Earlier today I received an email that had an endorsement of Caddo Sheriff candidate Henry Whitehorn by St. Landry Sheriff Bobby Guidroz.
My research has reviewed the following news story dated Oct. 2 of this year--Ethics Charges against St. Landry Parish Sheriff. I have been unable to ascertain the status of these charges.
Any additional information that can be provided to me is appreciated.
KATC October 2, 2023:
"Ethics Board files charges against St. Landry Parish Sheriff"
The Louisiana Ethics Board has voted to lodge charges against St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz and his son-in-law's insurance company.
The charges now go to the Ethics Adjudicatory Board, which will hear the case and decide the outcome. If you want to read the charging document, scroll down.
We reached out to the sheriff and the company, to see if they would like to comment. The sheriff declined comment while the case is pending.
At issue is the Dupre Carrier Godchaux insurance company, which was founded in the 1970s and has been the insurance company for the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office since 1992. Over those years, DCG would obtain insurance policies for the sheriff's office, the document states.
One of the owners of the company has been Guidroz's son-in-law since 1999. That person owns 50 percent of the holding company that owns 63 percent of the insurance company itself; that means he is an "indirect owner" of 31.5 percent of the insurance company, the document alleges.
Guidroz was first elected sheriff in 2006, and has been re-elected four times, the document states.
Because his son-in-law is classified under the law as a member of Guidroz's immediate family, and because he has a substantial economic interest in the insurance company, the document alleges that the transactions between the company and the sheriff's office were violations of state ethics laws.
Guidroz violated the law by authorizing payments to the company in which his son-in-law had an interest, and the company violated the law by entering into an agreement with the sheriff's office, the document alleges.