that feature (aside from the video of the hearing in its entirety), Broussard stated, “This was a project that I never seen so much cover-up in my life, and I’m talking about at every level:  GOHSEP, their contractors, the parish, the drainage district, their attorneys, all of them.  Interesting, the person who knows a lot about this was my original attorney, who is now our Governor…..”

Broussard asked us for an opportunity to “Sound Off” on being able to expand on that alleged cover-up, Gov. Landry’s knowledge of same, and for him to provide a behind-the-scenes account of just what all transpired.  Essentially, Broussard wanted to have the opportunity to fully expand upon his Senate Committee testimony in a way that would not have been possible at the hearing itself last week.

Accordingly, in the video associated with today’s feature, which was produced in the conference room of a local Baton Rouge attorney representing Broussard, he goes into great detail regarding his contention that, despite Fourteenth Judicial District Judge David Ritchie’s claims that Broussard should have chosen his attorney more carefully and not relied upon someone like Jeff Landry, who would file an “illegal lien” against a local drainage district, his findings through public records requests actually validate Landry’s action of filing the lien.  Furthermore, Broussard asserts that, contrary to Russell “Rusty” J. Stutes’ letter accusing Broussard and Landry of committing fraud and threatening to report such fraud to the FBI, neither Broussard nor Landry committed any fraud.

It’s worth noting that, in the letter just linked, Stutes itemizes five very specific items which he contends constitute “fraud” for which he will report Broussard to the FBI for introducing into the litigation.  It is worth noting that #3) on Stutes’ list is that “illegal lien” filed by none other than then private-citizen attorney Jeff Landry, who is now Governor of Louisiana.  From the preceding letter:

Finally, we will contact the FBI and provide them with all fraudulent documents and sworn testimony obtained during the course of litigation, including, but not limited to:……..(3) the lien filed against the District in the amount of $1,153,000.

Since nobody disputes that it is Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry who filed the lien, then one can only conclude that, based on Stutes’ letter, he is directly accusing a sitting Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, of generating a “fraudulent document” which rises to the level of providing a basis for Stutes to “contact the FBI” and provide them with that document!

For this feature, we relaxed our goal of keeping videos to 20-25 minutes in length because we believe Billy Broussard’s saga, which we’ve covered extensively throughout the existence of this blog, warrants additional time because he is able to provide a rare glimpse of the behind-the-scenes efforts of a large group of Louisiana governmental officials to allegedly engage in “the most cover-up” Broussard says he’s ever seen in his life.

With that, let’s present Broussard’s efforts both to vindicate Gov. Landry and himself, and also shed light on the alleged fraud he is resolute in asserting that local and state Louisiana governmental officials perpetrated against FEMA:

Broussard defends Gov. Landry’s action of filing the “illegal lien,” rebuffs Stutes’ claims that either he or Landry committed fraud and, to the contrary, provides his evidence that buttresses his contention that it was local and state Louisiana governmental officials who engaged in cover-ups orchestrated with the specific intent to defraud FEMA.

Now let’s provide links to some of the documents Broussard desired to accompany this feature:

1.  FEMA map of approved GPS sites for Indian Bayou Project along with debris estimates.

2.  Former GOHSEP Deputy Director Mark DeBosier’s email providing chronological outline of events on Indian Bayou.

[Note:  It is DeBosier who Broussard pointed out is recorded as bragging on an ability to, “get the Legislative Auditor’s Office’s to close their eyes, stick their fingers in their ears, and we make sure there’s no fingertips on it!”

3.  Original LSP Report on the Indian Bayou Project.  [Note:  Broussard has been seeking a supplement to this LSP Report to reflect the material he has uncovered, and numerous governmental officials have assisted him in his effort to obtain same.]

4.  Email between Gavin Abshire and Robert Kleinschmidt wherein Kleinschmidt strongly emphasizes the need to, “Get FEMA approval…these guys pay the bill.”  Broussard asserts that drainage officials were not happy with Kleinschmidt’s admonition and therefore hired outside counsel Stutes.

