BATON ROUGE — A Baton Rouge corruption investigation that began at the federal level led FBI agents to serve subpoenas at the mayor-president’s office in 2024 and ultimately uncovered alleged misconduct tied to Capital Area Transit System contracts, multiple sources told UWK.
Credible sources say the subpoenas are tied to a corruption probe that could involve specific city-parish contracts executed with certain individuals.
What we know about the investigation
Sources say the subpoenas were served July 25, 2024, to the office of Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome, several East Baton Rouge Parish council members, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Attorney’s Office. UWK has also learned that multiple cell phones were seized, though officials have not disclosed whose devices were taken.
It remains unclear who within the mayor-president’s office is the specific target of the subpoenas. However, credible sources confirm to UWK that former Mayor-President Broome received a target letter from the FBI, indicating she is under federal investigation.
Several people have been questioned as part of the investigation so far.
Because this is a federal investigation, details remain limited. Federal agencies will not confirm or deny the existence of any investigation.
UWK requested a copy of the subpoena from the East Baton Rouge Parish Attorney’s Office on July 25, 2024. The request was denied. In its response, the office said “the law exempts records related to ongoing investigations as an exception to the public records act,” but confirmed it had “a subpoena that is responsive to your request in that it was served on July 25, 2024; however, it is privileged as it is part of an ongoing investigation.”
FBI investigation leads to multiple arrests over CATS contracts
Arrest warrants for the five people charged so far in the ongoing investigation into Capital Area Transit System contracts show that the state’s case began with information from the FBI.
“The LBI (Louisiana Bureau of Investigations) received a request for assistance and information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding allegations of public officials who allegedly accepted bribes and misused their positions to influence (CATS) procurement contracts to receive government funding,” one warrant read.
Since then, East Baton Rouge Councilman Cleve Dunn has been indicted. His arrest warrant alleges he misused his position to influence CATS contracts. Dunn took office on Jan. 1, 2021, and had oversight of public funds allocated to CATS, according to the warrant.
MORE: Arrest warrant issued for Cleve Dunn
In December 2021, Dunn presented and voted in favor of a budget that provided CATS with $550,000 in operational funding, the warrant says. Investigators allege Dunn later received 90% of a $50,000 CATS contract as kickbacks, with $45,000 going directly to his company, Core Group.
Pearlina Thomas, the former chief administrative officer of CATS, has also been arrested for her alleged role in facilitating contracts without following required protocols. One of those contracts went to Jay Colar, the current owner of Supreme Solutions. Dunn previously owned the company in 2017 and transferred ownership to Colar in 2021. Colar has also been arrested.
A Baton Rouge husband and wife have also been charged in the ongoing corruption investigation. According to arrest warrants, Thomas awarded a contract to Broad Innovation Marketing Firm LLC, a company owned by Terral Jackson and his wife, Erica Jackson. The contract was tied to a project labeled “COVID-19 Mitigation Research Grant – Contactless Payment Project.” However, when questioned, both Jacksons told investigators they believed the contract was connected to an upcoming CATS millage, the warrants state.
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