After Rispone Decided to Go After Fellow Republican, Cajun Conservatism Endorses Ralph Abraham

In what has to be the absolute dumbest political move in the governor’s race thus far, Eddie Rispone’s campaign has decided to go the way of Jay Dardenne and Scott Angelle in the last election and attack a fellow Republican candidate. A piece that started running on television yesterday goes after Congressman Ralph Abraham on what can only be described as total irrelevant issues.

As a result, Cajun Conservatism will publicly endorse Ralph Abraham for governor. Congressman Abraham is a proven conservative with a record that reflects such.

Rispone should immediately pull the ad and issue a statement repudiating it. If not, it will only show that he is in bed with the Edwards campaign.

LAGOP: Super PAC Supporting John Bel Edwards Fueled by Left-Wing Pro-Abortion and Anti-Gun Activist Groups

Baton Rouge, LA – The latest campaign finance report discloses that 79% of the money contributed to Gumbo PAC during the last reporting period came from two left-wing Washington D.C. based donors: The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) and The National Education Association (NEA).

This new report shows an additional $500,000 contribution to Gumbo PAC from the hyper-liberal DGA, bringing the total contributed by the DGA this cycle to $1 million.

The DGA, which spent millions to help elect Edwards in 2015, has had paid staffers on the ground to help his re-election efforts for months, funded in-part by the $570,780 incontributions from Planned Parenthood Action Fund between 2015-2018.

Both Planned Parenthood and the DGA actively campaign against pro-life legislationacross the country. Earlier this summer, the DGA sent out an email that opened with: “Friends, abortion rights are under attack in the states,” and tweeted that “attacks on women’s health care prove that the threat to women’s reproductive rights is real and present,” referencing legislation similar to Louisiana’s. Leading national Democrats including Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tom Perez have called for the party to be “100 percent pro-choice.”

The DGA’s liberal pro-abortion stance is not their only controversial position that is too far left for Louisiana.

A few weeks after sending the latest $500,000 check to Team JBE, the DGA attacked the Second Amendment (and President Trump) in a letter demanding “red flag laws, passing universal background checks, outlawing assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and establishing stricter reporting requirements to prevent those deemed by a mental health professional to be a danger to themselves or others from purchasing a firearm.”

The other Washington D.C.-based liberal activist group supporting John Bel Edwards is the National Education Association (NEA). The latest campaign finance report shows a new $350,000 contribution to Gumbo PAC from the left-wing NEA.

Earlier this summer, the NEA adopted a new “business item” declaring “The NEA vigorously opposes all attacks on the right to choose and stands on the fundamental right to abortion under Roe v. Wade.”

Of course, that is not their only left-wing position that is out of sync with the vast majority of Louisiana citizens. Like the DGA, the NEA has also decided to disregard the Second Amendment and take a liberal position on gun control. “We believe assault weapons and high capacity magazines are weapons of war that belong only in the hands of our military and law enforcement officers.”

“John Bel’s campaign commercials say that he is pro-life and pro-gun, but this campaign finance report shows clearly that he is just another left-wing democrat,” said LAGOP Executive Director Andrew Bautsch. “If he really believed in protecting the right to life, if he really believed in protecting the Second Amendment, he would not accept this dirty money.

Have You Seen the “Honor Code” Pic With the Little League Champs

On a recent visit to the Governor’s Mansion, the World Champs from River Ridge were treated to the now sold out Popeye’s chicken sandwiches.

Not content in letting this moment be about the boys, the arrogant Cajun Obama made it about himself and put himself in front of the boys.

If this doesn’t scream arrogance, nothing else does.

LAGOP: As the radical resistance comes to Louisiana, where is John Bel Edwards?

Baton Rouge, LA - Three leading members of the radical liberal “resistance” are descending on Louisiana this weekend for the College Democrats Summer Conference in New Orleans. 

California Rep. Maxine Waters, “Squad” member Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams are at Tulane University this weekend, motivating their socialist troops to reelect Governor John Bel Edwards. 

Despite his best efforts to fool Louisiana voters, Edwards’ connections to the radical left are well-established. 

He was a vocal supporter and superdelegate for Hillary Clinton, who advocates for Democrats to “resist, insist, persist, enlist” against President Trump. Far-left groups including the George Soros backed American Bridge, pro-impeachment Indivisible, and Abrams’ Fair Fight 2020 are supporting his reelection. And Edwards even donated $5,000 to Abrams’ failed gubernatorial campaign last year. 

John Bel Edwards and Louisiana Democrats need to answer – do they support the radical positions and hateful statements espoused by Abrams, Tlaib, and Waters? 

Abrams has suggested that illegal immigrants are part of the “blue wave” electorate: “But the thing of it is, the blue wave is African-American. It’s white, it’s Latino, it’s Asian-Pacific Islander. It is disabled. It is differently-abled. It is LGBTQ. It is law enforcement. It is veterans. It is made up of those who've been told that they are not worthy of being here. It is comprised of those who are documented and undocumented." 

