Citizens for Integrity is publishing its' fundraising letter, mailed to approximately 1,000 business and civic leaders throughout Lafayette Parish. CFIG Chairman Conrad Comeaux is committed to a safe and prosperous future for our communities, families and businesses.
See below:
Citizens for Integrity in Government
Conrad Comeaux, Chairman P. O. Box 52903
Lafayette, LA 70505
September 15, 2023
RE: LCG’s Leadership Crisis: Urgent Action Required.
Dear Friend,
After 35 years serving Lafayette in elected office, I am not seeking re-election this Fall. Instead, I’ve founded Citizens for Integrity in Government, an educational non-profit, to carry on my work for the parish and state that I know and love.
My immediate focus is Lafayette’s profound leadership crisis by ensuring that our citizens have the information they need about the activities of the current Administration. In all my years in public service, I have never seen anything like the utter disregard for the law, transparency, accountability, and proper financial practice that the LCG administration has demonstrated over the last three and one-half years. This is unacceptable and offensive!
Here are just a few of the incidents that have taken place:
The Homewood Detention Pond project, which is at $60 million and counting, while both LCG’s own experts and UL’s drainage experts acknowledge there will be little or no benefit from the project to reduce flooding. Additionally, there has been no assessment regarding whether the project will worsen flooding in surrounding neighborhoods. LCG lost lawsuits at both the District Court and Appellate Court levels, ruling that the expropriation was an “abuse of authority” and resulting in an $11.5 million settlement that we must pay.
The Cypress Island spoil bank project, which was implemented without permits, in “willful violation” of the Federal Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act. The US Army Corps of Engineers has issued a “cease and desist” order and is conducting an ongoing investigation. LCG is in a protracted legal battle over this matter in Federal Court.
LCG faces potential criminal enforcement action by the EPA and millions of dollars in fines for unpermitted activity on wetlands under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers.
The most recent audit of LCG by the auditor of 15 years has revealed 29 financial irregularities and violations of sound financial practice, more than any prior administration. These include no-bid contracts without authorization, million-dollar payments without signed contracts, and a host of other highly improper practices. The response of the Administration was to argue with the auditor rather than promptly working to resolve the issues. This is unprecedented!
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The Administration has conducted a war on transparency, actively working to block access to information requested by media organizations and the public. They have instituted exorbitant per-page rates for public records and systematically made it more difficult to gain access to relevant documents.
A host of questions have arisen about the business and personal activities of the Mayor-President, including the creation of an equipment rental company owned by the Mayor-President and his wife. Mr. Guillory’s name was later removed from the company’s official filing with the Louisiana Secretary of State, but his wife’s name remains as a manager of the company. With over $150 million dollars spent on the construction of ponds, the potential for improper influence is immense. These actions have raised serious questions regarding whether the Mayor-President has benefitted financially, leading to an ongoing investigation by the FBI.
I believe the citizens of Lafayette Parish are entitled to have this information made available in a format that is clear, concise, and easy to understand.
Will you please help me ensure that I have the resources to properly conduct this work for the benefit of Lafayette Parish? Your contribution in any amount will help ensure I am able to present this material to our people in a meaningful and responsible way.
All donations to CFIG are confidential and will not appear on any finance reports. There are no legal limits on the size of contributions to this effort. I sincerely hope you will join me in this important initiative for the future of our people and our parish.
Please feel free to contact me via phone at (337) 288-4578 or email me at conrad@cfig.la, if you have any questions or if I can be of assistance in any way.
Thank you in advance for your kind consideration.
Sincerely,
Conrad Comeaux, Chairman
Citizens for Integrity in Government
PLEASE NOTE: This public record on the activities of the Mayor-President and the current Administration is from public documents of the Louisiana Secretary of State, the Louisiana Board of Ethics, Lafayette Consolidated Government, the 15th Judicial District Court, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Louisiana Division of Administration, the University of Louisiana including media reports regarding same. CFIG is cataloguing the relevant literature to accelerate and enhance public exploration of these issues.
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