Val Bracy has the story for Fox 8. Here is a snippet:
Parish President Steve Theriot put Vandenweghe on paid leave last month. Vandenweghe says she was accused of blogging on parish time.
A letter she received from Theriot on Wednesday says the parish has finished a preliminary investigation but the letter makes no reference to blogging.
“It appears the direction of the investigation went from my alleged blogging, which was non-existent, and my internet surfing. Now there’s a reference to my having done some work for my daughter who is in college and/or to my mediation work; mediation work I haven’t done since 2007 and that was prior to going full-time at the parish.” Vandenweghe believes Theriot’s decision to suspend her was based on bad information from other unnamed employees with ulterior motives.
and this:
Since Vandenweghe was suspended, the Parish Attorney’s Office’s public records policies have changed. Records take longer to get, if FOX 8 gets them at all and every request FOX 8 has filed is answered with a letter calling our request “overly broad and burdensome.”
Following is the letter from Lil’ Pup himself courtesy of Scribd:
[scribd id=29260657 key=key-20qpvt80ja98d0dn6qra mode=list]
Maybe I am just being naive, but I don’t believe Theriot was misled by anyone. I’m not sure Ms. Vandenweghe can really believe that either.
Little dogs remind me of Stuckey’s back in the day when it was the only stop on I55 between Oxford and Jackson – always seemed to get there and find a little yapping dog on leash held by some woman with big hair and golden slippers!
Wait: so the end result of this fiasco is that AMV is no longer handling public records???? Well that must be the goal and motive of thiswhole exercise.
But hey just because they offer a subsequent faux remediation that doesn’t mean that her whistle blower suit ends in any way, right? She has still suffered damage, they still acted wrongly, they are still attempting to take her out of the public disclosure and federal investigation loop and that is still an improper motive, right?
I think the ploy was to make the public tired, put them to sleep, and then make everything go away while we sleep. Well that didn’t work, now I’m sitting on the edge of my chair. How long can they hold out? Just re-arrangeing the kitchen furniture doesn’t get rid of the cockroaches. Anne Marie, is that a can of bug spray your holding?
Mr. Alario and gang actually use the term Lil’ Pup when referring to Mr. Theriot.
And people think New Orleans is bad. These people are clearly trying to stop or stonewall the release of public records. This proves what we have been hearing all along — they have much to hide. My theory is that Mr. Theriot was put in plac eby the JP Council to run interference on the ongoing criminal investigation. It beginning to look like Tim Whitmer was just an errand boy who facilitated the dirty deals. Theriot is no different. When this house of cards tumbles, we may see many of these good old boys fall from grace.
Ray Nagan is a bumbeling amature when compared to the political players in Jefferson Parish.
Could the intent of this whole fiasco be more obvious? The good ole boys better find someone other than Theriot to carry their water. Not sure he has two functioning brain cells to rub together. Keep up the good work Val Bracy and AMV. These JP politicians will circle the wagons and fire inward.
Deepslab,
When they fire inward, let’s hope they have good aim.
AMV was put on admin paid leave pending investigation,,,,she lost no pay, which those of us that livc pay check to pay check means something, she is reinstated with some outsanding issues that are still under review. sound like any other empoyer and the system
wo as it should have;
As I said in another post I they have as system in place that does not take action against an employee until the facts are know
I don’t know if AMV or Lit Pup is right here but at least there is some reveiew that is taking place
AMV, Anne Marie Vandenweghe, did what she was directed to do by Mr. Louis Gruntz (her supervisor) and the Jefferson Parish Council (a signed directive by all Council members) to LAWFULLY respond to the PRR’s (Public Records Request) by the public, the media and the investigating authorities. AMV did her job; her secretary did her job. THEY ARE NOW BEING PUT IN FALSE LIGHT FOR DOING THEIR JOB. They reported wrongdoing; they are not the wrong doers. GOT IT !
Apparently there was and is public information paid for by JP taxpayers that political junkies (those vested with retirement benefits) who do not want taxpayer paid for information to be made available to public scrutiny. The political thugs’ response: KILL THE MESSENGER ! Is that your point ? No one EVER told AMV or her secretary that they were not doing their job according to the policy set forth by the Parish Attorney’s office or by the JP Council. PERIOD.
Ignatius, I don’t know if you are illiterate or trying to disguise yourself as being illiterate, but your attack of the messenger is the same as your previous posts.
The Administrative Leave WAS NOT AMV’s choice. AMV, like yourself probably lives paycheck to paycheck. What she was accused of doesn’t exit and it never did, read the letter, no reference to blogging. What outstanding issues, can you tell us the particulars ?
By the way, it’s Lil’ Pup and not Lit Pup …
ANOTHER DONELON PERFORMANCE…THIS TIME IT’S CLEM LIP SYNCHING THE JEFFERSON PARISH MERRY-GO-ROUND SONG.