Abrams supports efforts to impeach President Trump:VIDEO: “[I]mpeachment is absolutely a lever we need to look at…” 

Abrams attacked law enforcement officers, equating them with terrorists: “Democratic candidate for Georgia governor Stacey Abrams said Wednesday night that a program of the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office ‘terrorizes families.’” 

Tlaib used vulgar language when calling for the impeachment of President Trump: VIDEO: “We’re going to go in and impeach the motherf***er.” 

Tlaib supports abolishing ICE and claims that the agency has “militarized” communities: “Southwest Detroit is militarized because of ICE. It’s not keeping our families safe—it’s making families live in fear. It’s an international border neighborhood. [ICE has] shifted toward targeting Americans and our neighbors, folks trying to do the right thing. It’s made immigration a militarized operation. I want it abolished.” 

Waters encouraged her supporters to harass Trump administration officials in public places like restaurants and gas stations: "Let's make sure we show up wherever we have to show up. And if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere.” 

Waters stated that members of the Tea Party movement could “go straight to hell”: This is a tough game. You can't be intimidated. You can't be frightened. And as far as I'm concerned -- the Tea Party can go straight to hell.” 

Waters supports allowing the federal government to take control of private companies:“And guess what this liberal will be all about. This liberal will be all about socializ… uh, uh … would be about [long pause] basically taking over, and the government running all of your companies.” 

LAGOP: DisGraced Notes: Drew Brees should’ve known better than to associate with victim silencer and enabler of a known sexual predator

The local left-wing media is currently OUTRAGED that Saints quarterback Drew Brees appeared in a commercial to promote a program dedicated to getting Bibles into schools. Yes, you read that right. Earlier this week, left-wing ideologues descended on the group and decided to rebrand this clearly pro-Christian advertisement into some manufactured LGBTQ crisis. Then, they decided to make Brees guilty by association. This episode has definitely taught Brees a lesson. No matter how great a guy you are, no matter how much you give back, no matter how important you are to the city – today’s virtue signaling, outrage driven media will always think they know better than you. They will never miss an opportunity to cut you down just to score social points and they will always use their shrinking platform to force their agenda onto you and your family through shame and manufactured outrage. What a stark change in tone from last month when the exact same media outlet was gushing about Brees throwing footballs with their chosen Governor John Bel Edwards, or appearing in a conveniently timed “public service announcement” with the same desperate candidate. That is how it works with today’s Trump-deranged media, ANYTHING is ok, ANYTHING can be justified, as long as it promotes THEIR political agenda, but as soon as you invade their safe space and they feel triggered…watch out. If John Bel Edwards were conservative (LOL), you would have read the headline above in The Advocate a month ago.

• FACT: John Bel Edwards hired a KNOWN sexual predator to be his Deputy Chief of Staff.

• FACT: This same Deputy Chief of Staff sexually harassed another employee in the Edwards Administration.

• FACT: In the middle of the state’s “fiscal cliff” debate, John Bel Edwards paid oversix figures in settlement and legal fees, all paid withTAXPAYER MONEY.

• FACT: Attorneys for John Bel Edwards and his Deputy Chief of Staff included a “non-disparagement clause” as part of the settlement tosilence the victim.

As triggered opinion writer Stephanie Grace hypocritically notes in today's Advocate, “A guy like him (Drew Brees) has to know that any group (or desperate politician running for reelection) would want to have its profile boosted by, well, a guy like him…He really should be more careful about how he lets other people with other agendas use it.” Drew Brees is NOT responsible for every opinion of Focus on the Family, just like Brees is NOT responsible for John Bel Edwards hiring a sexual predator and then silencing his victim. Drew Brees is responsible for throwing touchdowns and winning another Super Bowl. Brees is responsible for the words that come out of HIS mouth. That’s it. Louisiana loves football because it is everything politics isn’t. While the media is using politics to drive us apart – in Louisiana, we use sports to bring folks together. When it comes to football, let’s all just leave our politics on the sidelines.

Criminal Justice Reform Fail!!!

Louisiana Citizens for Job Creators released its first ad of the 2019 campaign season highlighting AG Jeff Landry's efforts to keep us safe and expose the flaws in recent criminal justice reforms. 

LAGOP Releases New Digital Ad for College Football Fans

Baton Rouge, LA – With college football kicking off in Louisiana this weekend, the Republican Party of Louisiana released a new digital ad. The video, titled "JBE vs. College Football", features clips of Governor John Bel Edwards demanding higher taxes and threatening to cancel college football if he didn't get his way.

The digital ad will be featured across multiple online and social media platforms.

“Last year, John Bel Edwards was threatening to kick seniors out of nursing homes and cancel college football if he didn't get to raise taxes." added LAGOP Communications Director Jason Harbison. “Now he is hoping we forgot about his temper tantrum. The people of Louisiana remember his childish threats. This fall, we fire John Bel Edwards.”


Transcript:

Governor John Bel Edwards: "Tonight I speak to you as no other Louisiana governor has ever spoken to our state. Without legislators approving new revenue this special session, some campuses will be forced to declare financial bankruptcy."

