Drew Broach takes a nostalgic trip down wrinkled robe lane as the Times Picayune profiles recently released internal FBI records.

The Times Picayune went above and beyond in their FOIA based 4 year investigation into Team FBI and Operation Wrinkled Robe, a 9 year saga that concluded with the impeachment last year of Federal District Court Judge Tom pOrteous. We’ve written extensively on both the investigation and last year’s impeachment proceedings with my Bell Cow post on Wrinkled Robe itself found here with Nowdy’s combo Wrinkled Robe/Porteous/Shaved genitalia masterpiece here. Today T-P editor Drew Broach nicely adds to the extensive body of knowledge that is Operation Wrinkled Robe with his report on FBI investigation papers which includes some interactive graphics and the FOIA response itself. It is simply very well done.

Some of the names mentioned should be very familiar to Slabbed lifers in Kenner’s Skip Hand and Steve Mortillaro, later termed deadhead employees by Aaron Broussard’s replacement Steve Theriot. But we also learn that the investigation also went on location in Biloxi twice as the Marcotte’s bought the judges rooms at the Beau Rivage.

Most interesting is how the whole thing started with a tip from a disgruntled competitor of Louis Marcotte to the Metropolitan Crime Commission, the same folks that filed the ethics complaint against Aaron Broussard for making parish venders rent his vacation property at the Trout Point development in Nova Scotia.  Ol’ Aaron has since began selling his Canadian holdings including his beloved River Bend Lodge, which was sold earlier this year to Charles Leary and Vaughn Perret of Trout Point Lodge infamy.

I mention all this because all it takes is a tip to start something far larger. Continue reading “Drew Broach takes a nostalgic trip down wrinkled robe lane as the Times Picayune profiles recently released internal FBI records.”

A few stories I’m following today: An open thread

Before I head out to the Bay and daddy duty today I wanted to share a few stories that attracted my interest, some of which we’ve previously blogged on.

Nowdy wondered a few times this football season why I didn’t blog on St Stanislaus QB Dylan Favre as I had several posts on him during the 2008 football season. The reasons were many such as not having a life the past 8 weeks due to having a 2 sports son (pee wee football/soccer) and it seemingly raining every Friday night down here for the past 6 weeks. (I guess I truly am a fair weather fan when it comes to football at my Alma Mater) That said I did manage to take in a few games one of which was the clash involving my second favorite High School Football team, the Forrest County AHS Aggies (Congrats to the Aggies on beating West Lauderdale) and last night’s SSC playoff win over Quitman. Watching Dylan Farve play over the past few years has been a real treat. Though he lacks the height to be on the major college A recruiting list someone in college football will end up with a great QB.

Last night the Dylan and the Rocks converted a 3rd and 17 with a pass that would be the envy of half the QB’s in the NFL – a throw on a rope that hit the receiver in the hands in stride. I’ll let Al Jones at The Sun Herald take it from there:

Along the way, St. Stanislaus improved to 10-1 for the first 10-win season in school history, and Dylan Favre continued his onslaught on Mississippi high school passing records with three-single season records. Continue reading “A few stories I’m following today: An open thread”

Breaking: Jefferson Parish Judge Joan Benge removed from the bench

We covered Judge Benge’s legal troubles back in July in a post I think was one of Nowdy’s finest efforts. By all accounts Judge Benge is a decent jurist whose initial inexpereince on the bench lead her to make a terrible error in judgement. WWL radio New Orleans has the breaking story:

The Louisiana Supreme Court has removed a Jefferson Parish judge from her position with the 24th District.

The high court ruled today that Judge Joan Benge conspired to fix a personal injury case for a plaintiff who had ties to disgraced former Judge Ronald Bodenheimer.

Legal experts say the ruling by the court could also mean that Benge could lose her license to practice law altogether.

In 2001, a newly-elected Judge Benge was ensnared by an FBI “Wrinkled Robe” investigation of corruption in the Gretna courthouse. Continue reading “Breaking: Jefferson Parish Judge Joan Benge removed from the bench”