A witness House Republicans called to testify before the Weaponization of the Government Subcommittee has previously weaponized local government against his own constituents. Another was accused of using questionable tactics against an opposing attorney while serving in state government.
Attorney General Jeff Landry worked to delay approval of flood protection funds to New Orleans after the city pushed back on the state’s new abortion ban. He twice convinced the Louisiana State Bond Commission to temporarily block approval for a line of credit New Orleans’ earmarked for a power plant to support drainage pumps that remove rainwater during storms; a critical aspect for flood protection for the city’s 384,000 residents. The votes happened after New Orleans objected to the state’s new abortion ban and Landry admitted the vote was a response to the city’s “open defiance” of the new state law. Landry’s spokesperson also said the push to delay the funds was about sending a message to New Orleans. The Louisiana State Bond Commission eventually approved the funds with the state’s Republican lieutenant governor criticizing Landry’s tactics and saying the Commission was an inappropriate place to punish New Orleans for its abortion stance.
While he was Attorney General of Missouri, Eric Schmitt faced significant criticism for subpoenaing the private emails and texts of an opposing attorney in a case that revisited a murder conviction from the late 1970s. The opposing attorney said Schmitt’s tactics were curious and a form of harassment. Midwest Innocence Project founder Sean O’Brien said the case would be decided on the evidence and not on the basis of communication between attorneys. In response to Schmitt’s subpoenas, University of Missouri political scientist Stephen Graves said injecting political fights into the courts would “ultimately just hurt American democracy.” Schmitt opposed the attorney’s efforts to clear the defendant’s name even though a key witness in the case recanted her testimony in 2009. The defendant’s wrongful conviction case was successful and he was eventually exonerated of murder charges.
Two Witnesses Summoned By The Weaponization Subcommittee Have A History Of Weaponizing Their Own Local Governments
Republican Members Of The Weaponization Of The Federal Government Subcommittee Called On U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt From Missouri And Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry To Be Witnesses For A Hearing On Alleged Suppression Of American Liberties.
[U.S. House Committee on Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, Hearing to Examine Missouri v. Biden, 3/29/23]
- On March 30th, 2023, The Select Subcommittee On The Weaponization Of The Federal Government Held A Hearing To Examine Missouri v. Biden. “The Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government will hold a hearing on Thursday, March 30, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. ET. The hearing will examine the Missouri v. Biden case challenging the administration’s violation of the First Amendment by directing social media companies to censor and suppress Americans’ free speech.” [U.S. House Committee on Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, Hearing to Examine Missouri v. Biden, 3/29/23]
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry Worked To Delay Flood Protection Funds To New Orleans After The City Pushed Back On The State’s New Abortion Ban
JEFF LANDRY WORKED WITH THE STATE BOND COMMISSION TO WITHHOLD VITAL FLOOD PROTECTION FUNDS FROM NEW ORLEANS FOR REFUSING TO FULLY ENFORCE LOUISIANA’S ABORTION BAN
July 2022: Jeff Landry Called On The State Bond Commission To Deny State Tax Dollars For Projects In New Orleans In Response To City Officials Saying The Wouldn’t Enforce The State’s Abortion Ban. According to WWNO, “Attorney General Jeff Landry issued a threat to New Orleans officials Tuesday: enforce the state’s near-absolute ban on abortion or risk losing state funding for projects in the city. In a letter to state Treasurer John Schroder, Landry called on his fellow members of the State Bond Commission to deny any state tax dollars for projects in New Orleans in response to city officials saying they won’t enforce the state’s abortion ban, which would prohibit nearly all abortions except for medically futile or life-threatening pregnancies.” [WWNO, 7/19/22]
LANDRY SUCCESSFULLY CONVINCED THE STATE BOND COMMISSION TWICE TO DELAY APPROVAL FOR FUNDS FOR DRAINAGE PUMPS MEANT TO PROTECT OF 300,000 NEW ORLEANS RESIDENTS DURING HURRICANE SEASON
