WWL does not have the video up for embedding but their print story is here and frankly I thought they did a good job providing context and background to the events which got us to this point. Here is a snippet:
“I had no other recourse to obtain unedited documents necessary to consideration of future legal options,” she said in a statement to Eyewitness News.
“I am seeking my e-mails which do not require redaction by the parish since I either wrote them or read them when received. This did not happen on John Young’s watch and I felt it only fair to file suit against Steve Theriot before he left office,” Vandenweghe wrote.
Unslabbed uploaded a video capture of the WWL story to Youtube. Following is the video report from WWL.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZRJKAQkavY]
sop
I really hope Politics Lover shows up as a regular contributor here.
I’ve seen elsewhere where such Parish types hit and run, run and hide, never to return.
Maybe he/she, they will learn something here.
This is what I encourage the Parish under Young to do:
– Hire a real attorney to be parish attorney. Not Barton or some flack who has been licking boots for years, not someone from Chehardy Sherman or the Martiny firm or one of those lackeys either, but someone really capable, with real world experience, and with the opportunity to return to practice if things ever get so bad that they have some options, i.e. someone independent.
– Follow the public records laws. The best way to ensure ethics within government is to ensure that anything that happens internally can become public. This has a remarkably good effect on employees.
– Putting aside the hack that is LaDart – What would be the Parish argument in court on this? AMV does not deserve her emails and documents? She has an ongoing parish civil service claim doesn’t she? Yes, she does, so she has a very real personal, monetary and reputational stake in these documents. There are also federal investigations and a host of scandals, some known, some unknown. Thus it is also in the public’s interest for these documents to be released. Finally, we have the memo from Whitmer cancelling the prior internal mandates re: following state law. That memo is plain and simple illegal, against the plain requirements of the state public records law in the LARS. In addition, whenever a public records request is denied it must meed one of the exceptions set out in the law itself. A blanket ‘you do not deserve it’ does not suffice, regardless of the requester. Take a look at what happend with Nagin and the city council: their entire emails were posted online. Nagin was ordered to turn over all his emails and his whole calendar, and more. There is precendet, and the Parish should either get with the program, and realize this data will be released eventually, or the people responsible will be outed in the end anyway.
– In terms of the effort required, I think this has been stated elsewhere by at least one other poster, but yes the time to download off the hard drive and exhange servers and even from the archives takles no time at all and can easily fit on a single disc, even 10 years worth of emails. The public records law also requires preservation of such data for long periods of time. As we saw with Orleans Parish maybe the real problem here is that the Parish was purposefully breaking the law on a much, much wider scale. In Orleans, they were trashing data, it was destroyed, spoliated. But not only that, it turned out that executives (oh say Nagin) were reading the emails of employees and political opponents (such as council persons) and even turning them over to third parties. All violations of the law. see Kenner for another example of that.
– AMV by the way, you need to go beyond your hard drive, you need to go to the exchange server, and all third party data held in whatever medium, such as thumb drives, flash drives, discs, external storage devices, wherever your emails may be held. Relatively little will be on your actual machine most likely. Don’t let them mess with you on that, get a pro involved who can tell you the full scoop about all the sources they should be checking. The LTC [Louisiana Technology Council] helped with the Orleans Parish situation, for instance. Good luck.
Telemachus, spot on and perhaps prophetic as well. 😉
sop
Adding a “ditto” to Sop! Really thoughtful comment, Telemachus, that reminded me of my need to finish my post on Judge Senter’s recent Order granting the government’s motion to reconsider his decision to dismiss Forensics from the Rigsby qui tam case.
Although the government’s motion was based on a desire to make changes in the settlement agreement Forensic negotiated with the Rigsbys, IMO, the email game the company played (with some coaching from the attorney representing the company in McIntosh and currently representing Haag) needs a much more thorough examination before any decision is made.
