Wow....are you frukin' kidding me? Frank Fradella? And Dardenne's brother, John, is the registered agent? CKB Investments turns out to be a bank.
Frank Fruckin' Fradella....jeez...what a small world, huh?
UPDATE: WHOOOAAA!!! HANG ON! I frucked up....John Dardenne is Jay Dardenne! So let me get this right, Dardenne is providing legal services for CKB Investments/Cross Keys Bank? And Fradella is an owner? So Dardenne works for Fradella?
kiss my tooty chute...that's mindboggling.
UPDATE 2: CKB Investments may not be Cross Keys Bank. So what is it? We know it's a Frank Fradella Enterprise which contracted Dardenne's legal services. And we know Fradella made a 5k donation to Dardenne. Any idea what CKB is?
I grew up around journalists. In the 50s and 60s, Journalism wasn't a profession. It wasn't something you went to college for—it was really more of a trade. You had a lot of guys who came up working in newspapers at the copy desk, or delivery boys, and then they would somehow become reporters afterward and learn on the job. They tended to be working-class guys who had an attitude about power. They saw themselves as being working people, and they had an emotional mandate to stick-it-to-the-man. I remember those people—when I grew up there was this kind of iconoclastic attitude. There are still some people who are from that world—Seymour Hersh is a great example. The guy grew up in newspapers and still just fucking hates people, and works in this dirty little office in Washington—he doesn't do fancy lunches. But somewhere along the line, in the 80s or 90s, after All The Presidents Men came out, journalism became this very fashionable profession, a thing for the Ivy League kids. If you go on the campaign trail, what you find is a lot of people who are really turned on by the experience of being near powerful people. They see themselves as being on the same team as the people that they're covering. I think we saw this very clearly with the [Michael] Hastings thing—all these reporters were saying "how could you betray your source?" which is a crazy attitude for a journalist to have. You would have never seen that twenty or thirty years ago, and that's kind of de rigueur now.
JP Councilperson Byron Lee....the Jefferson Sports and Scholastic Foundation...River Birch...
...I'm pretty sure SOP is on to something.
Also keep in mind that Byron Lee's hands have been pretty full as of late, being Cedric Richmond's "handler" and right hand man. Although word is if he can keep Cedric's nose clean (pfftt..sorry...I've had a cold) through the election, he'll be rewarded handsomely at the big show (D.C.)...perhaps even being named CR's chief of staff.
It would have neutered the larger con-profits (any 501c3 who received a line item appropriation of 250k +). Had it passed, 780 would have required these particular non-profits to have their financial information subject to public record.
What a splendidly, pregnant idea.
Unfortunately, the bill was aborted before it made it out of Senate Committee.
What cruel and heartless butcher would have killed such a beautiful, innocent, unborn bill?
Believe it or not...and I swear I'm not posting this per the election cycle....I've been told it was none other than Sen. Jay Dardenne.
Now why on earth would Mr. Dardenne have opposed such a bill? A simple act which could have increased transparency in Louisiana government in orders of magnitude.
Cause this is about to get very, very complicated, but if you hang with me for the next few weeks....ok maybe a month....there will be a big payoff in the end, I promise. If I time it just right, it may be an opus.