"That means you can say farewell to college football next fall."

"That means you can say farewell to college football next fall."

"That means you can say farewell..."

LAGOP: Longtime Edwards Family Friend Found Guilty on SEVEN Corruption Counts

Baton Rouge, LA – Yesterday, a jury in New Orleans took less than two hours before returning guilty verdicts on all seven counts against longtime Edwards family friend and disgraced former DEA Agent Chad Scott. The convictions included perjury, obstruction of justice, and falsification of government records, all stemming from his actions leading a drug task force covering the Edwards family-controlled Tangipahoa Parish.
 
Records obtained by The Advocate show the DEA and FBI received complaints beginning more than a decade ago that Scott routinely misused confidential sources and disregarded DEA policies. Unfortunately, he was not stripped of his badge until early last year, when the U.S. Justice Department launched a sprawling inquiry into the New Orleans-based task force, which has been accused of shaking down suspects, dealing drugs and pocketing cash during drug raids.
 
While the Edwards family has played down their connections to the DEA task force, text messages and emails obtained by The Advocate show that Sheriff Daniel Edwards has had a close relationship with Scott, an agent of 17 years who remains at the center of the misconduct investigation.
 
Their friendship began even before Edwards was elected sheriff in 2003, when Edwards was an assistant district attorney who prosecuted many drug cases which Scott investigated. But the pair had drawn even closer in recent years, swapping emails and text messages and sharing meals.
 
Among other allegations, the whistleblower reported to the DEA in late 2003 that Scott had maintained a "stash room" at a hotel in Hammond that he used to store illegal drugs and cash, and that Scott had sold ecstasy in college, the law enforcement officials said.
 
The agent also expressed concern in 2004 that DEA management regularly allowed Scott to circumvent policy because of the volume of drug cases he generated, and that the DEA had been turning a blind eye to corrupt law enforcement in Tangipahoa Parish, according to internal documents reviewed by the newspaper.
 
That same year, one of Scott's longtime informants told the DEA he had been provided 100 pounds of marijuana and two kilograms of cocaine by another former DEA task force member and a Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office deputy, according to DEA records.
 
"It was well known that Scott led what many considered to be local investigations, all with the blessing and approval of the sheriff," said a law enforcement official who has known both men for more than a decade. "Nobody's going to dispute that."
 
Edwards and Scott became even closer following Edwards' election as sheriff, exchanging frequent emails and text messages and sharing meals. On several occasions, Edwards sent drafts of press releases to Scott and asked him to review them and offer feedback.
 
Many members of the task force, including Scott, Johnny Domingue and Karl E. Newman, began their careers with the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office, and Scott had a close working relationship with Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards.
 
According to NOLA.com, the investigation also has placed Governor John Bel Edwards in an unenviable position, though by no means an unprecedented one for a high Louisiana officeholder. Shortly after John Bel Edwards moved into the Governor’s Mansion, the FBI raided his brother Daniel’s Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Department. "We are conducting multiple court authorized actions. The investigations are ongoing. We have no further comment at this time," said Craig Betbeze, public information officer for the FBI New Orleans’ office.
 
The materials taken by federal agents included a computer from the office of Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards.
 
"It's very unusual for the FBI to raid the office of a sitting governor's brother, irrespective of whether he's sheriff," one senior law enforcement official said.
 
Three years ago, John Bel Edwards told reporters, "Without any fear of contradiction or ever being proven wrong, I will tell you now, he did not engage in anything improper, much less illegal. I have all the confidence in the world in that, and I think that time will bear that out."
 
With these convictions, the pressure on Chad Scott to flip on the Edwards family is higher than it has ever been, and the Edwards brothers should be feeling a little less confident today.
 
Of course, this isn’t unusual for the Edwards family. Their father, Frank Edwards Jr., was the subject of a federal investigation while running for reelection. A Special Agent was assigned to an investigation of alleged violations of a combination of federal gun, liquor and gambling laws in Tangipahoa Parish pursuant to orders from the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
 
Federal investigations are just one of the Edwards “Family Traditions” conveniently left out of the TV commercial.
 

LAGOP: NEWS UPDATE: Scandals and Controversy Are Surrounding John Bel Edwards (Part II)

Baton Rouge, LA – Yesterday we covered FOUR of the scandals surrounding John Bel Edwards. (You can read Part One here.)

But you guessed it- there’s STILL MORE!

SCANDAL #5

Last year, John Bel Edwards proudly announced that Wanhua Chemical planned to invest one and a quarter billion dollars in a new plastics plant in the St. James community of Convent. 

Louisiana taxpayers will be paying for the privilege: Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat,has pledged a cash grant of more than $4 million to the company.

Those plans were delayed this summer when it was learned that a division of the company sought trade tariff exemptions, and also wanted to have the plant property declared a foreign trade zone through the Port of South Louisiana, both of which measures could mean less tax revenue for the community.