Telemachus: thank you for my honorable mention. I have plans to continue with my contributions. I am not what you call a “Parish” type, however. The name says it all, I love politics. It does not mean I love the corrupt. It also does not mean I love all politicians. If that were true, I would call myself politicianlover. I am always open to learning things. I approached slabbed admitting that I don’t have knowledge on a broad spectrum of ins and outs. I usually insert my input only when I know something is fact. Or I will comment on something that has been posted like the recent lawsuit. What is there for me to hide from? We are not discussing me. Or you for that matter. We are discussing Parish politics and events. Did anyone see the swearing in today of the new Parish President? It was an honor to view. I am very eager to learn more about this exchange server/email preservation system.
“It was an honor to view.”
WTF? Since when does viewing something become an “honor”? John Young is a nice guy, but he was put where he is by Paul Connick. So here’s the deal: Young either sat idly by while all of this Broussard/Whitmer/Wilkinson misconduct occurred because he ignored it, or because he had his head buried so far in the sand (yea, I know) that he just missed every bit of it. Either reason is unacceptable.
Seigneur,ayez pitie…from what I’ve been reading in the last two days I don’t think ‘view’ (viewfromhell) is going to think to kindly about being honored for or on the inauguration of Young.
Talking about ‘view’, the last time I saw him was at the party Pelican and I had after TheRiot and the Council Clowns dropped their ridiculous blogging lawsuit. Apparently they couldn’t take being shown up for the asses they really are; their lawyers weren’t to smart either.
Well I am inviting viewfromhell, fauxu, lettenhavit and a few others for drinks this afternoon to ponder having Young as Parish President. deBrief should be in from DC, Malthide is coming in from BR and Placide is driving up from Bayou LaFouche. I’ve got several bottles of Rebel Yell as I suspect it’s going to get interesting around the fire pit tonight.
PoliLover: “Did anyone see the swearing in today of the new Parish President? It was an honor to view.”
THAT is hilarious.
It is THEIR honor to serve US. That’s something they forget or just never learned.
My prediction is that LaDart lets her have access the computer. Without commenting on LaDart one way or the other, he is one of the few judges in the 24th JDC who has rendered judgments on electronic discovery (namely permitting the forensic analysis of computers).
Are you serious? Is this all you people have to do is complain about things you have little to no control over. I mean get a life!
It is so obvious that each and every one of you have some personal axe to grind one way or the other and do not offer any true commentary outside of hateful rants about individuals you most likely do not personally know at all and judge them based on what you read in the local rag paper.
Instead of continuing to waste your time with this pitiful blog site created for you folks that hate Christmas – why don’t you step up and put your name and reputation on the line and run for political office yourself.
If you think you can do a better job – then step up and take on some responsibility and be held accountable for your past and what you say and do. I realize this is foreign to each of you that blog protected behind anonymity.
Please attempt to keep in mind that the people you so maliciously persecute by name have families and children that should not have to endure these attacks.
What ever happened to Civility? Guess it’s a sign of the times considering the trash on tv – you all want to star in your own version of Jersey Shore. Maybe you could call it Pontchartrain Beach?
Folks go home be thankful for the blessings you do have – wake up each day attempting to make the City/Parish a better place, be respectful of others, focus on the things that are in your control and the rest will take care of itself.
Your each welcome for the lesson in Civility and Humility. Why can we all just get along?
Phil, “this pitiful little blog site” welcomes you and your grinding “ax” of “civility and humility”.
Wow, McKrackin, now there are two. This sounds like a lot of verbosity designed to enunciate two words for those who dare question the facts: “Shut up.”
We already saw this from TheRiot. Silence the questioners.
“Stabilize the Parish,” as Chris Roberts put it. Just stop all this question asking, all this fact finding, all this challenging to the junta.
Freedom of the press: Learn It, Love It, Live It.
Are you serious? Is this all you people have to do is complain about things you have little to no control over. I mean get a life!
It is so obvious that each and every one of you have some personal axe to grind one way or the other and do not offer any true commentary outside of hateful rants about individuals you most likely do not personally know at all and judge them based on what you read in the local rag paper.