Mr. Clem Donelon is paid $70,000 plus benefits as an attorney to defend the Parish of Jefferson in Civil Service matters. Mr. Donelon also claims to have a very successful full time private practice. So Mr. Theriot here is the question: Is Mr. Donelon, whose salary would reflect that of a full time Asst. Parish Attorney, allowed to have a full time private law practice, a privilege that is prohibited to other full time Asst. PA’s. (that is unless they are practicing private law cases on Parish time without Mr. Theriot’s knowledge…..Hmmmmmmmm) Should not Mr. Donelon be asked to make a choice: either resign as an Asst. PA or give up his lucrative private practice. If your goal Mr. Theriot is to instill integrity and confidence in the Office of the Parish Attorney, then you need to ask Mr. Donelon to chose one or the other; or you need to make a decision for him !
Delay, Deny, Defend…That is the battle cry of Mr. Donelon and outside counsel when representing the Parish of Jefferson against employees. It was Mr. Donelon, who in the matter of Charles Simon’s hearing regarding HIS unwarranted dismissal, defended the indefensible ! Mr. Simon, a Jewish Italian, had been the victim of repeated verbal abuse by another JP employee, Mr. “heil Hitler” Kerlec. Mr. Donelon objected to allowing evidence relating to Mr. Kerlec’s truly offensive Nazi antics to be introduced. Of course in Jefferson Parish it would be Mr. Simon who would be fired.
Mr. Simon sued the Parish of Jefferson and for FIVE years the law firm of Blue, Williams sucked at the taxpayers teat for legal fees. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount to the benefit of Mr. Simon. ( The Parish Of Jefferson, through it’s newly installed Public Records’ hack Asst. PA Giangrosso at the direction of Mr. Louis Gruntz, making this matter even more offensive, has claimed that we are not entitled to public information regarding the amount of legal fees paid to Blue, Williams and the dollar amount of the settlement). We learn from depositions of Mr. Kerlec that he had been an employee for 32 YEARS. We further learn to our astonishmenttand dismay that Mr. Kerlec received extensive JP training with regard to racial discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Assuming Mr. Kerlec’s testimony is a fact, then every one in the Human Resources Department should be fired now, starting with “Junior” Mendoza who is presently working on his second public retirement; and any and all supervisors of Mr. Kerlec during his employment with JP should also be dismissed.
And if you think the hypocrisy and the depth of denial by the Parish Administration could not reach a more base level, we are given this self-serving statement by Patricia Borne, the public relations officer for JP: ” Jefferson Parish has a firm policy regarding harassment and objectionable behavior in the workplace. We take reports of such behavior seriously. As this information comes to us, we are investigating it and will take appropriate disciplinary action where warranted ” This is mumbo-jumbo talk for “if you complain, you get fired”
The fact is Ms. Borne, the workplace of Jefferson Parish is probably the most toxic in the United States, bar none ! Your gall statement is only superseded by your desire to acquire generous pension benefits. The Simon case is not an exception; Jefferson Parish reeks of so many other injustices employees are expected to endure to hold on to their job or for that matter lose their job. Insult to injury seems to be the management motto in Jefferson Parish government.
As long as we have a Mr. Donelon and other favored lawyers making tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money to defend the indefensible there will be no serious effort to reform the conduct of and by the Administration of Jefferson Parish. For fourteen years Mr. Wilkinson was Parish Attorney. His infamous reply to every mistake he and others made was “let ’em sue” And why not, it’s not his money that’s being paid out in attorney fees or at risk in damages. Mr. Wilkinson’s modus operandi was to farm the legal work out to his cronies who in turn, would circle back with campaign contributions. Mr. Theriot it is time for you to dismiss those Asst. PAs who were in any supervisory position under Mr. Wilkinson which would include Peggy Barton and Louis Gruntz, right now and without further delay.
And it should be noted that Mr. Donelon was one of the seven “ball moins intimidateurs” who sat in that meeting to confront AMV with framed evidence of her blogging on her parish computer which in fact NEVER happened ! Thank you Deano Bonano. Mr. Donelon acted as Mr. Theriot’s legal advisor at this travesty. What ? No due process Mr. Gruntz ? OH, I forgot, that’s a procedure only afforded to the likes of Mr. Whitmer who actually violated parish law. It would seem Mr. Donelon has acquired a specialty of defending the indefensible. He gets paid, the outside high priced lawyers will be paid hundreds of thousands of dollars and damages will be paid to the employee victim.
Frankly I’ tired of hearing this song over and over again………
So, Whitmergate, is this Mr. Donelon related to the Don-elon of Insurance? Not that its possible to make the conduct of either more offensive, just wondering.
Guys, the Parish has supposedly turned off all voice mails and the telephone messaging system to avoid the possibility of having to maintain public records on them. Try and leave a message some time.
If my memory serves me right, Clem is the younger of Jim.
Well, whitmergate, does it strike you as odd for him to be sitting in since the issue at the heart of the matter, so to speak, is insurance kickbacks?