Billy Broussard relies on public records to demonstrate Gov. Landry’s filing of “illegal lien” against Calcasieu Parish drainage officials was justified; Alleges same records reflect widespread fraud which Landry readily acknowledged.

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.