Jindal Appoints Multiple-LLC Contributor to Head LRA

Governor Jindal's hypocrisy on ethics knows no bounds.

While traipsing across northeast Louisiana touting his 'Ethics Reform' successes, the former top lawyer for the state Board of Ethics for Elected Officials said the so-called reforms actually gutted the state's ethics laws during an appearance before the Baton Rouge Press Club.

But, Jindal's actions spoke louder than words when, on Tuesday, he appointed one of his biggest contributors to head the Louisiana Recovery Authority.

Jindal appointed New Orleans businessman David Voelker to head the LRA board, according to the Associated Press.

Voelker was in a special class of contributors to Jindal's 2007 gubernatorial campaign. Voelker was one of the 28 or so individuals who used multiple limited liability companies they controlled to make contributions to Jindal's campaign that exceeded the personal limits imposed by Louisiana campaign finance laws.

Here's what a review of Jindal's campaign finance records and corporate records from the Louisiana Secretary of State's reveal:

On September 5, 2007, the Jindal campaign booked $30,000 in contributions that were directly related to David Voelker, with another $10,000 possible connected to him. There were four $5,000 checks from Voelker and members of his household. There were also two checks from LLCs he controls or shares control.

• September 5, 2007 •
Voelker Mangement II LLC • $5,000
Frantzen/Voelker Investments LLC • $5,000

F/V Diversified LLC, which shares an address (and initials) with Frantzen/Voelker Investments LLC, also contributed $5,000 to the Jindal campaign that was booked on the same day. Records on file with the Louisiana Secretary of State list only one member of the F/V Diversified company — JSC Management LLC, which is managed by Richard C. Conway, Jr. The Jindal campaign booked a $5,000 contribution from JSC Management LLC on September 5, 2007, as well.

Ethics reform without campaign finance reform is a farce.

Governor Jindal continues to reward his largest contributors for their largess. This is the most blatant form of the kind of "pay to play" politics that Jindal railed against as a candidate. As governor, he's proven that ethics reform is for other people — not for him, his administration and his well-heeled, deep pocketed friends.