According to analysis from The Washington Times, Kimberly Terrell, Director of Community Outreach at Tulane Environmental Law Clinic in New Orleans and a scientist by training, stated, “In its response to the Land Use Permit Appeal [to St. James Parish], Wanhua falsely claimed that neither Wanhua U.S. nor Wanhua China is owned by the Chinese government.”

However, Ms. Terrell says, “publicly filed documents contradict this claim by proving that Wanhua U.S. is 100% owned by Wanhua China, and that Wanhua China’s ‘ultimate controlling shareholder’ is a municipal government of the PRC. Like all local governments, Yantai is entirely controlled by the PRC central government and the Communist Party of China.” Wanhua even has its own Communist Party committee embedded within the company’s leadership structure.

At the same time the Trump administration is calling China “an economic enemy” and their business practices a threat to “the economic and national security of the U.S.,” John Bel Edwards has identified the People’s Republic of China as Louisiana’s “primary foreign direct investment” partner!

SCANDAL #6

Earlier this month, The Washington Times reported that when John Bel Edwards visited Hollywood in October, he was seeking money, not controversy. Instead, he got both.

Universal Pictures filmed “The Hunt” in New Orleans, Louisiana, earlier this year. The studio selected the location only a few months after Democrat Gov. Edwards traveled to Hollywood to discuss Louisiana’s controversial film tax credit program and raise money for his reelection campaign. Edwards met with Universal Pictures and other studio executives in Los Angeles, California, in October 2018.
 
The production was for “The Hunt,” a recently canceled Universal Studios movie that depicted liberal elites hunting down “deplorables” — a phrase 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton used to describe supporters of then-candidate Donald Trump.

President Trump slammed “Liberal Hollywood” as the “true racists” and decried “The Hunt” for attempting to “inflame and cause chaos.”

Universal canceled the movie’s release, slated for Sept. 27, in the aftermath of the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.

SCANDAL #7

Last summer, while John Bel Edwards was threatening to throw seniors out of nursing homes and cancel LSU Footballbecause of the “fiscal cliff”, the State of Louisiana was forced to spend over $100,000 of taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment suit against his deputy chief of staff.

Most disturbingly, John Bel Edwards, his deputy chief of staff and their attorneys attempted to silence the victim. According to a report fromNOLA.com, as part of the settlement, the woman, Anderson and the Governor’s office cannot make "disparaging remarks" about one another.

Why did John Bel Edwards ever hire Johnny Anderson as deputy chief of staff, after Anderson had previously faced claims of sexual harassment when he worked for Governor Kathleen Blanco more than a decade ago?

SCANDAL #8

Earlier this summer, John Bel Edwards kicked off his campaign for reelection in his childhood hometown of Amite, Louisiana. The event was hosted by Amite Mayor Buddy Bel and emceed by Amite businessman Tom Brumfield.

Yes, this is the same Buddy Bel accused by the Amite Police Chief of cutting the power to the local evidence room and allowing it to be burglarized.

Yes, this is the same Buddy Bel who was subpoenaed by FBI investigators regarding his connection with a vote buying scheme in Tangipahoa Parish.

Yes, this is the same Tom Brumfield that was ALSO subpoenaed by federal agents regarding his involvement with the same vote buying investigation.

According to an exclusive report by The Advocate: The FBI has cast a wide net, examining parish races going back to 2011, two sources stated. Yet agents have taken a special interest in certain political operatives, including Louis Ruffino, a former mayor of Roseland who for years has offered "get out the vote" services to local candidates.

Long-time Tangipahoa Sheriff Daniel Edwards, John Bel Edwards’ brother, said he never hired Ruffino, the north shore operative who is under federal investigation. But John Bel Edwards acknowledged paying Ruffino $8,750 ahead of his 2011 re-election to the Louisiana House of Representatives to put up signs and perform other “routine campaign work”.

SCANDAL #9

Shortly after John Bel Edwards moved into the Governor’s Mansion, the FBI raided his brother Daniel’s Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Department. "We are conducting multiple court authorized actions. The investigations are ongoing. We have no further comment at this time," said Craig Betbez, public information officer for the FBI New Orleans’ office. 

The Advocate reported that three of its enforcement sources said the raid is related to a broader federal investigation of a drug task force that has come under scrutiny for allegedly selling confiscated narcotics and tampering with witnesses.

The task force included several members of the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office and was led by Chad Scott, a special agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency who has been suspended from duty as a result of the probe, the newspaper reported.

According to a report from NOLA.com, the materials taken by federal agents included a computer from the office of Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards.

"It's very unusual for the FBI to raid the office of a sitting governor's brother, irrespective of whether he's sheriff," one senior law enforcement official said.

The people of Louisiana deserve better. Make Louisiana work again. FIRE John Bel Edwards.

LAGOP: NEWS UPDATE: Scandals and Controversy Are Surrounding John Bel Edwards

Baton Rouge, LA – The Edwards family is not new to political scandal, but over the last three years this Edwards administration has become so corrupt that even members of the local press have taken notice:

SCANDAL #1

While John Bel Edwards is busy campaigning and promoting his Medicaid expansion program, the bidders for the next round of multibillion-dollar contracts to manage health services for Medicaid patients are accusing the Edwards administration of bias and conflicts of interest.