For now...check out this dusty, old tune a reader just dug up:
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Movements in 501c3": Really, AZ, honestly, I have no idea how you keep up with this stuff. Here's a tidbit. Unbelievable how the Magic 8-ball always brings back the same names: 9/17/06 TP: "Imagine began landing an abundance of city work not long after Nagin took office, created the technology officer position and hired Meffert to fill it. Meffert soon brought in Imagine to help him overhaul the city's antiquated computer systems. In an interview last summer, he freely acknowledged knowing the company's principals well, but he said that shouldn't count against them. He hired them because he was familiar with their ability, Meffert said. And while competitors have grumbled about the quantity of work Imagine has received, the quality of the work has generally not been faulted. Under Imagine's leadership, the city's Web site has become a useful tool for accessing city services. Imagine also helped create and manage the network of "crime cameras" that keep vigil over trouble spots and, in at least a couple of instances, help solve crimes. The company was featured in a glowing article in a technology magazine describing its efforts to rebuild the city's shattered communications networks after Hurricane Katrina. While the city has contracted with a variety of prime vendors for technology services since 2002, Imagine has remained a constant, holding large subcontracts under SEA Information Services, ********* which became ***Apogen***; Affiliated Computer Services, better known as ACS; and more recently Ciber." Ok, now from the 7/24/05 TP: "The New Orleans Computer Access Program in eastern New Orleans will be the beneficiary of a charity golf tournament Sept. 12 sponsored by Apogen Technologies. The tournament at Chateau Golf and Country Club in Kenner will begin with a continental breakfast of coffee and doughnuts at 8 a.m., followed by driving range practice at 9 a.m. and a shotgun start at 10 a.m. Tournament Chairwoman Liz Newell is excited about the event and the money that will be raised. "This is our third year holding the tournament as a charity function and the second straight that we have chosen NOCAP as our recipient organization. When you think about it, it's actually a great fit because we are an IT (informational technology) company and they work with the public schools, students and parents in learning about computers. It's the perfect match." NOCAP, at 5437 Crowder Blvd., works to "ensure that all Orleans Parish public school students and parents have access to computer technology in their homes." Through the use of donated money and materials, it is able to offer free personal computers to qualifying first-grade students enrolled in one of the program's four target elementary schools: Joseph A. Craig, John Dibert, Ernest Morial and William Frantz. Newell is seeking sponsors and players for the tournament. "Our goal is to fill every player's spot in the tournament. That would be fantastic and raise a lot of money for a great cause," she said. As many as 36 teams (four players each team), or 144 total players can take part in the tournament. There are four sponsorship levels, Silver Tee ($350), Cart ($500), Gold ($600) and Platinum ($1,000), which provide sponsors with several benefits, including company names listed on the sponsor board, company logos on banners, hole sponsorship and registration for varying numbers of players. There is a printing deadline of Aug. 15, after which time sponsors may not be included on recognition boards and banners." Apogen (Meffert/Imagine) and NOCAP. Look at the prices of those sponsorships. Wonder who participated. Hey, SOP, Chateau CC - why shoot (shot of Rebel Yell) - ain't that Broussard's backyard?
...so what was going on with NOCAP between 2006 to 2010? Was it accepting donations? Was it funded at all? Was it even operable? Was it paying rent to 5437 Crowder Blvd.?
It seems to me that NOCAP played on for 9 years but there seems to be some missing notes from 2006 to 2010. Mr. Spears, please feel free to chime in.
After taking on the Cedric Richmond story I've been writing about for the past several months, I've found myself on the other side of the democratic party. I'd be lying if I said that doesn't bother me in some respect, but I didn't start this blog to promote my partisan ideology, I started it to focus on corruption issues primarily in New Orleans and occasionally on the state and even national level. While I don't have the resources of a mainstream media outlet, I have striven to tell the truth, as I see it, in every story I've written regardless of my personal partisan bias or even my personal biases in specific. I'm not perfect but I've done my best.
In regards to Richmond, I truly believe everything I have written and I've been careful not to write about the allegations against him of which I am unsure. I still believe that he purchased a diamond bezel for a Rolex watch with non-profit funds....which was my exact allegation as opposed to the allegation the Times Picayune attributed to me. I spent a lot of time researching the NOCE/NOCAP issues and I find it somewhat amazing that the numerous issues I brought up with these entities were overlooked and discredited by not just the TP, but other media sources in the city based on Richmond (not Jack Sutton) producing an invoice which states he purchased A Rolex in 2007. Even after Sutton originally told me and at least one other reporter that he had located the invoice from 2002. He told us more than once. I also find it amazing that none of these media outlets are concerned that there is public record missing from the DA's office and the Criminal Clerk of Court regarding the NOCE case...I guess that's "not news" as I was told by a reporter who interviewed me regarding the story.
Regardless, I believe everything I wrote to be true and I think the documentation I provided on NOCE and NOCAP warrants your (AZ readers) inspection and consideration as citizens and voters.
Having said that, I want to address a series of posts made this past week on the Louisiana Democratic blog, The Daily Kingfish.
Look, I get it. Your candidate didn’t win the primary. You are upset. But you need to realize what is truly at stake in this election.
With all due respect....no.....I don't think you do get it. (although I am not a "Dem for Cao")
So respectfully – GET OVER IT.
And look, the people who are pushing you… who are bringing up all these rumors attacking Representative Richmond – I think you should ask yourself – What is fueling them? Could it be cold hard cash?
The DK goes on to attack Cheron Brylski , a paid political consultant who is on Cao's payroll. While I find it ironic the DK is attacking Brylski for performing paid political services, I want to point out that she isn't the only one putting Richmond under the microscope. I am, Slabbed is, and we are not getting paid by the Republican party or Joseph Cao. I'm not sure what SOP's political affiliations are, but I don't think it's skewed his pursuit of corruption in Jefferson Parish, nor do I believe my political affiliation has skewed my research in Orleans.
