Jindal’s connections to landfill company questioned
From The Gambit Weekly: A $50,000 contribution from Colorado-based landfill company Louisiana Land Systems will resurface as the company seeks to open a landfill just outside of Baton Rouge.
Campaign Finance
Vitter not welcome on runway
From the Times-Picayune: Despite his listing as a co-chair of the fundraiser for Senate hopeful John Neely Kennedy yesterday, disgraced Louisiana Senator David Vitter was conspicuosly absent from President George W. Bush’s televised remarks at the Baton Rouge airport. Bush, who was accompanied by Kennedy and Governor Bobby Jindal, did provide Vitter a lift back to DC aboard Airforce 1. No word on whether the Senator pitched in for gas.
Freedom’s Watch under the Microscope
From the Muckety: As the conservative attack group Freedom’s Watch scurries amid allegations of collusion with the National Republican Congressional Committee in the sixth district special election, its ties to the Republican Party are scrutinized.
Believe in Louisiana rakes in $750k to promote Jindal
From the Independent Weekly: Jindal treasurer, transition leader and trumpet, Rolfe McCollister and his Jindal campaign without a campaign Believe in Louisiana reportedly raised over $750,000 for its effort in this past quarter. Of that, McCollister spent about $600k on pro-Jindal advertising.
More here on those who footed the BiL from the Advocate
Jindal puts big donor over Napoleon
As reported by the box last month, Governor Bobby Jindal put $14 million in state dollars behind Hornets co-owner Gary Chouest’s planned expansion of the shipyard at the Port of Terrebonne, leaving many legislators scratching their heads and crying foul over the anemic support for the Napoleon Avenue Terminal.
Now courtesy of the Advocate, the rationale for such treatment is becoming clear as we learn what $135,250 in campaign contributions will buy you from the Jindal administration.
Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice to Resign?
Rumors are swirling that the Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, Pascal Calogero, may be about to resign because of accusations of corruption. Read more
“Jindal Must Pay His Own Fine” Bill Passed Under Nickname “SB 29″
It’s not perfect, but SB 29 covers a couple important issues. Namely,
“A fine, fee or penalty assessed for a violation…shall be paid only by the person against whom the fine, fee, or penalty was assessed. “
The bill goes on to say that the adjudicatory committee could require a candidate to pay a fine out of his or her own pocket if the violation was intentional.
Dead Pelican Ethics Spin
There’s a delightfully deceitful bit of spin on the front page of the Dead Pelican currently. Its lead political story, which appears in the top left hand corner of the page, has the following headline:
“Groups tell Jindal to slow up on ethics provision”
Clearly, this is a reference to today’s call by the Council for a Better Louisiana, League of Women Voters, Louisiana Common Cause and the Public Affairs Research Council for Jindal to drop his demand that the state ethics board be stripped of its adjudicatory powers. The implication is that these widely respected government watchdogs are bad because they are trying to slow down ethics reform. The reality, however, is rather different. Read more
