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Public commenter urges independent documentation and oversight after New Orleans attacks
Summary
A member of the public warned the commission about potential conflicts of interest and record suppression in post‑disaster investigations, urging accountability and documentation when state police investigations interact with district attorneys or other agencies.
During the public‑comment portion of the meeting, Billy Broussard addressed the commission about investigations related to the recent terrorist attacks in New Orleans and raised concerns about oversight and documentation.
Broussard said the governor has declared a state of emergency and noted the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and the attorney general have ordered reviews. He warned that after major incidents constituents and elected officials “may demand answers after the fact” and urged careful documentation. Broussard said he had observed instances after disasters where “state police not to document certain evidence” and where reports were not supplemented even after earlier information was found to be misleading. He warned these practices could create conflicts of interest if district attorneys or government attorneys direct investigative decisions.
“State police should not be controlled by district attorneys, judges, attorneys representing government agencies,” Broussard said, and he urged the commission to hold accountable “any person participating in a cover up in any way, every level of government pertaining to any emergency and or major disaster declarations.” Broussard said he had seen evidence of reports being withheld or left uncorrected and urged the commission to ensure independent, transparent documentation.
The commissioners did not take formal action on the public comment; Broussard’s remarks were entered into the record.