I believe both Slabbed and AZ are writing these stories because we do, in fact, understand what is at stake...we understand that corruption has destroyed our community for decades and if we are to move forward we have to bring it to an end. I, for one, believe that issue transcends partisanship. And while I am concerned about the national political scene, I am most concerned about my immediate community and I will not resort to Machiavellian logic at any expense. In fact, I've always associated that philosophy to Republicans as opposed to Democrats...it's one of the reasons I consider myself a Democrat.
So as to who is bringing up all these "rumors" attacking Representative Richmond....I would be one of them and cold hard cash is not something I've seen a lot of lately.
Early voting for the November 2nd General Election has started and continues until Tuesday October 26th. With over 1,200 votes cast on the first day of early voting, we are on pace to set a record turnout for early voting this time. We need as many people as possible to vote early. This will generate excitement as well as media interest.
Please call, text, email or tweet all of your family and friends and ask the to help set a record turnout for early voting, And please vote for Democrat Cedric Richmond, Congress (LA-2).
I got a kick out of a Cedric astroturfer on one of the multitude of Nola.com articles mentioning my blog. Dude stated that I had backpedaled in regards to my allegations about Cedric, NOCE, and the Rolex....not. I have not retracted anything, I've just been busy digging up bones.
Let's take a look at a speculative allegation which came in from my cyber-buds on Slabbed:
sop, would you insure a very expensive diamond bezel Rolex watch under your property insurer using a special jewelry rider? The questionable receipt/purchase dates of 2002/2007 are strange. Just so happens there were certain "burglaries" which occurred 5/20/2004 @ 4809 Eastview Dr.,NOLA and also in 2004 @ New Orleans Community Enhancement. Just wondering if any jewelry was reported on the police reports and a claim filed under any insurance policy.
Sorta reminds one of a certain BMW that was hidden at the N.O. Louie Armstrong International Airport.(The Sean Hunter/Shauna Crowden story.)
What about this boathouse #19 lease for 24 years of $74,016 which was used for a collateral mortgage of $500,000 with the Whitney Bank? Did Richmond own a yacht or maybe it was just used to occasionally dock a certain 57 foot "Silicon Bayou"?
And who was the criminal court judge who "expunged" Tina Dixon's 2004 theft charges of $30,000 after repayment of only $15,000 in 2007?
Alright, I chose to focus on the first allegation as the person who posted this seemed to have some very specific information that Cedric Richmond had filed two insurance claims within one year in respect to two burglaries that occurred at two separate properties CR owned.
Since NOPD was so proficient in producing the credit card statements used to indict Tina Dixon on the NOCE scandal, despite both the DA's office and the Criminal Clerk of Court having misplaced that information (and apparently no one is concerned about that but me), I figured there was a slim chance they may have these burglary records. Baddabing....sho' nuff....they were present and accounted for.
Two burglaries took place in 2004 at two separate locations, the first one occurred at Mr. Ricmond's 4809 East View Drive residence on May 20, 2004, the second at 8701 Lomond Road on October 25, 2004. What are the odds? The only burglaries you've ever reported and they occur at two separate locations you own within 6 months of each other...hmmm. But we'll get to the time line a little later...as you will soon see, time plays a very important role in this story.
So let's take a look at the first burglary report:
Wow....did you see that laundry list of stolen items? 128 CDs....exactly. Do you know how many CDs you have in your house to the exact number?
Anyway, some interesting things here. Cedric wasn't the person who filed the report to the officers, his uncle and mother filed the original report. CR then came back and filled out an itemized list of what was stolen from the house. The police report states that only a partial fingerprint was lifted from the crime scene and apparently no subsequent arrest was made.
You know, I think the NOPD should hire me as a detective because I am pretty confident I know who committed this burglary......you ready?
It had to be him.....he's the only one with the magical skills and magical bag big enough to get that much shit out of that house in a single burglary. Unless it was Santa. I think the NOPD should have interviewed Cindy Lou Who...I'm betting she woke up and saw the whole thing.
Let's take a look at that list again (you can click on image to expand):
Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking but I'm not ready for that punch line yet.
One thing that's pretty interesting is that Cedric's mom, Maple Gaines, originally told the reporting officer that there was $100 dollars in currency missing...how did she know that? Did Cedric leave a 100 spot laying on his dresser and his mom knew it? Also note that one "Bud Bottle" containing coins was missing...I'm assuming that was a bud bottle bank. But then note that Cedric didn't report that in the itemized list he created later.
