A Baton Rouge district judge has temporarily halted the Louisiana Board of Ethics’ search for a new ethics administrator. (Wesley Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)
A Baton Rouge judge has temporarily prevented the Louisiana Board of Ethics from moving forward with replacing the board’s top employee in response to a lawsuit brought by legislators .
Judge Kelly Balfour of the 19th Judicial District Court issued a temporary restraining order Friday evening that blocks the state ethics board from picking a new administrator.
The judge granted the stay at the request of Sens. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, and Stewart Cathey, R-Monroe. They are suing to halt the board from filling that position until Gov. Jeff Landry gains more control over the board in 2025.
Landry and lawmakers in both parties have had a fraught relationship with the ethics board in recent years. The board has reprimanded Landry multiple times for campaign finance and ethical violations over the years. Legislators have also complained that the board is being too aggressive regarding investigations into political action committees that lawmakers run .