Getting to know District Attorney Paul Connick — and his place in two of Jeff’s biggest political stories.
By Jeremy Alford
Since TJR started banging out profiles and original stories back in February, the politics and posturing of District Attorney Paul Connick have been given scant attention here. In fact, the first time he appeared in a post was earlier this month as part of our public polling series. The Democrat scored one of the best approval ratings among elected officials, about 77 percent.
His 2010 campaign finance report confirms the notion that Connick is a popular guy. Last year, an off-election year, he raised a staggering $161,000 from individual donors and businesses; spent just as much on fine dining, gifts for friends and routine campaign expenses; and he still started 2010 with more than $181,000 remaining in the bank.
Connick faces re-election in 2012, should he run again. At one time, he was rumored to be considering a bid for the U.S. Senate, and, at 56, still a few political plays he could make.
Connick certainly has the name recognition, given his famous Irish Catholic family — his uncle is Harry Sr., former district attorney of New Orleans; which means his cousin is Harry Jr., the musician and actor; and his brother is Patrick, a state representative. In all, Connick has seven siblings, a big family, just like the one has has now with his wife, the former Giselle Dutrey. That union has yielded another five children for the local dynasty.
His resume fits the bill, too: Loyola undergrad in 1976, Loyola Law three years later and an ADA slot in Jefferson Parish from 1980 to 1988. It was private practice after that, until he started serving on the Louisiana Judiciary Commission, a group that oversees the ethical conduct of state judges. Connick stepped down from the commission in 1996 and capped it off by serving as chairman.
In our opinion, the effectiveness of the commission during that time was questionable at best. By 1998, Operation Wrinkled Robe swept into, of all places, Jefferson Parish. After the federal probe into bribery and corruption from the bench ended, two district judges went to prison alongside a dozen guilty defendants, although a few did receive house arrest.
Of course, Connick left the commission in 1996 because he had a new job — as Jeff’s district attorney. He almost immediately made cracking down on drugs his calling card. He developed and implemented a student drug testing program that grabbed the attention of the White House. More recently, he was behind the push to make illegal all forms of synthetic marijuana that were being sold under names like “Mojo” and “Spice.” That move, in particular, garnered him statewide media coverage earlier this year.
But locally, there has been considerably more intrigue related to what, if any, connections Connick might have to the ongoing federal corruption investigations in Jeff.
It’s kind of hard to miss, especially from Connick’s vantage point. Federal investigators have raided offices and sought public documents, all in his backyard. A parish president was forced to resign, alongside his executive counsel and chief of staff. Shady insurance contracts and a potential landfill boondoggle are at the heart of the matter.
Here’s the rub: If Connick is one of the most powerful lawmen in Jefferson Parish, why didn’t he know about the alleged misdeeds before the feds and why didn’t he act?
That’s something only Connick knows. For now, his team is cooperating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, based on media reports. Plus, you have to wonder if Connick could wrestle the case from the federal government even if he wanted. If you believe the political tales that come from that level, the feds are probably doing everything they can to make sure the case — or cases — stay with them.
But there are ties that bind Connick to one of the investigations, primarily the case of Tim Whitmer, the parish’s former chief administrator. Whitmer and agents of his company, Lagniappe Industries, allegedly sold insurance policies to public agencies and parish vendors. One of the agents enlisted by Whitmer was reportedly Ronnie Burke, Connick’s executive assistant until January. That’s when Burke’s involvement with Lagniappe became public record and he subsequently resigned.
Interestingly enough, Jefferson Parish is also helping Connick keep his private law practice afloat and is one of the premier clients of Connick & Connick. Over the past two years, the firm has received more than $1.7 million from Jefferson Parish for legal services, according to his 2008 and 2009 financial disclosure reports. The latest on file with the Louisiana Board of Ethics shows Connick has a 46 percent share in the firm.
He technically serves as special counsel for Connick & Connick, where his areas of expertise include, not surprisingly, “government liability.”
Finally, there’s also evidence that Connick’s top advisors are being co-opted by Council Chairman John Young in his quest to become parish president.
Last year, Connick paid a monthly fee of $1,000 to Cynthia M. Austin Consultants of Kenner. This year, Young’s campaign is doing the same. Austin is a veteran of both Yenni administrations and the reign of former Parish President Tim Coulon, who — here we go again — also served as an agent for Lagniappe Industries at one time. New Orleans consultant Ronald Nabonne is likewise pulling double duty. He cashed in on $16,000 worth of consulting fees from Connick’s campaign last year and has already bagged $10,000 from Young this year.
For whatever it’s worth, Connick & Connick is also a contributor to Young’s campaign. The firm donated $1,000 last October.
How about you? What’s your take on Paul Connick? Should he have been the first to break the investigative seal on current corruption in the parish? Will he be a major stakeholder in Young’s presumed presidency? Are there any other topics TJR should explore on this front in the future? We want to hear from you, so click here to weigh in!