Attorney Jill Craft, speaking at a press conference called by Gov. John Bel Edwards on Tuesday, October 8, 2019.
Anyone not living in a cave is quite familiar with Gov. Edwards’ “Johnny Anderson problem.” On Tuesday, October 8, 2019, WBRZ (Channel 2 in Baton Rouge) investigative reporter Chris Nakamoto broadcast a succinct summation. It focused on a press conference by Juanita Washington, the alleged sexual harassment victim of Johnny Anderson. Edwards hired Anderson for a key Cabinet position notwithstanding Anderson’s extensive past history of sexual harassment at Southern University. Nakamoto’s feature also focused on a response press conference called by Gov. Edwards’ office.
We’d like to focus in on a 24-second video clip of the Edwards camp response press conference which we present at this time:
Attorney Jill Craft, identified as “defending the Governor” and “endorsing the Governor,” without mentioning former client Juanita Washington by name, implicitly slams her in referencing people, “who stand on a soap box when it’s convenient for them.”
We find it a tad ironic that Edwards would call upon Craft to defend him and make it known that she endorses him given that it is Craft who, in paragraph 17 of a petition CRAFT DRAFTED, accuses Gov. Edwards’ office of telling Cathy Derbonne, who asserts she was “constructively discharged” for reporting alleged illegal acts by Gov. Edwards, to “shut the f— up.” It’s contained in paragraph 17 of the petition just linked, but let’s highlight it for everyone, shall we?
We note a few other observations about the petition linked above, to wit:
- Derbonne claims Edwards made illegal appointments to the Louisiana State Police Commission because he didn’t follow the provisions of Louisiana’s Constitution requiring him to obtain recommendation letters from three specific colleges in Louisiana (see paragraph 12 of the Craft-drafted petition) and, instead, simply appointed whomever he wanted to appoint.
- Derbonne claims illegal campaign contributions were made into Edwards’ campaign in 2015 and reported that fact to Gov. Edwards, after which Derbonne was “barred…..and ordered to cease any further opposition or reports” (see paragraphs 9 and 9a of the Craft-drafted petition).
We’d like to point out that, unlike Washington’s litigation which has been resolved, Derbonne’s litigation remains active (it’s on appeal to the First Circuit Court of Appeals).
Call us cynical, but it sure looks to us like it is Craft who likes to “step up on a soap box when it’s convenient for her,” even when her actions in doing so seem to defy the very claims she asserts entialing Gov. Edwards in litigation which she continues to serve as counsel for plaintiff!
We just wonder what Derbonne may think of this apparent cozy relationship Craft seems to enjoy with Gov. Edwards. We can’t help but note the ultimate irony of Edwards calling upon Craft for his defense and for her to endorse him given what all Craft alleges in pleadings that he has done!
Common sense would dictate she’d be the last person from whom he would seek an endorsement, but perhaps the Anderson matter has Gov. Edwards and his camp a tad nervous and off its game, or else maybe they’re simply desperate for any defense of Edwards’ irresponsible action of hiring Anderson and costing taxpayers over $100,000 (approximately $34,000 of which, we might add, went to Craft)!
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Since JBE took office it was well known, and Craft sold herself as such, that Craft was the go to attorney in Baton Rouge when JBE and his enforcer, Mark Falcon, decided that they didnt need you any longer and the only way to “jump out” of his gang was to have your reputation and career destroyed. I know of at least one former Cabinet Secretary who used her services adverse to JBE as well. This is surprising and even exceeds Craft’s typical standards of whoring herself out- which is hard to do. Without question there is some quid pro quo at play here. She is either getting Jim Shannon’s ass out of a crack again or there is dollar signs coming her way. If I were one of her plantiff clients involved in litigation against the state, I would be outraged.