BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Former Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of felony theft over $25,000 and malfeasance in office, stemming from the disappearance of a rare Louisiana state artifact.
Schexnayder entered the plea during a court appearance on Jan. 8. He is scheduled to return to court Feb. 4.
The charges follow a Baton Rouge grand jury indictment accusing Schexnayder, 56, of stealing a historic piece of cypress wood that once belonged to the state. Investigators allege the artifact was taken sometime between 2012 and 2025 and was valued at $25,000 or more…