Ok...your pad gets looted...sucks man. But you can file a sweet 13k insurance claim on that stuff and looking at the items...that's a pretty sweet deal. He probably couldn't have turned 2k for that stuff in a yard sale. Chalk it up as downsizing, take the cash and move on...
....but then October rolls around and...DOH! What are the odds?
A second burglary! At your second home! Cruel, cruel Hermes....what hath Mr. Richmond done to warrant your wrath?
What are the odds, even in New Orleans? Seriously...I'm sure there are a couple of insurance folks reading this post...what are the odds that you are burglarized twice in 6 months at two separate locations?
What's interesting this time, is that CR must have the routine down pat....he reports 6 items and their exact prices which total $6,150. The handwritten report....which at some point was edited....states that any additional information would be submitted in a supplemental report. That report was not attached to this document so I have no way of knowing if it was ever submitted.
One note....notice that our bank coin containers have now popped up at this residence...two of them.
So back to the original allegation....was a Rolex watch reported stolen in these burglaries? Minus the possible existence of a supplemental report to the October burglary.....no....no Rolex was reported stolen.
But every other goddamn watch known to man was reported stolen...7 in total. If CR makes it to D.C., he better not be late for a vote because he sure as hell can't claim he lost track of time. I've heard of women having shoe fetishes, but I've never heard of a dude having a watch fetish...until now. May I suggest to CR that he just do a Flava Flave and wear a clock around his neck if he's that obsessed with time.
Speaking of obsessions with time...here are some observations.
The NOCE thefts were originally discovered in 2003 and the credit card charges ascribed to Dixon (plucked from the total amount of charges...it is not a complete list of charges) was compiled and submitted by the NOCE C.P.A, Desiree Honore, on Feb. 5, 2004. As shown here in the records she submitted to the TP (interesting how she suddenly found her tongue when the TP contacted her...there were requests made to her by me and at least one other journalist in which she declined to comment):
So the shit was coming down on Dixon and NOCE around Feb/March of 2004. In the TP article it states that a total of $30,063 was grafted from NOCE:
Honore's audit of NOCE flagged a total of $30,063 in improper or undocumented charges. Of those, roughly $16,000 are itemized on the credit card statements appended to the police report. The most expensive single charge was $718 for something listed as "last minute getaways." Most of the charges are for meals and clothing.
The thing that has really bugged me about this is that Dixon's restitution amount was just $15,000:
Not only did she get the sweetheart deal of the century, she was only required to pay back half the amount she allegedly stole. What about the remaining 15k? What up with that? If the credit card only accounts for 16k in fraudulent charges....how was the rest of the money grafted? If Mrs. Honore is suddenly willing to provide so much information to the TP, I wonder if she would like to provide the rest of the grafted cash reports and the remaining CC charges to the TP. Of course they would probably just wipe their arse with it but I would still like to see if she is willing to provide it.
Asked whether any of the non-itemized checks or expenses could have included the purchase of a $6,000 Rolex bezel, Honore, the auditor, said no.
"I would have noticed something like that," Honore said. "That's the kind of item that would have been picked up in the audit. I would have reported something of that nature."
It has since been reported her uncle, James Gray, was in business with Ike Spears and was actually a part owner in the building in which NOCE was housed, 5437 Crowder. In fact, James Gray may have been a recipient of NOCE funds.
I would like to take Desiree's word that there's nothing to worry about, but forgive me if my spidey sense is tingling.
So Feb/March...the caga hits the fan. Two months later...CR's house is looted...he files a claim for $13,205. Less than six months later, his second house is looted and he reports $6,150 in merchandise was stolen. That's a total of $19,335 in insurance claims. If you had to come up with a lot of cash in a short amount of time, burglaries like these could be a blessing.
Where am I going with this? Nowhere. I leave it to you to ruminate on these facts.
As to the original question...no...no Rolex reported in the burglary police reports. Provided I have all the documentation.
I know I just scared off nearly everyone. But for those of you left behind...let's take a look at this comment I received over a month ago:
Anonymous said...
HOLY COW the same Pearlie Elloie who teamed up with Vernon Shorty and a few others who stole over $3,500,000.00 dollars (3.5 million dollars) from HUD and the City of New Orleans in the scam now known as the Desire Community Housing Corporation????
So I've been looking into that for the past several weeks and while the number may not be exactly right, the general premise seems to be spot on.
