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Council approves litigation funding for outside law firms after public complaint about campaign contributions
Summary
The council approved ordinances and motions to fund outside law firms that defend the council and to increase caps on existing professional service agreements; a public commenter alleged partners had contributed to a candidate's campaign and urged an ethics investigation.
The New Orleans City Council voted to appropriate funds to cover general litigation costs for outside law firms that represent the council and approved amendments increasing the authorized payments to two of those firms.
The council acted on ordinances that appropriate money to cover litigation costs for Barrasso, Gustin, Kupperman, Freeman & Savoie LLC (and related firms) and on motion M25522 authorizing the council president to execute amendments increasing maximum compensation under two professional service agreements by $350,000 and $250,000, respectively. The clerk recorded the ordinance votes as adopted; one appropriation vote was recorded as "5 yeas, 1 nay." The motion to increase contract caps was recorded as adopted 5 yeas, no nays.
During public comment, Jabari Walker of 6234 Brunswick Court said two partners of the firm representing the council "recently contributed campaign resources to the Moreno team" and asserted that "it's my understanding that that's actually, against the law, based on the law previously passed." Walker asked the council, the Office of Inspector General and the ethics board to look into the matter. "I would hope that what you guys would do is look further into this," he said.
Councilmembers responded on the record. Councilmember Thomas urged that anyone who believes the law has been violated file a complaint with the ethics board: "If you believe the law has been violated, you should file a complaint with the ethics board." The council also discussed that the firms in question represent the entire council, not a single member, and one council member said the city could have avoided some expense if the city attorney's office had represented the council in certain matters.
The motions authorizing increased compensation and contract extensions were introduced by motion M25522; the text on the agenda asked the council president to execute a fifth amendment to the professional service agreement with Barrasso, Ustin, Kupperman, Freeman and Savoie LLC to increase payment caps and a second amendment to extend and increase compensation on a related contract. The motion passed with the clerk recording "5 yeas, no nays." The council also passed related budget appropriations recorded as adopted.
No written ethics complaint or investigation filing was recorded in the council transcript; council members advised the commenter to file an ethics complaint if he believed a violation occurred. The transcript contains disagreement in public comment about prior expenditures on litigation and whether those expenditures prevented larger liabilities, but it does not show the council initiating an ethics investigation on its own authority in the meeting record.