According to a report from the Associated Press, both Republican AND Democratic lawmakers are worrying publicly about whether health care access will be disrupted for half a million Medicaid enrollees, many of whom are in Edwards' expansion program.

Even Democratic U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond sent a letter to Governor Edwards arguing that Louisiana's health department has been plagued by technology problems that would likely make it difficult to shift patients to new health plans without "at least some of these patients falling through the cracks for a time."

Several lawmakers from both parties have publicly questioned how Humana Health Benefit Plan of Louisiana, which hasn't done Medicaid managed care work in the state but was handed a contract by the Edwards’ administration, will quickly ramp up to service a new health plan without a network of doctors, clinics and hospitals available to Medicaid patients.

The Governor and his health department are defending the bid evaluation and contractor selection, saying it followed the detailed requirements laid out in Louisiana procurement law.

"We anticipate that we're going to be able to move forward without any interruption in services," the Governor assured us. Unfortunately for the Governor, he was promptly contradicted by his administration’s own health department, which asserted in that there would likely be claims made in the paperwork filed with the state procurement office about the dispute over the contracts.

In a letter to Louisiana's chief procurement officer, the Louisiana Department of Health warned that if the ongoing legal challenges caused delays in contract negotiations, that could "disrupt and jeopardize the provision of health care to more than one million of Louisiana's most vulnerable citizens”.

This controversy is just getting started and will likely ramp up over the next few weeks.

But wait… there’s more:

SCANDAL #2

This past weekend we learnedthat John Bel’s dark money group, Gumbo PAC, is relying on more than just Planned Parenthood money being funneled through the hyper-liberal Democratic Governors Association- its biggest Louisiana donor is New Horizons USA PAC. This new dark money group was founded by Dominick Fazzio, the longtime chief financial officer at River Birch Landfill and former target of a four-year federal investigation for his role in payroll and embezzlement conspiracies.

New Horizons USA PAC has given at least $200,000 to Gumbo PAC and is funded primarily by two companies owned and operated by Fred Heebe and Jim Ward: River Birch and Willow LLC, a development company. Since Edwards’ election in 2015, River Birch has funneled at least $150,000 into New Horizons, and Willow has contributed $100,000.

According to a report from The Advocate, Ward, Heebe and other landfill executives are some of the largest financial backers of the effort to reelect Gov. John Bel Edwards, even as they prepare their defense in a civil racketeering case over long-standing accusations that some of their earlier political donations constituted bribes — in particular, a batch of checks they gave to convicted former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who currently sits in prison on corruption charges.

River Birch and its affiliates must still face the lawsuit filed by the state Ethics Board in Jefferson Parish in 2012. That case largely mirrors the federal investigation, accusing the firm and its principals of violating state campaign laws by bundling donations through bogus companies. That matter has been on hold because of the other litigation.

But wait… there’s even more:

SCANDAL #3

A few weeks ago, The Advocate reported that three years after floods swept across portions of southern Louisiana, only thirty-six percent of homeowners who applied for help through the Restore Louisiana program have been approved for grants, and only about one-third have received checks for repairs, according to a recent report from the relief program.

More than 65,800 residences across East Baton Rouge, Ascension and Livingston parishes were impacted by flooding in August 2016, according to federal data. Of those who applied for grants, only 15,634 homeowners were offered grants through Restore Louisiana and 12,980 homeowners have been sent checks as of July 26.

More than $1.2 billion in federal funds were allocated for rebuilding efforts following floods in March and August 2016, but only $575 million was offered to homeowners across the state. Of that total, $412 million was disbursed as of July 26.

As part of the contract, Innovative Emergency Management (IEM) will receive $308 million as payment for managing the program, and that money comes directly from Restore Louisiana funds. That’s right, IEM will be paid $300 million while flooded homeowners in Louisiana will get $575 million!

Of course, IEM, a North Carolina-based disaster management company, was awarded the contract to oversee the state's $1.6 billion flood recovery plan twice, after previously winning and then being stripped of the contract in a botched bid process.

How did IEM manage to win this contract twice?

IEM and its CEO, Madhu Beriwal, have contributed over $50,000 to John Bel Edwards and Gumbo PAC since 2015, with most of the donations coming in the months AFTER they were awarded this contract by John Bel Edwards and his administration.

The state has already beenforced to withhold $1.3 million in payments to IEM for failing to meet its responsibilities and making errors in hundreds of flood victim cases.

But wait… there’s still MORE:

SCANDAL #4

Earlier this month, the Edwards administration announced a complex agreement that could lead to the widespread privatization of energy systems at state agencies and universities throughout the state.

Rather than requiring an open and honest process for future privatization, the Edwards’ administration has attempted to build an “option” into this latest agreement which will allow LA Energy Partners to obtain additional state contracts without a new competitive bidding process.

According to The Advocate report, Bernhard Energy Solutions partnered with the HVAC company Johnson Controls at the request of the Edwards’ administration after both firms submitted proposals to the state.