********************************************************************************
I for one care to see corrupt politicians indicted and prosecuted. I’m certainly Glad that the 56 people who signed the Declaration of Independence did not have Phil McKrackin
around to tell them that nothing can be changed.
The hard facts of life is the Idiots on both the Republican and Democratic side of the aisles have not figured out how to be corrupt when their actions can be posted, videos distributed
instantaneously and corruption caught on tape by any cellphone.
I will agree that the Local newspaper is a rag-
But I have a big question for you McKrackin- do you understand that Rag is run by the Same Lawfirm, that Theriot hired to try and find the name of 11 Bloggers on Nola.com.
Nothing like getting bent over by the press itself when you tried to find out who was dumping the corruption story into the Public press.
Phelps Dunbar was the law firm and Ashton Phelps Jr. is the Publisher.
This is apparently “Team P” …hollow solipsistic ranting…thank you Mr. McKrackin…or should I say thank you …’Timmy, Tommy, Chrissy, Elton, Barry, Cynthia, Tommy C, Paulie, Johnny, Noodle and yes, Aaron et al ‘…this is going to be fun…
Allez putain…
Wait, let’s analyze this…McKrackin…hmmmmmm…sounds like ‘of pork’ or ‘son of pork skin’…whatever ! That’s it… enfoncer la peau de porc frite. Could it be that McKrackin is a JP pig at the trough waiting to be indicted…now this piggy’s non-sensical BS makes sense !
telemachus..spot on with your comment about the “honor of watching Young sworn in” as Parish Prez…? you nailed it- the honor is that these political piggies get to serve US (their bosses).
I remind that P.O.S. Lagasse that tidbit of information everytime I email his office.
And you are spot on – the honor of them serving us is forgotten by them or ,perhaps, has never occurred to them..
and ‘McKracher’..there’s an old saying which comes in right handy in evaluating people ( including politicans which, I admit, is a stretch to say that politicans are actually people ( politicans more suitably classified as predators)..and it goes like this: Don’t listen too closely to what a person SAYS but watch very carefully WHAT HE DOES.
and, yes, we are watching these Jefferson Parish predators ( er, I mean politicans) VERY CLOSELY as to THEIR ACTIONS.
And to quote Jack Nickelson in “A FEW GOOD MEN” : “while my existence as grotesque and incomprehensible as it is to you, saves lives. Son, I eat breakfast every morning 400 yards from Cubans trained to kill me so don’t come down here in that girly white uniform, flash a badge & think you can make me nervous.
You want me on that wall – YOU NEED ME ON THAT WALL.”
Thus my continued vigilance in closely watching the ACTIONS of the Jefferson Parish Council and J.P. Government piggies at the trough.
This is MY parish..they are just the hired help.
Hey now McKrackin! I am a loveboat. “What ever happened to Civility? ” Have you read my posts? I am the epitome of respect even toward the bloggers who cuss me & and lack the social graces to debate cordially. I don’t own an ax. I lead a happy life. Politics lovin’ adds to that bliss. Oh, and my life is composed of much more than slabbed (no offense SOP and Doucit). I am fascinated by politics, governmental responses to challenges, civil servant perceptions of their roles in parish/state/federal entities versus the perceptions of those in the private sector, and how much the public believes they are entitled to based on their demands. Oh, oh, oh, and when administrations change, I resemble a giddy child on Christmas morning.
I would never attack a person just out of pure spite for my own misfortunes ( I am very fortunate). My politics loving heart goes out to those who have been brutally and unfairly slandered. Instead of pitying those attacked who have families, pity those who have resorted to sling shooting and obsessively criticizing numerous individuals. They have families as well and the example they are paving will be embedded in those who keep close to them. They may even start battling their loved ones and friendly foes. Ever notice how much smaller a group of negativity is versus a group of peacefully coexisting human beings?
