Is Gov. Edwards’ resignation imminent?

A flyer touting a fundraising event for State Sen. Katrina Jackson featuring Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.

On April 19, 2021, we were invited to a statewide NAACP Zoom meeting.  Gov. Edwards was the guest speaker.  Louisiana NAACP President Michael McClanahan showered Edwards with the highest praise possible.  Let’s take a look:


After the invocation, Louisiana NAACP President Michael McClanahan gave a very strong and authoritative introduction of Gov. Edwards in which he (Edwards) was showered with praise and adoration.

Judging by this Business Report article, it would appear the bloom has come off the rose, so to speak, regarding Gov. Edwards with the Louisiana NAACP.  From that article:

Greene’s mother, Mona Hardin, called on Edwards to resign, saying he chose political expediency over justice in a man’s death.

“He needs to go,” Hardin told AP. “He was able to stand aside as all this unfolded and just remain mute. That’s shameful. … I hate that I’ve been lied to.”

Louisiana NAACP officials issued a statement calling the AP revelations “deeply disturbing.”

“The NAACP finds this severely demonstrates a need for our governor to be fully transparent with our great state. We feel that our governor has seemingly missed the mark so far,” the statement reads. “When did you learn the truth, governor?”

The final paragraph sure does fly in the face of the praise video above, no?  What a difference 287 days can make.

We feel compelled to point out that, as we made clear on our feature linked above, some in attendance at that Zoom meeting were far from happy with Edwards and McClanahan.  Specifically, Ms. Belinda Parker-Brown raised her virtual hand to ask Gov. Edwards a question (which would have entailed the arrest of Ronald Greene), only to be ignored throughout the meeting.  She resorted to sending a group-wide message at the bottom of everyone’s screen:  “I did not realize this was going to be nothing more than a cheerleading meeting for the Governor.”

In our opinion, it has gone beyond recovery at this point.  For the mother of Mr. Greene to make the statement she makes above, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser may as well let the interior decorators know what color drapes he wants in the Mansion’s main living room.

When we reported upon Democratic Senate candidate Luke Mixon’s quest to defeat U. S. Sen. John Kennedy, we told his associates at the meeting that, in our opinion, it was incomprehensible that Mixon could be that out-of-touch regarding Ronald Greene and be that dismissive of the importance of the Greene matter to the African American community in Louisiana.

We also stated to them:  “Take this to the bank.  John Bel Edwards will leave the Governor’s Mansion more unpopular than Bobby Jindal.”  Their response:  “That would seem impossible!”  Our guess is that they find it much less “impossible” now than that short time ago.

Mixon’s timing on saying Edwards is, “the political leader with whom I feel most aligned philosophically,” could not have possibly been timed any worse than it was.  It also didn’t help that, the very next day, Gary Chambers announced his candidacy for Kennedy’s U. S. Senate seat.  Given the massive syphoning that Chambers will have on African American voters away from Mixon (and Chambers won’t hesitate to throw that video of Mixon’s response to our question in Mixon’s face), Mixon is now relegated to little more than a footnote in the race who will do very well to capture 8 percent of the statewide vote.

If we’re right and Edwards’ days in the Mansion are in fact numbered and very low at this point, we guess State Sen. Katrina Jackson still plans to squeeze the last little bit of milk from the “Edwards cow” that she can as evidenced by the lead photo for this feature, which we reproduce at this time:

 

We’ve already gotten reaction from a number of folk in the African American community in Louisiana about the above fundraiser, and let’s just say it hasn’t been pretty at all.  One African American prominent individual who had not even seen the flyer until we sent it to him mere hours ago stated:  “Do you know just how bad this looks?  She is going to have him come into the very town where they beat that poor black man to death and use him (Gov. Edwards) to raise money.  It was wrong for her to invite him, and it’s wrong for him to go!”

We can only wonder if the Bayou DeSiard Country Club charged a non-refundable deposit.  Even if they did, Sen. Jackson may wish to opt to “cut losses” and cancel the planned fundraiser!  We’ll see if it still transpires.

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Sound Off Louisiana kicks off series featuring former ATC Commissioner Murphy Painter.

Murphy Painter, accompanied by his mother holding his right arm, emerges from Federal Court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana victorious via total acquittal  on all charges on December 20, 2013.

In today’s Sound Off Louisiana feature, founder Robert Burns provides a review of former Louisiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC) Commissioner Murphy Painter as part of an introduction updating everyone on developments with Painter in 19th and 23rd JDC civil trials:


1/30/22:  Burns provides overview of Murphy Painter and a review of his 2013 Federal criminal trial.  CLICK HERE to read the brief recap of the trial and witnesses called referenced by Burns in the above video.