5.  This email from Kelly Fontenot to Dan Kennedy (FEMA contractor) emphasizing a need to, “get those GPS sites to go away!”  Broussard contends those are the very GPS sites that he references on the video above were marked by the GOHSEP monitor as eligible to be removed.  These sites were between burn site two and burn site three.

6.  This email from Kelly Fontenot indicating reimbursement will be obtained because, “the FEMA/State monitor will approve whether it is eligible or not.”

7.  Fontenot’s email in #6 notwithstanding, under direct examination by Broussard on the witness stand, Fontenot testified, “I have no knowledge of that (ineligible debris being picked up) even in my communication with them (daily monitors).”

8.  Fontenot testifying that her role with the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury is that of, business analyst and fraud analyst.  Layman’s terms:  internal auditor.

As we’ve said before, documents such as the above emails which Broussard was obtaining ruffled more than a few feathers at both the Gravity Drainage District and the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, so the respective attorneys for each, Rusty Stutes and Sam Gabb, simply obtained a Restraining Order prohibiting Broussard from obtaining any further public records or even communicating with members of the Drainage District or the Police Jury, and that order remains in place even today.

So, we find it truly ironic that Broussard went to such great lengths to obtain public records in an attempt to, “clear both my name and that of our now-Governor, Jeff Landry,” yet Landry is now actively striving, through SB-482, to effectively place a Restraining Order against all citizens preventing them from even being able to delve into governmental corruption such as that Broussard alleges transpired as outlined in this feature.

Former Cleveland Browns and Texas A & M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel (a/k/a “Johnny Football”).

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry

By now, everyone is well aware of Gov. Landry’s staunch efforts to block every public records request we’ve made since he assumed office entailing Louisiana State Police (LSP).

As we illustrated in our last feature, he is now adamant (and quite pompous as well) in seeking to do the same with every Louisiana citizen.

We were present at the Louisiana Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee yesterday (Wednesday, April 17, 2024) on SB-482 by Senator Heather Cloud (R-Turkey Creek) (we’re nicknaming her “Ms. Priss”). This is a video blog, so here we go, folks:

Highlights of Cloud (a/k/a “Ms. Priss”) presenting her bill.  Though Cloud admits to not being an attorney (though not on the above video of highlights), she had her talking points on a laptop on court cases that were virtually certainly supplied by Landry’s Executive Counsel, Angelique Freel (whom we met one time while she served at the AG’s Office and were less than impressed).  She certainly used them to talk down to members of the Committee (hence, the nickname “Ms. Priss”).

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Note in the video above that Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser is on record as supporting the bill, as is Attorney General Liz Murrill, and a source tells us that Treasurer John Fleming is in support of the bill as well.

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Prominent media and public records attorney Scott Sternberg only needs a few minutes to authoritatively counter Ms. Priss’ arguments.

Investigative reporters Lee Zurik and Chris Nakamoto slam Cloud’s bill along with Rebecca Mowbray, President and CEO of the Bureau of Governmental Research, who also testified against Cloud’s bill.

 Belinda Parker-Brown, Rev. Freddie Lee Phillips, and Steven Procopio, President of the Public Affairs Research Council, testify in opposition to Cloud’s bill.

Though Rev. Phillips is vague in the content he uncovered in his quest for public records, the reality is that he was suspicious that Gov. John Bel Edwards was being less than candid when Phillips directly confronted him on Edwards’ removal of him from the Auctioneer Licensing Board only about 20 days after appointing him.

What he uncovered (after first seeing this wide open appeal for auctioneers across the state to urge Louisiana Senators NOT to confirm Phillips) was, through his public records requests, auctioneers throughout Louisiana did in fact send emails to Senators asking them not to confirm Phillips.

Thus, Edwards’ statement that he had made an “over commitment” was a demonstrably false statement, and Edwards simply removed Phillips due to all the pressure from Phillips’ auctioneer colleagues (coincidentally all white back then as Phillips is the first — and for a LONG time only — African Auctioneer in Louisiana).

For the record, Phillips subsequently formed the Freddie Phillips School of Auctioneering, which was the FIRST online auction school in the entire nation! Through his school, there are now about six (6) African American auctioneers.  [Full Disclosure:  Burns to this day remains an instructor at the school].

