Ethics Board Proposes “Divided Panel” Alternative to HB 41

Central La. Politics reports on the proposal put forward by Hank Perret and the Louisiana Ethics Board as an alternative to the proposal in House Bill 41 that would strip the ethics board of its adjudicatory authority.  A day after Jindal had to drop HB 36 that would allow for secret dealing on ethics charges, pressure is building to drop the sister bill HB 41 that would provide for secret, closed door adjudication of ethics charges by administrative law judges.

Testifying before the House and Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Jindal top lawyer Jimmy Faircloth took dead-aim at the ethics board and pre-emptively dismissed any suggestion that a proposal, such as the one put forward by Perret, would be acceptable.

In his closing remarks Faircloth made clear that the administration “would not be responsive to internal fixes.”

Jindal, who was stung by the ethics board’s recent actions to pursue charges that his campaign for governor violated finance laws, has worked hand in hand with House Speaker Jim Tucker, the sponsor of the HB 41. Tucker was absolved by the ethics board last year on charges that he improperly received  $1.8 milion in housing tax credits from the Gulf Opportunity Zone.