I offer you the HUD Inspector General's report on the properties in question....there will be a quiz later...
With rumors circulating that yet another city hall Indian chief is about to resign due to a non-profit scandal, I offer you the master grant list to the LSED grants which ran from 2000 to 2004.
Keep in mind that many, if not most, of these non-profits are now defunct so researching these entities is more of an autopsy than a surgery. But, I promise there is enough there to keep you busy for a while and the important thing is to examine the pattern of bogus non-profits and where the money funnels lead to. While many of these 501c3's are extinct, new ones have popped up to take their place and the beat goes on...the beat goes on...
The foreboding shadow hanging over Greg Meffert, Linda Meffert and Mark St. Pierre just got much larger. The Camsoft petition has peeled the Netmethods onion in ways they and their lawyers didn't.....(wait for it).....IMAGINE.
In near synch with the Camsoft lawsuit, the U.S. Attorney's office has filed new acts of information in regards to their criminal case....and our buddies Benetech pop up more than once.
Here's what I think is happening....I think Tropos has cooperated with the Camsoft lawsuit in order to avoid being listed. I think numerous emails and large amounts of information have subsequently surfaced in the wake of that alliance.
I think both the Mefferts and St. Pierre thought they could actually beat the U.S. attorney's charges....I would really like to put the optimism meter on them this week.
My prediction: They're gonna fold and plea. I don't think we will see a trial.
Either that or we'll be playing a new game on AZ called "Where in the world are the Mefferts?!?" I'll take my camera and search the world over for the white collar fugitives and report back daily....Costa Rica, Rio, Australia, Antarctica....man, I think I could sell that to Bravo or one of those crime channels.
Oh yeah, the B.R. CIO resigned....but we already knew that was a matter of time.
"Berry has claimed Richmond used the NOCE credit card or other agency funds to buy the Rolex, and then let the agency's director, Tina Dixon, take the fall when an auditor discovered the improper purchases."
Not. I did not say he used the NOCE credit card to buy the Rolex.....here is exactly what I said:
Well, interestingly enough, I have been told by two separate sources that Cedric Richmond used non-profit funds to purchase a diamond bezel from a prestigious downtown jeweler for his blingiddy-bling, white gold, Rolex watch ....here he is sporting that bad boy
I did not say it was the NOCE credit card, I did not even say it was NOCE funds, and I did not say it was the Rolex watch itself.
I said I believe he used non-profit funds to purchase a diamond bezel for the Rolex....and I stick to that claim.
"Berry has asserted that Richmond bought a Rolex diamond bezel in 2002 from Jack Sutton Jewelers using NOCE funds. He said Sutton, the jeweler, told him so."
No...I did not assert that Sutton told me that.
Sutton originally told both me and a WWL reporter that he had located the invoice for the diamond bezel from 2002. He told both me and the reporter that they didn't keep computer records back that far but his accountant had found the invoice from 2002 and it did not show the credit card number but there was a notation on the invoice which showed that Cedric put $1000 down on a credit card and payed the remainder in a personal check.
I stayed in contact with Sutton every week for about 2 months to try and obtain the invoice, I was continually told to call back in a couple of days. Upon talking to Sutton on the phone two weeks ago, he implied that they were having no luck locating the invoice....after he already told me they had located it.
As of yesterday, I discovered that the invoice had been turned into the Times Picayune and was dated from 2007. I called Sutton to ask him how the invoice was dated 2007 when he told both the WWL reporter and me that the invoice was from 2002 (more than once). He replied (paraphrase), "No you told me the invoice was from 2002, I didn't tell you that." I replied (paraphrase), "That's not right. Neither I nor (WWL reporter) knew exactly what year it was from. You were the one who originally told us it was from 2002." Sutton then replied (paraphrase), "No you told me 2002 and when I was told by the Times Picayune it was from 2007 I looked for that year and it was right there....they even have the CC number."
The date not only conflicts with his original story but the fact that he produced the card information also conflicts with his original story that the credit card info. was not recorded on the original 2002 invoice which he claimed he had located.
To boot, he then admitted to the TP that he did tell me it was from 2002.
Confused? Yeah, you should be.
A caveat: I have also been told that the invoice turned in to the TP was photocopied.
The TP obtained these NOCE credit card records from the NOPD. However, upon a public records request to the DA's office in May of this year, they responded that the records were missing:
* I have withheld the name of the person who requested the record until I can confirm it is ok to list it.
The docket states that Dixon's official sentence wasn't delivered until June 6, 2007:
How was she prosecuted if the DA's office didn't have the records? Did they lose them between 2007 and the June 2010 public records request?
