BATON ROUGE — Mayor-President Sid Edwards unveiled his request of Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack to conduct an independent review of operational and financial practices within the City-Parish government.
This request comes after indictments of multiple officials and individuals allegedly involved in a scheme with Capital Area Transit System contracts. It also comes less than two weeks after a recall petition was filed with the Secretary of State’s Office to recall Edwards.
“In recent weeks, we have all become aware of charges brought against individuals for possible misuse of public funds from years that predate my election. These individuals are all presumed innocent unless proven otherwise,” Edwards said. “However, the allegations themselves have understandably shaken public confidence in local government, and it is my responsibility to address this directly.”
Edwards met with Waguespack on Tuesday this week to request an independent review. This will include federal grants, contracts, invoicing, cooperative endeavor agreements, and more.
“We welcome the independent review, and we welcome the recommendations, and we will act on them,” Edwards said in Thursday’s press conference.
MORE: Councilman Cleve Dunn indicted
Calling this a “proactive step,” the mayor-president is hoping to restore the faith of the people of Baton Rouge, because citizens “need clarity and total transparency,” he said.
“I want you to know that your trust matters. When people lose faith in government, communities suffer. Businesses hesitate to invest, and talent looks elsewhere. We will not allow that to happen here.”
The request of the legislative auditor comes after multiple indictments involving CATS contracts, including EBR Metro Councilman Cleve Dunn’s indictment and arrest.
MORE: FBI’s investigation into former mayor-president’s office led to CATS investigation
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