Senate committee presses flood authority nominees over payroll-fraud allegations and chief's contract

The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee questioned nominees to the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East on May 6 about an attorney-general investigation into alleged payroll fraud, the board’s governance practices and an employment contract for the authority’s chief of police.

Peter Vicari, introduced to the committee as president of the authority, told senators he recently received the attorney-general’s report under an attorney–client confidentiality agreement and that the board has scheduled a special meeting Tuesday to vote on releasing it to the public. “It’s bad,” Vicari said of the findings when pressed by senators about whether the report shows wrongdoing.

Senator Talbot, who represents the region, pressed Vicari and other witnesses on the timing and control of the report. Talbot recounted public statements by former board chair Roy Kruba and asked whether the AG had held the report for political reasons; Vicari denied any political withholding and said the AG’s office delivered the report only after concluding its work. “If they’re guilty, prosecute them to the all the way,” Talbot told the nominees, urging legal action if evidence supports prosecution.

The committee also focused on how the authority has organized internal oversight. Talbot and others questioned combining the chief of police role with a compliance officer role and whether that structure created conflicts of interest or led to excessive pay. Members cited a statute limiting the superintendent-of-police salary relative to the Louisiana State Police and probed a contract provision that limited firing to willful misconduct or gross negligence and included a multi‑year severance clause.

Kirk Gordon, the authority’s executive counsel, said he was not involved in how the combined position was created and that Civil Service had been engaged earlier in the unclassification process. David Peterson, assistant attorney general and section chief for lands and natural resources, told the committee that legislative oversight typically allows committees to request bylaw copies, bring board members before the legislature and, depending on statutes, ask for changes or further review.

Several nominees, including civil engineer Ronald Schumann and prospective board members David Martin, Gregory Marsiglia and Elton Jude Myers, told the committee they support creating a separate compliance/auditor position distinct from the chief of police and acknowledged the importance of transparent procurement and contract oversight.

The hearing included repeated admonitions from senators that employees should not draft their own employment contracts and that any board actions should follow statutory and civil‑service rules. Vicari said the board is working with HR and civil service on classification and promised the committee that bylaws and contract issues would be addressed.

Next steps: the authority said it plans a special board meeting Tuesday to consider releasing the AG report; the committee did not record any confirmation votes during the hearing. Senators urged transparency and legal follow-through depending on the report’s findings, and the committee concluded the public portion of the hearing pending any further submissions.