Louisiana Legislative Auditor
Daryl G. Purpera, CPA, CFE

March 28, 2016

Councilman's Simultaneous Job With District Attorney's Office May Have Violated Law

A Lafayette City-Parish councilman simultaneously served as the Youth Services Director for the District Attorney for the 15th Judicial District between June 2008 and January 2015, in possible violation of state law, the Legislative Auditor said in a report released today.

In addition, Councilman Kenneth Boudreaux did not always take leave from the District Attorney’s Office when he traveled to out-of-town conferences for the city-parish and when he participated in annual city-parish budget hearings. If the District Attorney’s office paid Mr. Boudreaux for the time he spent at the conferences and budget hearings, the office may have violated the Louisiana Constitution, the state auditor said.

The investigative audit was conducted after the Legislative Auditor’s office received complaints that Mr. Boudreaux’s position as Youth Services Director, which was supposed to be funded by the Vermilion Parish Police Jury, was being paid for by the District Attorney’s Lafayette Parish office.

After Mr. Boudreaux was elected to the Lafayette City-Parish Council in November 2007, he resigned as Youth Services Director and sought an Attorney General’s opinion about the circumstances under which he still could serve as Youth Services Director. The Attorney General said Mr. Boudreaux could serve in both capacities simultaneously as long as his salary as Youth Services Director was paid entirely by the Vermilion Parish Police Jury. Vermilion Parish, along with Lafayette Parish and Acadia Parish, is in the 15th Judicial District.

However, auditors found that between 2008 and 2011 the District Attorney’s Lafayette office reimbursed the Vermilion Parish Police Jury for Mr. Boudreaux’s salary. Since the Lafayette City-Parish Council approves the budget for the District Attorney’s Lafayette office, the two jobs Mr. Boudreaux held may have been incompatible under state law.

Auditors also were unable to find leave requests or time sheets from the District Attorney’s office to support most of Mr. Boudreaux’s out-of-town travel as a councilman or his attendance at City-Parish Council budget hearings. As a result, the District Attorney’s office may have improperly paid Mr. Boudreaux, which would be a violation of the Louisiana Constitution.

In his response, Mr. Boudreaux’s attorney said the report’s findings were incorrect because of a “complete absence of proof.”

For more information contact:

Legislative Auditor
225.339.3800



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