Louisiana Board of Ethics

The Louisiana Board of Ethics convened to address various dockets and requests. The board addressed campaign finance disclosure late fees, personal financial disclosure late fees, and requests for waivers. They considered advisory opinions related to the Code of Governmental Ethics, including employment restrictions for former public employees and potential conflicts of interest. Additionally, they discussed general business agenda items, consent opinions, and administrator's notes, and approved the 2026 meeting dates.

The Board convened over two days, addressing numerous advisory opinion requests and waiver requests related to late filings for financial disclosures and campaign finance reports. Key discussions included deferring action on waiver requests for Donald Ray "Don" Cravins, Sr., Steven Jackson, Timothy Burbach, and Ingrid Felicia Payne. The Board suspended fees for Louis Lambert concerning late financial disclosures based on future compliance and concluded that Mr. Louis Russell, II, is prohibited for two years from assisting others with transactions involving his former agency, the Multifamily Housing Development Department at LHC. Several advisory opinions were issued concerning conflicts of interest, including matters involving Joby Verret, Eugene Cooke, Ryan Richard, Keith Lampkin, Philip Livaudais, Bryan Tabor, Andrew Leonards, Theodore Sanders, III, and Claudia Armwood. Furthermore, the Board adopted consent opinions for Ryker Anthony, James King, Danny Allen Hobgood, and Claudia Armstrong. Updates were provided on Tier 2 Personal Financial Disclosure electronic filing requirements and campaign finance staff activities. Action was taken on various campaign finance and personal financial disclosure late fee waiver requests, with some fees suspended based on future compliance and others declined.

The Louisiana Board of Ethics convened to address various dockets and requests. Discussions included waiver requests for late fees related to personal financial disclosures and campaign finance reports. The board addressed advisory opinions and disqualification plans related to potential conflicts of interest, employment matters, and contractual relationships involving public employees and entities. Additionally, the board considered legislation and general business agenda items, including ethics training and regulatory issues.

The meeting included the random drawing of administrative law judges to serve on the Ethics Adjudicatory Board for three-year terms beginning January 1, 2026. The Board addressed several docket items involving late fees and waiver requests related to personal financial disclosures and campaign finance reports, deferring multiple matters to the January 2026 meeting. Specific actions included declining to waive fees for Barbara Norton, suspending fees based on future compliance for Ms. Cynthia Marie Stafford, and concluding advisory opinions regarding outside employment and potential conflicts of interest for several individuals and entities, including adherence to the Code of Governmental Ethics concerning contractual relationships and dual employment. The Board also approved a disqualification plan for Michael Hare and addressed waiver requests for personal financial disclosure and lobbying late fees, including actions on several campaign finance disclosure late fee items en globo.

The Board addressed multiple docket items concerning late filing fees for various disclosures. The Board affirmed a prior decision regarding late fees for Shawn P. Gibbs. Waiver requests were considered for Timothy Burbach and Kenneth Davis, Sr., with the latter receiving suspension based on future compliance. State Representative Steven Jackson appeared regarding late fees for his 2022 disclosures, resulting in partial suspensions based on future compliance, and the Board declined to waive substantial late fees related to an election report. The Board suspended late fees for candidate Jason Coleman based on future compliance. Several advisory opinions were issued, including confirming the Code of Governmental Ethics does not prohibit the son of an EMS Supervisor from working at his father's station (with required disqualification plan), and that campaign contributions can be used for Mardi Gras expenditures under specific conditions. The Board deferred action on a candidate's late fee request and adopted staff recommendations on various items en globo. Advisory opinions concluded that a City employee is prohibited from receiving additional compensation from city grant funds for work outside official duties, and that the Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary Foundation cannot pay a student worker for foundation events. The Board declined to issue an opinion regarding employment of family members at a charter school due to missing information, and allowed withdrawal of another advisory opinion request. Further advisory opinions confirmed that a City Clerk can run for local school board (with a note on dual office-holding jurisdiction), post-employment restrictions applied to a former LCPIC employee, a disqualification plan was approved for a UNO Registrar, and nepotism was not prohibited in the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office with an approved disqualification plan. The Board also concluded an LDWF employee can obtain a specific permit, employment with Lafourche Parish is permitted despite a spouse's civil service board membership, and defined contractual limitations for a Shreveport City Marshal's Office employee contracting with Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office. Post-employment restrictions were also established for a former New Orleans OSR employee. The Board declined to render an advisory opinion concerning the spouse of a Bastrop City Council member due to lack of standing. General business included approving prior minutes, adopting a consent opinion regarding a Jefferson Parish Council District 5 violation, and declining to render an opinion regarding potential prohibited sources for a Shreveport Finance Department employee due to the issue concerning past conduct. Administrator's Notes introduced a new IT employee and recognized staff work anniversaries. The Board also unanimously declined to waive several campaign finance late fees and declined to consider reassessments for others. Furthermore, the Board suspended some personal financial disclosure late fees based on future compliance while declining to waive others. Finally, the Board suspended most but not all late fees for a School Board Disclosure violation, while deferring action on another. A consent opinion regarding a Mayor's brother transacting with his agency was adopted with no civil penalty.