Local attorney Glenn Armentor, an elected member of the Lafayette Parish Democratic Executive Committee, is drawing heat from his fellow committee members for hosting a ‘No Party Party’ fundraiser for Republican City-Parish President Joey Durel. This is the second time Armentor has organized a bipartisan benefit for Durel, the first being in 2006. That event drew 600 people at $250 a couple. Armentor has already sent out 2400 invitations for this year’s event. The proceeds will all go to Durel’s campaign fund (the city-parish president says he intends to seek a third term in 2011).
The event has prompted at least one member of the parish Democratic committee, Mike Stagg, to call for Armentor’s resignation, saying that the event is discouraging any Democratic candidates from opposing Durel in 2011, which is in direct opposition to a committee member’s duties. Member Stephen Handwerk says the committee plans to hold a special meeting this week to address the issue. He says action against Armentor could range from a statement of censure, to stripping the attorney of his voting rights on the committee, or possibly taking up his poor attendance record as a means of kicking him off the parish board altogether. Read more about the issue in the article, “Fight for your right to Party,” in this week’s Independent.
CORRECTION: The article “Fight For Your Right to Party” states, “The only rule in the party’s bylaws that appears to directly address Armentor’s actions states an elected member of the party can be subject to censure for ‘publicly endorsing or publicly supporting any candidate that is in any election contest in which there is a candidate registered with the Democratic Party."
That rule should read, members can be subject to censure for “publicly endorsing or publicly supporting any candidate that is not registered with the Democratic Party in any election contest in which there is a candidate registered with the Democratic Party."