INDReporter

AG Jeff Landry: politics as usual

by Walter Pierce

Why in the world would a black Democrat also-ran in last year’s attorney general election throw her support behind the Tea Party firebrand in the runoff? Surely not to get her daughter a job.

Congratulations, Attorney General Jeff Landry, you’ve mastered Louisiana politics in the worst way.

The Advocate reports today that soon after defeating incumbent Buddy Caldwell in December and being sworn in as state attorney general in January, Landry hired Quendi Baloney Darville to work in the office’s fraud section for an annual salary of $53,000. Coincidentally (or not), Darville is the daughter of Geri Broussard Baloney, a black Democrat who fetched 18 percent of the vote in the November primary election for attorney general and, to the shock of many state Dems, endorsed Landry in the runoff against Caldwell.

In fairness to Landry, Quendi Baloney Darville has the necessary experience to work in the fraud section: She was charged with 11 felony counts of credit card fraud and theft in 1999, pleaded guilty to three of the charges and was given a six-year suspended sentence, according to the daily.

Landry’s office deflected questions about the unseemly hire while the Baloneys denied any quid pro quo.

Read the full story here.