If you would like to be added to our Sound Off Louisiana email list to be notified of future posts, simply go to our home page and scroll to the bottom (mobile devices) or to the top of the right-hand column (desktops).  Supply your email address within the subscribe box.  You’ll then receive an automated email from Word Press, and all you have to do is click on the blue “confirm follow” bar contained within that email, and you’ll begin receiving great posts such as the preceding one above.

Farmer Billy Broussard files second complaint against LSP Trooper Lopez concerning claims of “illegal acts” voiced at public meeting; Sen. Boudreaux commits to confer with LSP Col. Davis on complaint.

Louisiana State Trooper Scott Lopez, appearing before the St. Martin Parish Government Planning and Zoning Committee on Thursday, January 6, 2022.

Everyone will recall that we published this feature entailing a complaint filed by farmer Billy Broussard against LSP Trooper Scott Lopez on November 21, 2021.

On Monday, January 24, 2022, Broussard filed a second complaint against Lopez in which he alleges that Lopez repeatedly falsely accused him of illegal acts at a public meeting of the St. Martin Parish Government Planning and Zoning Committee on Thursday, January 6, 2022.

We were at that meeting, and we videotaped Lopez’s remarks to the Committee, and we’re prepared to present his performance at this time:


1/6/22 meeting of the St. Martin Parish Government Planning and Zoning Committee during which Broussard alleges Lopez repeatedly falsely accused him of “illegal acts.”

Let us emphasize the conclusion of Broussard’s second complaint:

I want to conclude this complaint by stating that, on July 8, 2021, the Louisiana State Police Commission considered the appeal of Trooper William R. Woodward Ill after he was suspended for 24 hours for sending out a tweet of, “what county (sic) in Africa are you from?” Col. Lamar Davis testified at that meeting, upon being questioned by Trooper Woodward as to whether Davis knew if Woodward was “on or off duty,” and Col. Davis responded that, “according to policy is (sic) does not matter.” Col. Davis clearly felt that tweet constituted conduct unbecoming of a Louisiana State Police Trooper, and I submit that Trooper Lopez’s actions of January 6, 2022 are even more egregious than those of Trooper Woodward because his actions were at a public meeting at which EVERYONE in the room knew who he is and the position he holds and further because his commentary was directed at a private citizen (me).

The reference Broussard makes to Col. Davis indicating that LSP Policy doesn’t distinguish between being on-duty or off-duty when it concerns acts to be evaluated for conduct unbecoming can be heard in this brief 25-second audio clip:

7/8/21:  LSP Col. Lamar Davis states that, when it comes to conduct unbecoming, it matters not whether a trooper is on-duty or off-duty.

The above audio clip by LSP Col. Davis would seem to render moot Lopez’s declaration at the 15:22 mark of the video above wherein he indicates, “Just for the record, I’m here as a concerned resident.  Thank you.” Apparently, Lopez felt that simple disclosure permitted him to do and say anything he wanted at that meeting, and it will be interesting to see if LSP “has his back” in that regard or whether he faces discipline entailing this second complaint Broussard has now filed against him.

Finally, Broussard testified before the Louisiana Senate Select Committee on LSP Oversight at its meeting of Monday, January 24, 2022, and he obtained the strong and emphatic support of Senator Gerald Boudreaux (D-Lafayette) as evidenced by the following short video of Broussard’s testimony:


Broussard testifies before LSP Senate Oversight Committee on Monday, January 24, 2022.

Sen. Foil invited Broussard to supply his one-page testimony about Trooper Lopez to the Committee members, and Broussard opted to do so.  Anyone is welcome to read Broussard’s planned testimony provided to the Committee members by CLICKING HERE.

As always, we will continue to follow developments and alert our subscribers and site visitors as further developments unfold.  Here are links for previous features on Broussard’s saga:

1.  LSP Trooper Lopez allegedly demands Broussard’s driver not go down “my road” again (feature contains and extensive video tour of Broussard’s 33-acre farm).

2.  Cedars obtains court-ordered Temporary Restraining Order shutting down Broussard’s farming operations.

3.  Broussard’s attorney asserts in court filings that Cedars is on “crusade” to “harass” Broussard.

4.  Cedars caves and begs for TRO court hearing to be cancelled and offers major concessions to Broussard to do so.

5.  Sound Off Louisiana’s founder explains how SMPG President Chester Cedars is the “epitome and personification of Louisiana’s hostile reputation toward small businesses.”

 

ADDENDUM:  CLICK HERE for a feature published on February 22, 2022.

 

If you would like to be added to our Sound Off Louisiana email list to be notified of future posts, simply go to our home page and scroll to the bottom (mobile devices) or to the top of the right-hand column (desktops).  Supply your email address within the subscribe box.  You’ll then receive an automated email from Word Press, and all you have to do is click on the blue “confirm follow” bar contained within that email, and you’ll begin receiving great posts such as the preceding one above.