As Trooper Association kicks off annual convention, will members inquire how much was paid in recent settlement of Braxton v. LSTA et. al.?

On May 11, 2022, former Louisiana State Police Commission (LSPC) Member Calvin  Braxton responds to a question by State Rep. Debbie Villio (R-Kenner) as he testifies before the Special House Committee investigating the LSP in-custody death of Ronald Greene on or around May 9, 2019.

We published this feature on June 16, 2025.  In it, we stated that many LSP Troopers and retirees thought it was a “bad look” for the Louisiana State Trooper’s Association (LSTA) to hold its annual convention at Caesar’s in New Orleans.  Their concerns were that the LSTA should not have chosen a venue which LSP regulates.

When we published the feature, we made brief reference to the LSTA’s long-running litigation wherein it is Defendant in a defamation suit filed by former LSPC Member Calvin Braxton, Sr.  Let’s take a look at what we said just over a month ago:

This year’s convention also transpires against the backdrop of the civil litigation of former Louisiana State Police Commissioner Calvin Braxton, who sued the LSTA for alleged defamation entailing his bizarre exit from the Commission in the middle of 2017.  That litigation has been scheduled for trial in the coming weeks; however, given that Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court records indicate no activity on the matter, we are going on the premise that a settlement may be in the offing in that matter, thus avoiding the necessity of a trial.

Well, we can now report that our speculation back then was correct, and the Calvin Braxton v. LSTA et. al. matter has been settled out of court for an undisclosed sum (at least as it pertains to the LSTA)!  That settlement interestingly enough comes right on the eve of the LSTA convening for its annual convention at 7:00 p.m. tonight, Thursday, July 17, 2025.

The terms of the settlement are subject to a confidentiality agreement.  Nevertheless, we wonder if LSTA Executive Director James O’Quinn may get quizzed about terms of the settlement during the business segment of the convention, which is scheduled to be conducted between 9 a.m. and noon on Saturday, July 19, 2025.

Regarding the settlement, we do not know if any such letter is included as part of the settlement; however, we do know that, going back seven-plus years, Braxton has always expressed his insistence that any settlement with him be accompanied by a letter of apology from the LSTA regarding the Association’s role in his ouster from the LSPC.

Here is a table outlining significant events in the Braxton v. LSTA et. al. matter during its seven-plus years of life:

The video of Zurik and WWL-TV’s Katie Moore’s features as they pertain to Braxton’s allegations of defamation are presented in the following video:

July 17, 2017 features of Fox 8’s Lee Zurik and WWL’s Katie Moore as they related to what Braxton asserts are defamatory statements made about him initiated by the LSTA and Jay Oliphant.

WWL-TV in New Orleans airs this May 17, 2018 feature on Braxton’s defamation lawsuit against the LSTA and Jay Oliphant.

So, after a staggering approximate 2,618-day life, the LSTA and Calvin Braxton are no longer in litigation.  We should point out that, during that 2,618-day period, staggering legal fees racked up for these depositions.  Once the litigation is over (former LTC Oliphant remains a Defendant and LSP should be paying his legal expenses since he was acting in his capacity during this whole sordid scandal), we intend to make public records request for the legal invoices of this whole matter to tally them up and obtain a final tab attributable to taxpayers, but common sense dictates that the number is going to be through the roof.

Also, the LSTA filed ethics charges against Braxton but, on April 19, 2018, the Louisiana State Board of Ethics opted not to file a single charge against Braxton; furthermore, as we have published before, it was actually the LSTA itself which was on the receiving end of this $5,000 fine for matters which Braxton was concerned about.

We would also like to point out that retired troopers have indicated to us that past LSTA Conventions were set up to where Management (i.e. folk like LSP Colonel and Chief of Staff) would never, ever be permitted to be in attendance at the LSTA’s business meeting because that segment of the convention is intended to be for airing out any potential concerns and grievances entailing Management.

That’s not the way it works anymore, and we were supplied with this email excerpt outlining exactly how LSTA Members are going to be allowed to pose any concerns they may have:

Greetings everyone,

 

In preparation for the upcoming business meeting at this year’s convention, we are polling members of the affiliate for any questions they may have regarding the department.

 

These questions may be directed to either Col. Hodges or Monty Montelongo with the State Police Commission.

 

To submit a question, simply reply to this email no later than COB on July 8, so that we can compile and forward all inquiries for review and reconciliation with submissions from across the state.

 

If you prefer to remain anonymous, you may instead place your question in the LSTA box located in the radio room at Troop B.

Troopers, both active and retired, have stated that the above framework is nothing like business has been handled in the past, and one trooper asked us, “Do you see why the only reason I remain a member is because of the discounted rate we obtain for a life insurance policy?”  A second former trooper who recently retired indicating to us then that he was “sick” of the place, stated:  “It (the LSTA) was a great organization when I joined and it stayed out of politics.  It has since become part of the political machine and that is very disappointing.”

So, since everything is so scripted as outlined above, we openly wonder if Col. Hodges, LSTA Executive Director James O’Quinn, and/or Monty Montelongo (who is not just “with” the State Police Commission — he just so happens to Chair that Commission), are going to permit Trooper LSTA Members and/or retirees to pose questions of the Braxton settlement.  Since it’s their money, it would seem they would not want to be kept in the dark about the nature and amount of the recently-agreed-upon settlement.

Now, as site visitors may recall, the LSTA laid down the law with Gov. Landry that Steven L. Guidry, Jr., would not be the LSPC Member representing the First Congressional District.  They had such pull with Landry that they would actually convince him to submit the following letter to Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry flat-out falsely accusing Dillard President Monique Guillory of “failing to nominate:”

Meanwhile, the LSTA convinced Guidry to change his voter registration from St. Tammany Parish to East Baton Rouge Parish, which ended up forcing Guidry to resign as Chairman of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (with him also having to resign from the Louisiana Motor Vehicle Commission) after we exposed the whole sham, which included this damning email from Ryan Roberts, Gov. Landry’s former Head of Boards and Commissions  to Jason Hannaman acknowledging an obvious discrepancy between Guidry’s mailing address and his address for voter registration purposes.

Well, Ryan Roberts, Landry’s previous Head of Board and Commissions, has now been promoted to third-in-command of the Landry Administration with him now serving as Landry’s Deputy Chief of Staff.

Regarding Guidry’s resignation as Chairman of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, anybody curious as to who replaced him?  That would be James C. “Jay” O’Quinn II, who is the mastermind behind this entire Braxton debacle and who appears on prominent display on the Zurick feature linked and provided above.

We received a report today that radio talk show host Moon Griffon has indicated that a statewide poll has been conducted indicating Gov. Landry’s approval rating sits at 32 percent.  The only thing we ponder, with the kind of “leadership” and “integrity” just outlined, is how that approval rating has not yet fallen to the teens or below.  Nevertheless, he appears headed on the same general trajectory of a one Bobby Jindal.  Time will tell, but we are firmly convinced that he is severely-burnt toast!

So, does anyone figure this year’s LSTA convention will have a little added spice given the Braxton settlement being so fresh?