WBRZ Managing Editor Kelly Kissell and Bruce Reilly, Deputy Director of VOTE (Voice of the Experienced) testify against Cloud’s bill.

 Dovetailing on commentary by Sen. Greg Miller, R-NORCO, Billy Broussard testifies against Cloud’s bill.

Let us point out just a few quick things entailing Broussard:

1.  As he indicated, his attorney as apparent fraud was being perpetrated in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita was then private citizen Jeff Landry, whom 16th JDC Judge David Ritchie faulted for “filing an illegal lien.”  Ritchie even went so far as to tell Broussard to, “choose your attorney carefully.”.

2.  Once Broussard started obtaining too many public records which clearly outlined the alleged fraud he references on the video above, he was placed under a Restraining Order prohibiting him from making public records requests or speaking with members of the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury.

3.  In a meeting with Broussard at the Legislative Auditor’s Office on or about February 3, 2019, Sound Off Louisiana founder Robert Burns witnessed first-hand John Morehead rebuffing Broussard’s claims of fraud by saying that it wasn’t possible given that, “Dan Kennedy with FEMA signed off on all of this debris removal.”  Burns also witnessed Brossard say that, “I’m telling you that I was on this project virtually every day, and I have yet to meet Dan Kennedy!”

4.  It was at the conclusion of that meeting, when Burns himself (who is an inactive CPA) stated to then-Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera:  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but your office is examining the documentation only on the back end, and nobody from your office is out at these sites performing any kind of inspection on whether the debris removal is eligible for FEMA reimbursement or not.”  Purpera stated that Burns’ statement was correct and that no physical inspections of debris removal are performed by the Legislative Auditor’s Office.

5.  At a subsequent meeting with the Legislative Auditor’s Office, at which Sen. Blake Miguez was present and then-Senator Fred Mills attended via teleconference of Wednesday, February 6, 2019, Burns again witnessed (and videotaped) Broussard playing an audio recording file in which Mark DeBosier, former Deputy Director of GOHSEP, bragged of the ability to get the Legislative Auditor’s Office to, “close their eyes, stick their fingers in their ears, and we make sure there’s no fingerprints on it.”    [Note:  CLICK HERE for a crystal clear audio file of DeBosier’s statements.]

Our point is that, when Broussard indicates that he has the documentation to back up his claims of fraud, he means it, and that includes this damning email indicating that a way will be found to get FEMA reimbursement, “whether it is FEMA eligible or not,” along with this even more damning email wherein Kelly Fontenot sends an email to DAN KENNEDY point-blank saying, “We need those GPS locations to go away!!”

On the video above, Broussard reveals the fact that Landry is his cousin.  It’s truly ironic that Broussard’s own cousin, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, seeks to block citizens from obtaining the same type of damning material Broussard obtained solely and exclusively from his public records requests!

Sound Off Louisiana founder Robert Burns, along with C. J. Matthews, testify against Cloud’s bill.

Our site visitors will recall our extensive series on former Ascension Parish Captain C. J. Matthews and the corruption he alleges has been rampant at the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office with him supplying us (which we provide to visitors) with extensive documentation he obtained via his own public records requests.

After former Representative Barry Ivey (though he doesn’t like that title and wants as much distance as possible placed between his name and the Louisiana Legislature) testifies to the fact that Landry sued an Advocate reporter for making a public records request (for more details, scroll to the near-end of this feature), Sen. Cloud, who was MIA, came in to close on her bill.

 Drum roll please………….Here’s the vote, but note the eight-second delay between Chairman Fields asking, “What’s your pleasure?” and anyone volunteering to say the first word!!!!!!!!!  We guess everyone’s a tad nervous about risking their political careers to follow an egomaniac, narcissistic Governor of Louisiana in the person of Jeff Landry.

From our vantage point, Jeff Landry is the car-equivalent of a clunker, and Louisiana needs a “lemon law” so that we can just return him to the lot because he is obviously severely defective!

Since we can’t just return him to the lot, our approach is to adopt one simple slogan:

  “Garret Graves ’27!”

CLICK HERE to see this train wreck bill presentation in its entirety.