Top LA Wildlife official Implicated in Federal Bribery Scheme
Editorial cartoon by Walt Handelsman in The Times-Picayune I The Advocate
LA Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet announced his sudden departure from the department after he was implicated in a federal bribery scheme. Here’s what happened:
On April 13th, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate identified Montoucet as the unnamed high-ranking department official referenced in court documents filed by federal prosecutors against a Lafayette man who concocted an elaborate kickback scheme to steer LDWF contracts to a specific company that would provide hunting and fishing educational courses for the department.
The following day, Montoucet announced his resignation, never mentioning the federal corruption probe. Rather, he issued a statement touting his work to increase revenue for the department and announced plans to return to the private sector. "Under my leadership, we have created programs to allow greater access to the department for people who needed our services or to make restitution for violating our regulations and requirements," Montoucet wrote, adding that he served “honorably.”
On the heels of Montoucet’s resignation, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards appointed LDWF Deputy Rob Shadoin as the new department secretary. Initially, Edwards had this to say about the allegations against Montoucet: “We are doing our diligence on it and don’t have any substantive comment to make at this time.”
When asked about the scandal on his monthly radio show, “Ask the Governor,” on April 19th, Edwards jumped to Montoucet’s defense. “I have been very blessed, I think the state has been blessed, by the wonderful group of people who have served, whether it in my office, boards and commissions and certainly cabinet officials. I know what other people know in terms of what we’ve read in the paper… and I guess the best way I want to say it is… that Jack is entitled to a presumption of innocence…It is very difficult for me to believe that he engaged in anything that would be improper.” Listen to the governor’s entire comments here and jump to 34:00 in the interview.
For those at home keeping score, Montoucet is the 7th official to resign during Edwards’ second term in office. Here’s a quick summary of high-profile departures to date—but with eight months left in Edwards’ term, the list is likely to grow.
Louisiana’s Department of Health Secretary Dr. Courtney N. Phillips announced her resignation in earlier this month.
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Chuck Carr Brown announced his departure in March.
Louisiana Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson resigned in February to run to replace his boss in the Governor’s Mansion.
Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services Secretary Marketa Garner Walters resigned last November in the aftermath of several high-profile child abuse cases that caused a media firestorm. Around the same time, Edwards also announced the resignation of William Sommers, who served as the governor’s Director of the Office of Juvenile Justice.
The governor’s top lawyer, Matthew Block, left the administration in October 2022.
Back in 2020, the head of the Louisiana State Police, Col. Kevin Reeves, announced his retirement amid national controversy sparked by the death of Ronald Greene, a 49-year-old Black man who died in police custody in 2019.