I have always advocated that if a person feels that they are qualified to fill the role of a leader and are confident in their capabilities, go for it. But the way to good government is not to remain employed when all you’re good for is complaining, an obvious sense of entitlement/jealousy, and manipulating the system by exploiting others. Several have seemed to have forgotten their obligations as employees not realizing their same game plan could be executed in identical fashion if not employed by a place they thrive on hating. But something tells me that they’d be SOL without the jobs we, the taxpayers fund. I confess, I just bought one ax. There is my grind. Okay, I just threw it away now.
It takes a lot more than one or two disgruntled employees to overtake Louisiana’s largest governmental agency. I do not agree with the wrongdoings of past administrations and leaders. And I will not feel badly if unfavorable consequences follow. Poor decisions were made and you reap what you sow. But I still love my political friends & think that they are fantastic. The swearing in was a viewfromheavenonearth.
Give the new leaders the opportunity to move forward and better parish government without nagging on past issues that you have no control over. Let the feds and investigators do their jobs. Or apply to work for one of those agencies & become something you are proud of if you hate yourself because you hate your job.
Look at all of the politicians moving on up, challenging themselves in new positions, stepping up for the betterment of the Parish. They aren’t judging. If they do, they make no room to love.
That in itself equates to the first step of achieving success.
Hang in there, Phil.
Lovely politics to all and to all a good night.
Dear Mr. “P” Team (Phil) McKrackin,
Merci souffle de porc !
And I quote from Slabbed, this night, Channel 4, Covers…
Phil McKrackin PERMALINK
October 13, 2010 7:54 pm
“Are you serious? Is this all you people have to do is complain about things you have little to no control over. I mean get a life!…”
Va te faire foutre ca y est, maintenant ce trou du cul ?
Mr.McKrackin=leche-bottes !!!
Mr. McKrackin, pardonnez-moi, mais avez-vous un porc-epic coince entre les fesses ?
Well as you can tell we’re having fun here drinking Rebel Yell…parler francais…these blogging buddies are great…viewfromhell is out of control, and we love it, although he doesn’t speak French…we haven’t even gotten to John Young yet…pardonne fauxu…
Hey Pelican open up another bottle…
Politicslover I would love some of what your smoking and drinking especiall when you make this comment!
It takes a lot more than one or two disgruntled employees to overtake Louisiana
Phil McKrackin, I’ll go ahead and fill your crack in, which is what you’ve demanded.
“Please attempt to keep in mind that the people you so maliciously persecute by name have families and children that should not have to endure these attacks. ”
When politicians lie, cheat, steal and use their positions as “civil servants” to enrich themselves and their corrupt friends, it is the filthy politicians who drag their families and children along for the ride. Slabbed, among other things, is a platform for calling out scumbags (political, corporate, legal, medical, etc.). You’d be amazed at what productive members of society some of the regular commenters here are. If you exclude the kickbacks that benefit many politicos, some of us could not take the very highest paying jobs in JP govt. without taking a serious pay cut. The moderators and commenters here are not folks playing with the computer in their parents’ basement.
In terms of making JP a better place (as you suggest), slabbed has done plenty. If you think many people in the Govt. Complex on Derbigny, the Yenni Building and 500 Poydras (and higher places) don’t read this blog on a regular basis, you are sadly mistaken. Hell, you found your way here, as well as giving into your conflicted compulsion to post your comment.
Slabbed and other blogs endanger the politically-connected, unjust enrichment that has become the status quo in JP for decades. Slabbed it the Metropolitan Crime Commission on steroids. And frankly, some people don’t like it because they think it’s their turn to benefit financially from waiting in line. It’s analogous to the JP ADA’s who wait their turn and then take their rightful places as JP judges, when far more competent lawyers just don’t bother to run. If you paid any attention to the Porteous impeachment trial, you would have realized that the common thread with all of these crook lawyers and judges (and ex-judges) were that they all came from the JP DA’s office.
