EBR corruption probe enters new phase as grand jury gets six more months
The investigation into alleged corruption involving the East Baton Rouge government is continuing as defendants challenge the legal foundation of several indictments already issued.
BATON ROUGE — The special grand jury investigating alleged corruption in East Baton Rouge government will remain in operation for at least six more months, extending an investigation that already has produced multiple indictments and reached into the ranks of elected officials, government administrators and private contractors.
District Attorney Hillar Moore said the investigation remains active. The grand jury, originally convened in 2025 for a one-year term, was extended after Moore's office requested additional time.
The investigation has focused on alleged conduct occurring between 2021 and 2024, including allegations involving bribery, kickbacks, government contracts, theft and malfeasance.
But the next six months will involve more than additional investigative work. Some of the people already indicted are challenging the legal authority and procedures prosecutors used to bring their cases.
Indictments face legal challenges
East Baton Rouge Parish Schools Superintendent LaMont Cole, who was indicted in August over allegations connected to his time on the Metro Council, has filed two motions seeking dismissal of his indictment.
Cole faces charges of conspiracy to commit public bribery, money laundering and malfeasance in office. Prosecutors allege he accepted at least $40,000 in cash and other benefits from contractor Terral Jackson in connection with government contracts.
Cole has denied accepting bribes or anything of value from Jackson or his wife, Erica Jackson.
One of Cole's motions challenges whether the Louisiana Attorney General's Office had the authority to prosecute the matter before the special grand jury without a written request from Moore's office or a court order.
A second motion, filed Sept. 10, argues that the indictment does not contain sufficient facts to establish the alleged crimes. A judge had not ruled on the motions as of the latest court filings, and Cole is scheduled to return to court in October.
Metro Councilman Cleve Dunn Jr. has raised a similar challenge to the Attorney General's authority.
Dunn faces charges including public bribery, money laundering, conspiracy, malfeasance, theft and public contract fraud in connection with allegations involving Capital Area Transit System contracts. He has pleaded not guilty.
Moore has maintained that the grand jury was properly selected and that the Attorney General's Office had the legal authority to present matters to the panel.
Investigation reaches across government
The investigation has produced indictments involving people connected to city-parish government, CATS and private contracting.
Those indicted include Cole and Dunn, as well as former CATS Chief Administrative Officer Pearlina Thomas; Terral and Erica Jackson; former city-parish Chief Administrative Officer Courtney Scott; Bradley Brown; Jarion "Jay" Colar; Veronica Mathis; and Roderick Shannon.
Investigators have examined alleged contracting and kickback schemes involving CATS and city-parish programs.
The CATS portion of the investigation involves allegations that contracts were improperly awarded and that public money was diverted through fraudulent arrangements.
Investigators have also examined alleged kickbacks connected to city-parish programs, including blight remediation and the Safe, Hopeful, Healthy BR initiative.
The allegations remain matters for the courts. An indictment does not establish guilt.
Grand jury questioning extends beyond those indicted
The investigation has also brought current and former Metro Council members before the special grand jury.
In June, council members Jenn Racca, Denise Amoroso and Brandon Noel were subpoenaed to testify. Their appearances followed testimony from other council members.
In July, current Councilwoman Twahna Harris and former Councilwoman Chauna Banks testified before the grand jury. Both said investigators told them they were not targets of the investigation.
Former Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome has also been identified as having received a subpoena. She has not been accused of wrongdoing in the investigation.
The appearance of elected officials before a grand jury does not by itself mean they are suspected of criminal conduct. Grand juries can question witnesses as investigators seek information about potential criminal activity.
What the extension means for East Baton Rouge
The six-month extension does not mean additional indictments are certain. It gives investigators more time to present evidence and pursue questions that remain unresolved.
At the same time, the courts will begin determining whether some of the indictments can withstand legal challenges from the people accused.
Those rulings could become an important part of the investigation's next chapter.
For residents, the case now has two tracks: investigators are continuing to examine potential wrongdoing, while defendants are challenging the legal foundation of cases already brought.
The investigation remains ongoing, and its ultimate scope is not yet known.
For taxpayers, the central questions extend beyond who may eventually be charged. The investigation has also spotlighted how public contracts are awarded, how elected officials interact with contractors, and whether existing safeguards are sufficient to protect public money.
The next six months could provide answers to some of those questions — or raise additional ones.
