Baton Rouge, La. (AP) -The governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, agreed to pay a fine of 900 US dollars on Friday because she had not disclosed a free aircraft to Hawaii and other freelance flights, and ended his trips for years. The Republican also announced that he has accepted almost 20 free trips worth more than 13,000 US dollars since 2021.
Landry’s agreement with the Ethics Council Louisiana ends a civil procedure that hangs on the first governor who has tightened his grip since taking office in 2024. He has caught up the indictment as the “weapon of our government institutions”, which were called “forces presented against President Donald Trump”.
Landry’s lawyer, Stephen Gelé, told The Associated Press that the governor was “happy to put an end to this matter and continue to save the money of taxpayers, as he has already done.” Landry had signed the agreement in advance and was not present at the session.
A free trip to Hawaii
Landry used a private aircraft of a wealthy donor in 2021 – when he was still the state’s Attorney General – to fly to Hawaii, where he spoke at a conference. He did not report on the apply of the aircraft and was charged two years later for violating state ethics laws.
The indictment was made public a month before his victory in 2023 in the breed of the governor, which had become a seat held with democratic seat. Landry has continued to confront critical of political opponents and watchdog groups because of a lack of transparency about his apply of campaign funds.
Landry avoids a court hearing in front of a jury of administrative judges by agreeing to the agreement that was passed without debate after more than a year of long -term negotiations. If a court had violated the governor of the state law, it would have imposed finance of up to 10,000 US dollars for every violation and instructed him to pay additional financial punishments for the gifts.
The settlement solved investigations into five other free trips and flights between 2022 and 2023 to Washington, DC and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Landry said in the settlement that he had testified to court that he had accepted the free flights to save money for the Louisiana Ministry of Justice.
Landry indicates more free trips
As part of the settlement, Landry published information on almost 20 free trips, while he served as a attorney in general and governor, including the free transport to Washington, DC, only in July. He reported the total value with more than $ 13,000.
These trips, including transport to the northeast -Louisiana, to announce the plans of Meta for the construction of a data center last December and numerous trips to Washington, DC, for events, including the signing of management orders in the White House. These flights were generally managed by Landry’s Engen allies and a political organization of interests, which Landry, led Louisiana Values.
The state code of ethics requires civil servants to report free working trips within 60 days. The board confirmed on Friday in a legal memo that Landry must continue to disclose free transport.
David Bordelon, the board of directors of the board, said during the meeting on Friday that the reporting process could be revised.
“We would like to make sure that the instructions are clear and that everyone has an understanding of how it should be filled out,” said Bordelon.
Gelé said that Landry is “pleased that the Ethics Board has agreed to clarify who has to submit paper stuff in connection with official trips”, and that the legal memo prevents “future confusion”.
The longest member of the board, La Koshia Roberts, told the Associated Press that she believes that Landry’s team “did not act in good faith” in the comparison negotiations and pulled it out for more than a year. She said she hadn’t bought Landry’s lawyers that he was confused by the forms that he had to fill.
“A middle school student or a student could read and understand the forms,” ​​said Roberts. “Mr. Landry is a lawyer for education and work. No, the forms are not difficult to understand.”
Landry went on the Hawaii trip to Greg Mosing’s private aircraft, which has an aviation company and was a political supporter.
Landry overtakes the ethics authority
Since the governor, Landry has enforced legislation by tightening his grip on the state ethics board by eliminating measures to isolate it out of political pressure. Landry now has the authority to appoint nine of the 15 members.
Landry had other run-ins with the ethics authority. In 2022, the Board of Landry sent a confidential letter in which he warned that he had hired the apply of campaign funds to pay a car loan for a vehicle, but did not take any further measures, the lawyer reported.
This year, the legislature in Louisiana passed comprehensive changes, which Landry’s personal lawyer wrote, increased the lawyer for future investigations by the Ethics Board and offers the officials more opportunities to question allegations of misconduct. The changes had no effect on Landry’s settlement.
Roberts, a lawyer who was appointed to the board by the Louisiana House of Representatives in 2018, said that the historically “apolitical” and “independent” board of directors would be undermined by these changes.
“There was this strong urge to shift it into a strictly executive, governor controlled body that is not independent,” she said.
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Brook reported from New Orleans.
