INDReporter

Local pols facing ethics charges, fines

by Walter Pierce

A pair of Acadiana politicians including a current member of the Lafayette Parish School Board are facing charges and likely fines from the Louisiana Board of Ethics.

A pair of Acadiana politicians including a current member of the Lafayette Parish School Board are facing charges and likely fines from the Louisiana Board of Ethics.

Mark Cockerham, the District 7 representative on the LPSB, is accused by the board of failing to file a personal financial disclosure statement for 2009 in connection with his successful bid in 2010 for re-election to the board. According to board documents, Cockerham received a notice of delinquency in September of 2010 and has yet to file the statement with the board.

Former St. Landry Parish President Don Menard is charged with failing to "accurately disclose" campaign contributions from a number of political action committees as well as from two current members of the Lafayette delegation to the state House of Representatives in connection with his failed bid in November of last to win a seat in the state House; he lost the election to current state Rep. Stephen Ortego. The campaign contributions at issue are from Health Agents PAC, Kleckley PAC, Leadership for Louisiana, Louisiana State Medical PAC, Louisiana State Farm Agents PAC, Louisiana Realtors PAC and from Republican state Reps. Joel Robideaux and Nancy Landry.

Board documents do not specify what financial penalties Cockerham and Menard are likely to face.

Read the Cockerham file here and the Menard file here.