Bernhard Energy Solutions is one of several companies controlled by Bernhard Capital Partners, a private equity firm run by former Shaw Group chief executive and Democratic Party chairman Jim Bernhard, who was floated as a potential Democratic candidate for governor before ruling it out last year.

Johnson Controls, a multinational electrical and HVAC group that moved its corporate headquarters to tax-haven Ireland in recent years, was at the center of a bribery and kickback scandalduring the Morial years in New Orleans which saw more than a million dollars skimmed off the top by subcontractors and more than a dozen people convicted of related crimes. More recently, in 2016, the company found itself caught up in a ponzi scheme, which lead to the resignation of its CEO. In the same year, Johnson Controls found itselfpaying $14.4 million to end an SEC probe into a corruption and bribery scandal involving Chinese businesses.

As the campaign season goes into high gear and more people begin paying attention to the shady dealings of John Bel Edwards, we can be sure that MORE scandals will come bubbling to the surface.

The people of Louisiana are tired of political deals crafted by the likes of Huey Long, Edwin Edwards, and John Bel Edwards. This fall we have the opportunity to stand-up to the corrupt good-ole boy network of “pay to play” government contracts.

This fall we must FIRE John Bel Edwards!

Let Me Guess, It’s Bobby Jindal’s Fault

Photo source: Twitter

“Louisiana has lost the most jobs of any state since Governor Edwards took office, and this new data shows his policies continue to drive away work and workers,” said RGA Communications Director Amelia Chassé Alcivar. “At a time when Louisiana should be taking advantage of a strong national economy to grow jobs and expand opportunity, John Bel Edwards liberal tax-and-spend agenda is moving the state in the wrong direction, and working families are the ones paying the price.”

Read more: Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards’ Louisiana Was The Only State In The Country To Lose Jobs In The Past Year

Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards Pitched Hollywood Tax Credits That Led to ‘The Hunt’ Filming in Louisiana

Photo source: Breitbart

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards pitched Universal Pictures to film movies in Louisiana, to which the motion picture studio filmed the controversial film The Hunt, which reportedly featured liberal elites hunting and killing “deplorables” for sport.

Universal Pictures filmed The Hunt in New Orleans, Louisiana, earlier this year. The studio selected the location only a few months after Democrat Gov. Edwards traveled to Hollywood to discuss Louisiana’s controversial film tax credit program and raise money for his reelection campaign. Edwards met with Universal Pictures and other studio executives in Los Angeles, California, in October 2018.

Read more: Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards Pitched Hollywood Tax Credits That Led to ‘The Hunt’ Filming in Louisiana

MILLS: A Tale of Two Governors

Photo source: YouTube

The following was penned by Gene Mills, President of the Louisiana Family Forum:

I’ve worked with numerous governors over my 30+ years around Louisiana’s political landscape, including Louisiana’s current Governor. Throughout those years, I have tried to hold public officials accountable while personally modeling the respect due to each civil government official as Scripture requires (Romans 13). It is in that spirit that I respectfully offer these thoughts.

Governor John Bel Edwards and I, though often public policy opposites, remain friendly and co-operative when common ground is found. The most recent example of that is Criminal Justice Reform. My involvement was at his request, and I served out of respect for his office and a shared belief that of the 18,000 inmates released each year in Louisiana, that a 42% recidivism rate within five years was too high. I respect Governor Edwards family and his lovely and talented wife. His pro-life and pro-second amendment platform won the Louisiana electorate in 2016, and many had high expectations for this deep-south Democrat going forward.

Last week, while launching his reelection campaign Governor Edwards took a swing at an old foe of his and a good friend of mine – former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. I understand that it is said that “all is fair in love and war… and politics.” However, it is political season predictable to me when one joins the chorus of others - making a ghost of the past argument – which oversimplifies and misrepresents a good man’s tenure. Among other things, Bobby Jindal understood the importance of regularly inviting socially conservative, Evangelical, Protestant, and Catholic pastors to his table to discuss policies which were impacting their cities, their churches and the shared responsibility we have to minister. We prayed together, communicated concerns, and listened to his responses. When hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit Louisiana, the reaction from this conversation was tangible. By our small network’s account, tens of millions of dollars of goods and services moved, at no taxpayer expense, through this group of communicating and cooperating friends who ministered to the impacted families.

I can offer a few additional things Bobby Jindal did very well:

1. He earnestly supported traditional family values. Governor Jindal refused to extend executive actions from his predecessors affirming the LGBTQ+ agenda and bringing sexual politics into state government. Governor Edwards signed an executive order expanding LGBTQ+ rights. Only Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and three failed court appeals stopped JBE’s executive advocacy.

2. Governor Jindal was a staunch defender of religious liberty. He supported and signed our state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act (2010). John Bel Edwards, as a legislator in 2009, had deep concerns with a constitutional amendment on religious liberty and he voted against the amendment. Then Rep. Edwards did vote for the 2010 version of the bill.

