I smell smoke
11th December 2017 · 0 Comments
So let me get this straight — I am supposed to believe that Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is so concerned about misspending by elected officials in majority-Black New Orleans that he can’t seem to find time or energy to tackle much else that he has on his plate? You buying any of that?
If you are, I got some genuine snake oil and a few genuine imitation rabbit-fur coats that I would love to sell you.
Since Landry’s partner in crime (pun definitely intended) — Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro — recused himself after “anonymous” accusations were made against mayoral candidate Latoya Cantrell during the home stretch of last month’s campaign and handed the case off to Landry, the state AG has been hot on the trail of Cantrell and perhaps hoping to snag a few other city councilpersons in his web of intrigue.
Both Landry and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor have subpoenaed the financial records of council members in the hopes of once again snagging a big enough fish to impress voters in the rest of the state who think of New Orleans as a “Black” city and garner some momentum. The Legislative Auditor has shown little restraint in going after Black elected officials in New Orleans and rumors persist that suggest Landry’s latest witch hunt may be just what he needs to grab some national headlines and launch a serious bid to become Louisiana’s next governor.
In order to keep pace with U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, who has made his disapproval of the recent criminal justice reforms a major issue, Landry has to forge ahead, even if that means looking under every rock for public corruption and seizing every opportunity to assure Louisiana voters that on his watch there would be no lackadaisical approach to guarding against public impropriety.
You might recall that this is not the first time the Orleans Parish D.A. and the state AG have joined efforts to take down a common foe. We saw the two lawmen do the same thing after a very public feud erupted between Cannizzaro and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu over the D.A.’s budget. The result was dueling New Orleans crime initiatives with the mayor and police chief on one side and the state AG and D.A. on the other.
It is mind-boggling that the state AG could so enthusiastically go after Mayor-elect Latoya Cantrell and her colleagues on the New Orleans City Council but take so long to determine whether or not the two Baton Rouge police officers involved in the killing of Alton Sterling should face criminal charges for their actions. His office has said very little since being handed the political hot potato seven months ago.
The decision became Landry’s to make after the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it would not file federal charges against the two officers and East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore recused himself from the case because of a connection he has to one of the officers.
Given the support he has received from the Tea Party to unseat former AG Buddy Caldwell and Landry’s background in law enforcement, it would be hard to imagine a scenario in which he thinks charges against the officers who killed Alton Sterling are warranted.
It is interesting that AG Landry has felt the need to take steps to do whatever he can to get the results he wants in his campaign against Mayor-elect Cantrell by seeking to prevent any judge in New Orleans from hearing the case against Cantrell. Make no mistake about it — it is an insult and an attack on the professionalism and integrity of every judge in Orleans Parish.
He has already decided that these New Orleans judges are incapable of being fair and impartial and that he alone should get to determine what judge or jury decides Cantrell’s fate.
They used to call that stacking the deck.
Apparently, Landry is above reproach and above the law.
He alone should have the power and the authority to decide what is best for the City of New Orleans and its residents.
Just as he has the gumption to think that he knows better than a conservative U.S. Supreme Court what is best for Louisiana’s criminal justice system with regard to sentencing reforms and early release.
Why listen to the highest court in the land when the Louisiana AG sees nothing wrong with working to override the Supreme Court’s ruling on teens sentenced to life behind bars?
Given his voting record as a former member of Congress and the controversial remarks he has made about the City of New Orleans and its residents and elected officials, perhaps it is AG Landry who should recuse himself from any involvement in cases involving any elected or appointed officials in Orleans Parish.
As Louisiana residents and stakeholders, we need to closely monitor this situation and make sure that the state AG upholds and abides by the United States Constitution as he takes aim at women, people of color, low-income residents and Democrats amid rumors that he is mulling over a possible gubernatorial bid.
We need to write, call and show up at his office when his words and actions are inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution and Louisiana law. And we need to remind ourselves constantly that the state AG, like all elected officials, works for us and can be presented with a pink slip by the people of this state whenever we decide that he is incapable of fulfilling the requirements of his current post and abiding by the U.S. Constitution.
That’s my word.
This article originally published in the December 11, 2017 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