Upon searching the Clerk of Court's records division for the case # 453-281, an entirely different case came up involving a male crack cocaine possession charge.
Dixon's record was officially expunged in March of this year, 2010. Regardless, the Clerk of Court should still have the case records as should the DA's office.
Desiree Honore' declined my request for an interview, but since she is now coming forward and commenting to the TP, I'm curious if she will turn over all of NOCE's financial records to the TP or some other media resource so we can get a better picture of this entity.
On another note....
It's interesting to me that the other issues I brought up about this non-profit seem to not warrant print.... the 4 specific grant violations I noted about both NOCAP and NOCE, particularly the 60k in renovations to the building.
I had no idea NOCE had garnered 588k in that four year period. I am betting NOCAP raised about the same amount, which would put the total over a million dollars in 4 years. From the NOCE audits I could only account for 1 line item which mentions a computer trainer which they had budgeted at about 6k a year. That's 24k out of nearly 600k that was spent for actual computer instruction.
While I still firmly believe Richmond used non-profit funds to buy jewelry, I regret that I made that single issue the forefront of the story as it seems to have overshadowed the other documented issues I've pointed out with Richmond and NOCE.
But this isn't over....not by a long shot. The time line on this election is redundant to me and I've uncovered a mountain of nastiness while researching this story. Hang with me, we're just getting started.
...little did you know it was just getting started.
The third party in the Greg Meffert "Cameragate" scandal, Camsoft, filed their lawsuit in Baton Rouge a couple of days ago and....wow! Just wow!
Turns out Muppet's anchor line just keeps snaring more and more folks from N.O. to B.R. to Lafayette and who knows...maybe some big corporate names like Ciber, Dell....the list is extensive.
I wish I had a dollar for everyone who is currently repeating the phrase, "....fucking Greg Meffert!"
Within 48 hours of this case being filed the following events have unfolded:
1. The CTO of Lafayette, Keith Thibodeaux, was fired after the civil suit revealed that Meffert and cew put Mr. Thibodeaux's wife on staff (she did nothing but receive a check) in return for their crime camera contract.
3. B.R. sheriff, Jeff LaDuff mysteriously retired today.
4. Word is, Mayor Kip Holden's sphincter is tight enough to forge a diamond out of a lump of coal.
Most interesting, is the breadth of the scandal and the new players who took up the reigns where the old players left off, namely MMR communications, who essentially cannibalized Netmethods' contracts and employees. And get this...our old buddies Benetech took over the Ciber role.
Motorola...Earthlink...Dell? Damn, this could be the trial of the decade. I mean....damn....just read the lawsuit, it's like a novel. It also fills in a lot of blanks for me in terms of what was actually going on behind the scenes. Read up, we'll do coffee and rap about it later.
I know I've been quiet lately, but don't misconstrue my absence with apathy. I've actually been diligently digging for dem bones.
One of the items I've dug up is the master list for the LSED grants...totaling....you ready? A whopping $14,779,644.38 over a four year period. This list is somewhat of a Rosetta Stone for N.O. politicians special interests and non-profit loops. I've spent a lot of time with it and every single time I pick it up I find something new. For those of you in the know and inclined to sleuth as pastime, you will have a field day tracking down these organizations and the money loops which lead back to the politicians who pushed the money their way.
But before we bite into that porterhouse, let's concentrate on the task at hand....Mr. Richmond. This is a list of the grants CR requested from the LSED (Click on the pic to blow it up):
Notice the disproportionate amount of cash he sent to our favorite 501.c3? There is also another non-profit on the list whose name is very close to New Orleans Community Enhancement, New Orleans Community Enrichment....I could find no trace of this organization on the Sec. of State database.
Keep in mind that the bulk of the money for NOCE was coming from the Governor's Office of Urban Affairs and Development and those records are sealed.
As for the Rolex, Richmond has reportedly produced a receipt from Jack Sutton jewelers for the watch from 2008 and given it to the Times Picayune.
That's pretty funny considering Jack Sutton told me, and a local television reporter, that he has an invoice for the watch purchase from 2002. How many Rolex's does Cedric have?
Actually this time the PSA stands for Personal Service Announcement as well as Public.
This Wednesday, Oct 6th, at the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Center, I will be on a panel with Kevin Allman of the Gambit and Campbell Robertson of the NYT discussing media and democracy in an ongoing weekly forum which runs until Dec. 15th. Adrostros will also be on a panel, I think the following week.