3. Governor Jindal served as a firewall protecting our state from the incessant encroachment of gambling interests. It was well known in the industry that he would oppose both de-regulation as well as the expansion of gambling. Under Governor Edwards, gambling bills filed and passed has exploded – including new forms of gaming.

Yes, there are significant differences in the governance and ideology of these two men. However, it’s disingenuous for Governor Edwards to oversimplify the past while ignoring the context that the policies of both President Obama and President Trump have had on our economic and political landscape.

I urge Governor Edwards and his surrogates to focus on the present reality. From LFF’s vantage point, much work remains before Louisiana is known as a place where God is honored, families flourish, liberty is cherished, and state government is laser-focused on its constitutional imperatives. Bobby Jindal has not been the Governor for nearly four years. Surely, there are present indicators which assist the Governor in making his case to the voters of Louisiana. In the meantime, I will continue to remind our state of the remarkable legacy of Bobby Jindal.

Gene Mills
President
Louisiana Family Forum

LAGOP: Edwards Funnels Over $10,000 to Clinton Law Firm Responsible for Steele Dossier

Baton Rouge, LA – It appears that even with all his trial-lawyer donors, John Bel Edwards could not find a Louisiana law firm capable of handling the complex legal issues facing his campaign for reelection. The most recent expenditure report filed by the Edwards campaign disclosed a $10,137.80 payment to Perkins Coie – the same law firm used by Hillary Clinton’s campaign to coordinate the Steel Dossier smear attack on then-candidate Donald Trump.

The Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) worked together, funneling money to Perkins Coie – describing their expenditures as “legal consulting”, just like John Bel Edwards did above. We now know this money was used to pay foreign agents to provide unverifiable “dirt” on Donald Trump.

This dirt was then used by the FBI as the main “evidence” to obtain a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants targeting the Trump campaign in the final days leading up to the election.

Like Hillary, John Bel worked successfully to split the bill from Perkins Coie with another group. While the Clinton campaign used the DNC, Edwards summoned his “John Bel Edwards for Louisiana Leadership PAC” to pick up the rest of the tab from Perkins Coie.

That’s right. John Bel’s campaign AND his “Leadership PAC” both paid their bill from Hillary Clinton’s lawyer on the exact same day. You could almost say the payments were… coordinated.

As Robert Mueller testifies in Washington D.C. tomorrow, several questions will be asked about Perkins Coie and their work-product, the Steele Dossier, will be discussed at length. Years later, the shockwaves of this law firm’s unethical behavior are still being felt across the country.

Why did John Bel Edwards and his “Leadership PAC” coordinate to pull Perkins Coie out of the depths of the D.C. swamp and bring them into Louisiana?

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"Honor Code" Sides with "The Squad" Rather Than President Trump

For all the BS that “Honor Code” John Bel Edwards spouts about being a moderate Democrat, this one post regarding tweets sent out by President Trump speak otherwise. Gov. Edwards has come down on the side of the anti-semites, anti-American crew of whack jobs otherwise known as “The Squad”

When November gets closer and closer, you’ll surely see him try to promote some conservative credentials. Don’t let this man fool you; he’s another liberal Democrat trying to hide in sheep’s clothing.

LAGOP: Led by Governor Edwards, Louisiana is the Most Violent State in America

Louisiana also named “Solitary Confinement Capital of the World”

Photo source: New York Magazine

Baton Rouge, LA – New state rankings, published by USA Today found that Louisiana, under the failed leadership of Governor John Bel Edwards, is the most violent state in America. The team at USA Today used the four metrics below to calculate their state rankings:

• Violent crime rate: 557.0 per 100,000 residents (4th highest)

• Murder rate: 12.4 per 100,000 residents (the highest)

• Incarceration rate: 719 per 100,000 residents (the highest)

• 2018 unemployment: 4.9% (3rd highest)

Under Governor Edwards, Louisiana has the highest murder rate in the United States. There were 12.4 murders in the state for every 100,000 residents in 2017 –making Louisiana the only state where murders were more than twice as common as they were nationwide. For reference, the national murder rate was 5.3 incidents per 100,000 people.

Murders in Louisiana are disproportionately concentrated in urban areas, with the New Orleans Metro Area topping the list of U.S. cities with the most gun violence.

Don’t worry, Governor Edwards says we are on the right path!

Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana and Loyola’s Jesuit Social Research Institute joined with Solitary Watch to publish “Louisiana on Lockdown”, A Report on the Use of Solitary Confinement in Louisiana State Prisons, With Testimony from the People Who Live It. After researching the operation of Louisiana prisons under Governor Edwards, this report found “it is clear that Louisiana holds the title of solitary confinement capital of the WORLD.”

“When it conducted a full count in the fall of 2017, the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (LADOC) reported that 19 percent of the men in its state prisons—2,709 in all—had been in solitary confinement for more than two weeks. Many had been there for years or even decades. These rates of solitary confinement use were more than double the next highest state’s, and approximately four times the national average.”

Governor Edwards has a unique family interest in the Louisiana Prison system. He is quick to campaign on the fact that his family of sheriffs has operated the Tangipahoa Parish Prison across four generations or more. Currently, his brother Sheriff Daniel Edwards is overwhelmed by federal investigations into the operations and issues at the Tangipahoa Parish Prison.