The First Amendment is alive and well, as Steve (The Riot) Theriot found out the hard way with his foolish defamation lawsuit. Welcome to slabbed, and please come back . . . I know you will.
“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crisis maintain their neutrality.”
Dante, The Infenro, Cantor 3
McKrackin:
1. AMV did not start the fight.
2. The scumbags tried to frame her.
3. She has family .
4. She stepped up to clean up the corruption
5. She was the first woman elected to the JP council in 1991
6. She returned to the JP cesspool and continues to work ‘for the people of JP’ not for the politicians.
Re Removing to Federal Court because of emails crossing state lines
Try emails that went to Washington DC and Virginia.
If as reported AMV sent emails to the FBI and USAttorneys out of state then the plot thickens.
Is the Parish attempting to mess with federally protected public records?
I’m beginning to love this website more and more with each new character and their subliminal names and comments. A “Phil McKrackin”**********OUTSTANDING ****I give it a 10++++ and when you say it slow it is sending a message of “fill my crack in” .How funny can you be “Fill”. Now “Fill”, why don’t you practice what you preach to others and first state your real name and then maybe the readers will even better understand your post .Are you still a closet homosexual trying to break out with first subliminal messages or a concrete contractor with a funny ad title.Anyway we at Slabbed have a job to do and I would encourage us to focus our brainstorming with each other and not the political “plants” who are here to disrupt our work.”We are the few, the proud, the JPcleanupcrew—–Our business IS political trash and its picking up”
I love that politic lover doesn’t practice what she preaches – to say that you don’t attack people out of spite is laughable.
You unfairly alleged in a post that AMV was blogging on company time, but offer nothing in support of that. Very simply, she was doing her job and providing the FBI with documents, and the dumbshits in power tried to silence her by making up totally BS allegations that she was blogging and/or doing impermissible things on the clock.
I am not attacking you, PL. Just would love to hear a response to my view that you are a hypocrite. The crickets are chirping…….
any relation to Phil de Grave, Phil Miaz or Phil Lacio?
OOOOOOOOOOOOOowweeeeeeeeee IMA:I seem to remember PL attacked me personally right out of the box with her first post without any rhyme or reason and Sop had to read her TheRiot Act. When I asked her what I had said unfairly about her she couldn’t respond. Did I state an indefensible TRUTH about one of her colleagues in the JP Attorney’s Office? I think so, because compared with the comments of other Slabbed bloggers my comments have been mild mannered. But that’s OK with me caus’ all I can do is offer her a nana’ for her self pleasure while I quote what Christ told Peter when Peter stated that he would prohibit Jesus’ death:” Get to the rear Satan”, and pick up your nana’ peels too when you leave PL caus’your ID is obvious.OOOOOOOOOOOOOwwwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeee
Just a reminder, kids:
From the 10/19/02 TP:
“Also on the payroll is defense lawyer Calvin Fleming III of Lafitte. Fleming was hired as a part-time parish attorney on March 8, 1999, four days after he dropped out of the race for district judge against Ross LaDart . LaDart , who had lost his first bid for a seat on the 24th Judicial District Court in 1996, is a longtime political ally of Coulon.
Coulon says he did support LaDart in the election, but said he did not hire Fleming in exchange for his agreeing to drop out of the race. Fleming, who is paid $12,500 a year, could not be reached for comment.
“The request to hire him came from Lafitte Mayor Tim Kerner,” Coulon said. “That
I’m outta this fight, except to the extent that “the PaaWish” (and others) allowed squatters and trespassers to build on my Family’s batture property. Anyway, this Post and a prior Post have generated some “heated” Comments, so let me try to inject a bit of levity into the mix: SOP has previously referenced “Talking Heads” and more particularly “Burning Down the House”. Let me direct your attention to “Life During Wartime”. I also wish to dedicate a particular song to AMV, namely “And She Was”, which I believe to be entirely apropos. Have a nice night (I think that may be the name of a song from the Talking Heads “Little Creatures” album). Ashton O’Dwyer.