Louisiana AG Says Revised Cole Indictment Clarifies Charges as Defense Challenges Case

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana prosecutors say a revised indictment against East Baton Rouge Parish School System Superintendent LaMont Cole was intended to clarify the charges for a jury. But the decision to reduce five counts to three, while omitting the original indictment’s specific $40,000 bribery allegation, has intensified questions from Cole’s defense team about the prosecution’s case.

The superseding indictment, issued Oct. 14, retains one count each of conspiracy to commit public bribery, money laundering and malfeasance in office. The original indictment, returned in August, included two counts each of conspiracy to commit public bribery and money laundering, along with one count of malfeasance in office.

A spokesman for the Louisiana attorney general’s office said the revised filing was intended “to simply clarify the indictment for the jury.” The office declined to provide additional details about what required clarification.

Cole’s attorneys have offered a different interpretation, arguing that the changes reinforce their position that the case is flawed. They intend to challenge the superseding indictment in court.

The dispute shifts attention to both the substance of the allegations and the legal procedures behind the prosecution.

Revised indictment omits specific $40,000 allegation

The original case affidavit alleged that Cole accepted approximately $40,000 in cash and gifts from contractor Terral Jackson in exchange for helping direct public contracts to a company associated with Jackson and his wife, Erica Jackson.

Investigators also cited text messages they said showed Cole agreed to accept kickbacks. The alleged arrangement involved contracts totaling nearly $600,000, according to the original allegations.

The revised indictment no longer specifies the $40,000 figure. Instead, it alleges that Cole agreed to receive kickbacks from the Jacksons in exchange for helping them obtain government contracts.

The omission is a notable change in the charging document, but it does not establish that prosecutors have formally withdrawn the earlier allegation or that the alleged conduct did not occur.

Cole has denied accepting bribes, cash or anything of value from the Jacksons. His attorneys have said a review of his finances by a retired FBI forensic accountant did not uncover evidence supporting the alleged kickbacks.

The allegations remain unproven, and Cole has not been convicted of the charges.

Defense challenges prosecution’s authority

The indictment revision comes amid a broader legal fight over whether the attorney general’s office had the authority to prosecute the case and whether the original charges sufficiently described the alleged criminal conduct.

Cole’s attorneys previously sought dismissal of the indictment, arguing that the attorney general’s office lacked the necessary authority to proceed without a formal recusal by East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore or other appropriate authorization.

Moore has said a recusal was not legally necessary. The defense has also argued that the original indictment was too vague and failed to identify specific unlawful acts by Cole.

The superseding indictment replaces the original charging document, but the available information does not establish whether the revision resolves the defense’s underlying objections.

Cole’s attorneys have indicated they will continue challenging the revised indictment.

Allegations date to Cole’s time in local government

The case concerns alleged conduct during Cole’s tenure on the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council, before he became superintendent of the public school system.

Prosecutors allege that Cole used his public position to help the Jacksons secure government contracts in exchange for kickbacks. The contracts included work connected to local blight-remediation efforts and the Safe Hopeful Healthy Baton Rouge initiative, according to reporting on the revised indictment.

The investigation is part of a broader corruption probe involving public contracting and dealings at Baton Rouge City Hall under the previous administration. Other public officials and individuals connected to government contracts have faced charges in related investigations, but those separate cases do not establish Cole’s guilt.

Cole was indicted in August and turned himself in to the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison the following day.

The revised indictment leaves three counts for prosecutors to pursue as the defense continues its legal challenge. The court’s handling of those challenges will help determine whether the case proceeds toward trial.

Cole remains presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.