Karen Carter who has received various newspapers endorsements and who appears to be in a good position for a runoff position against William “Bill” Jefferson, is now under attack for her poll positioning.
Republican candidate, Joe Lavigne launched a broadside against Carter on Monday, by stating, “Karen Carter has used her position as an elected official
to profit from government contracts for bond commission work, and she
has violated a State Ethics Board requirement to disclose those profits.
She has also received these contracts despite not being qualified for
the work (the Louisiana State Attorney General’s Office requires an “av”
rating by Martindale-Hubbel for state legal contract bond work, and her
rating is “bv”).
“All that the political machines of the past have given us are broken
levees, broken schools, and a reputation for corruption. Karen Carter is
just another one of these political machine candidates,” said Lavigne.
The Times Picayune noted in a February 11, 2005 story that the Carter’s
profits on the deals “qualify as transactions with the government” and
as such require “a sworn notification about the work with the Ethics Board.”
Karen Carter has filed one such notification on May 23, 2005, disclosing
a fee of $30,000 she received as underwriter’s counsel on a bond issue
for the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority.
And in a story in the Times Picayune on Friday, October 20, 2006, Carter
“said she earned almost $30,000 in recent years from the [bond] deals.”
However, she has actually received:
• $64,000 from an April 21, 2005 bond deal through the Jefferson Parish
Council, Application No. L05-169,
• $13,000 from a July 22, 2005 bond deal through the New Orleans
Aviation Board, Application No. L05-28, and
• $5,000 from a February 6, 2006 bond deal through the City of Monroe,
Application No. L05-3225.
That’s a total of $82,000 in payments she has intentionally not
disclosed as required by the State Ethics Board. Together with the
disclosed $30,000 deal she’s received over $100,000 in no-bid government
contracts while serving in the Legislature.
The $13,000 July 22, 2005 deal with the New Orleans Aviation Board was
received while Doug Evans was vice-chairman of the Aviation Board. Doug
Evans is also a leading member of the B.O.L.D. organization, like Ms.
Carter.
Ms. Carter has also failed to file her Income Disclosure Form for
calendar year 2005 with the Louisiana Legislature declaring whether or
not she has not received more than $250 in income from the state of
Louisiana or any local government entity or political subdivision
thereof, despite earning over $100,000 from these transactions with the
government for that year. (Emphasis by Bayoubuzz)
However, Carter did pick up the TP endorsement early this week. Bayoubuzz did attempt to get a statement from Karen Carter campaign to address the Lavigne allegations.
Karen Carter is not fit to be a Congresswoman from Louisiana.... unless you want someone JUST AS CORRUPT as Dollar Bill Jefferson.