Now we all just sit back and wait for the Governor to blame Bobby Jindal.

LAGOP: Louisiana Gets Soaked as John Bel Edwards Shifts Campaign to Taxpayer Dollars

Baton Rouge, LA – It was clear this weekend that John Bel Edwards didn’t suspend his campaign, he just traded in the RV for a helicopter. And he made sure to save a seat on the helicopter for one of the reporters covering the Governor’s race. Before Barry even had a name, Governor Edwards announced that he would reschedule the rest of his campaign kickoff RV tour.

His campaign staff couldn’t help themselves. They immediately took to social media and started patting themselves on the back.

Their campaign team quickly handed the reigns to the communications staff for the Governor’s Office, who kept right on campaigning. Trying to soak up all the free media coverage that comes with any natural disaster and taking to Twitter to celebrate their success.

Yes, while the residents of Louisiana were scrambling to prepare for inches of rain and storm damage, the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff is bragging about column inches and media coverage. Real classy. But it sure looks like that taxpayer funded helicopter ride paid off.

Those Louisiana residents, searching for the latest weather information, who grew tired of press conferences and staged photo-ops, turned to the Weather Channel for information or maybe their local news…where they were met with JBE’s campaign commercial.

When the Governor wasn’t flying members of the press to his staged photos-ops and wasn’t paying the Weather Channel to show his campaign commercial. He was holding press conferences where at times it appeared, he could barely contain his love for the media spotlight.

Between a press conferences, Governor Edwards was busy making sure he stayed in front the media, by calling into CNN and MSNBC multiple times over the weekend. How many Louisiana residents get their severe weather news from CNN and MSNBNC?

The Governor’s Office originally announced that he would be touring the impacted areas on Sunday but had to cancel those plans because it was too windy to take the helicopter.

Hey Governor, if you really wanted to tour the impacted areas on Sunday, we know where you can find a brand-new RV that isn’t being used.

Of course, this tour had little to do with surveying damage and everything to do with staying in front of the cameras for as long as they will let him. Which is exactly why a new member of the media got offered a free ride on today’s helicopter tour and “press gaggles” were pre-planned for every stop.

When severe weather strikes Louisiana, the real news story is the local men and women who brave the storm to help their neighbors. Not the guy in a different colored, custom embroidered fishing/disaster shirt thrusting himself in front of cameras and microphones from a secure location.

Thank you to the first responders. Thank you to the Louisiana National Guard. Thank you to the local city and parish workers. Thank you to the electrical lineworkers and pump operators. We appreciate the long hours you spent getting Louisiana ready for this weekend and the work you are doing this week to get our communities cleaned up.

Thank you for working when the cameras aren’t running.

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John Schroder, Another Louisiana Hero Fighting JBE's Corrupt Administration

In what is turning out to be a lesson in not taking what doesn’t belong to you, Louisiana Treasurer, John Schroder, has denied “Honor Code” the ability to raid yet another “piggy bank” in the state, the unclaimed property account. Schroder is the guardian of unclaimed monies for the citizens of Louisiana, which is in this account. However, it seems like the hogs in Baton Rouge have, for years, raided this account to plug holes in the general budget.

Treasurer John Schroder said he won’t let Louisiana spend $25 million from the state’s unclaimed property account for general operating expenses this year, calling the regularly used financing mechanism illegal.

The decision threatens to create a hole in the state budget only a month after lawmakers finished crafting it.

Louisiana collects unclaimed dollars from old savings accounts, payroll checks, stocks and dividends, insurance proceeds, oil royalty payments and utility deposits on behalf of residents who are owed the cash. The treasurer’s office, designated as the custodian of the unclaimed property, tries to locate people and return the money.

Though governors and lawmakers for decades have spent money from the unclaimed property escrow account on programs and services, Schroder said he and his office’s lawyers don’t believe Louisiana law permits the transfers.

Read more: Louisiana treasurer withholding $25M planned for budget

RGA: Left Behind

The Republican Governors Association’s PAC, Right Direction, has issued the latest video in the campaign to defeat “Honor Code” John Bel Edwards.

This Needs to be Campaign Issue #1 in “Honor Code’s” Re-Election

Edwards signed criminal justice reform legislation in June of 2017. The state’s prison population currently sits at approximately 32,000. We are in a virtual tie with Oklahoma as the incarceration capital of the United States. The state’s prison population reached an all-time high of 40,170 in 2012.

At the end of 2017, Louisiana had a violent crime rate of 566 such crimes per 100,000, according to the FBI. In 2018, the first full year of criminal justice reform, the state’s violent crime rate dropped slightly to 557 per 100,000. That makes Louisiana the 47th most violent state in the nation.

Unfortunately, our 30-continuous years of holding the title of the state with the highest murder rate per capita went unchallenged in 2018.

Read more: Dan Fagan: Thanks to so-called Louisiana justice reform, bad criminals get our early