August 2022: In The Middle Of Hurricane Season, Louisiana’s State Bond Commission, At The Urging Of AG Landry, Voted To Delay Approval For Funding For Drainage Pumps That Removed Rainwater During Storms. According to The Independent, “In the middle of hurricane season, officials in Louisiana have voted to temporarily block the city of New Orleans from a $39m line of credit intended for critical flood protection after the city’s Democratic leadership announced its objections to newly enacted state laws criminalising abortion care. The Louisiana State Bond Commission, at the urging of Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry, voted 7-6 on 18 August to delay approval for funding that New Orleans officials earmarked for a power plant to support drainage pumps that remove rainwater during storms.” [Independent, 8/22/22]
- The Louisiana State Bond Commission Vote Happened After New Orleans’ City Leadership Objected To A New State Abortion Ban. According to The Independent, “In the middle of hurricane season, officials in Louisiana have voted to temporarily block the city of New Orleans from a $39m line of credit intended for critical flood protection after the city’s Democratic leadership announced its objections to newly enacted state laws criminalising abortion care. The Louisiana State Bond Commission, at the urging of Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry, voted 7-6 on 18 August to delay approval for funding that New Orleans officials earmarked for a power plant to support drainage pumps that remove rainwater during storms.” [Independent, 8/22/22]
AG Jeff Landry Acknowledged On Facebook That The Vote Was A Response To New Orleans City Officials’ “Open Defiance.” “Mr Landry said in a statement on Facebook that ‘the officials in New Orleans took an oath of office to support and enforce the laws of our State, yet they have decided that some laws are not worthy of enforcement.’ He condemned what he called the city’s ‘open defiance of the will of the people of Louisiana’ and said the commission’s vote is ‘another step toward ensuring the parishes and municipalities of our State comply with the laws of our State.’” [Independent, 8/22/22]
AG Jeff Landry Justified His Actions And The Bond Commission’s Vote By Claiming It Was Another “Step Forward” To Ensuring Municipalities Complied With The Laws Of The State. “Mr Landry said in a statement on Facebook that ‘the officials in New Orleans took an oath of office to support and enforce the laws of our State, yet they have decided that some laws are not worthy of enforcement.’ He condemned what he called the city’s ‘open defiance of the will of the people of Louisiana’ and said the commission’s vote is ‘another step toward ensuring the parishes and municipalities of our State comply with the laws of our State.’” [Independent, 8/22/22]
AG Jeff Landry Twice Successfully Convinced The Louisiana State Bond Commission To Delay The Approval Of A $39 Million Line Of Credit For A Power Station To Run Draining Pumps Meant To Protect New Orleans’ 384,000 Residents From Flooding. According to E&E News, “A Louisiana commission today approved New Orleans flood control funding it had been refusing to support over city officials’ opposition to the state’s strict abortion ban. Citing the abortion issue, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) had twice successfully convinced the State Bond Commission to delay approval of a future $39 million line of credit for a power station to run New Orleans drainage pumps that would protect the city’s 384,000 residents from flooding. [E&E News, 9/15/22]
AG JEFF LANDRY’S TEAM JUSTIFIED DELAYING APPROVAL OF FUNDS BY SAYING IT WAS ALL ABOUT SENDING A MESSAGE TO NEW ORLEANS
A Spokesperson For AG Jeff Landry Justified Withholding The Funds Because It Would Not Cause More Flooding Only Send A Strong Message To The City, “This Is Not Going To Harm Hurricane Protection, But What It Is Going To Do Is It Is Going To Send A Message.” “Landry himself did not attend today’s hearing, sending Civil Director of the Louisiana Department of Justice Angelique Freel to represent him. She argued that withholding the funding would not actually cause more flooding in New Orleans because approval of the future line of credit would not immediately release funds for the project, which is needed to provide reliable electricity to pumps to keep city streets dry during rainstorms. Rather, approving the line of credit puts the project forward for the Legislature to actually fund in its next appropriations bill. ‘This is not going to harm hurricane protection, but what it is going to do is it is going to send a message that we expect all municipalities to abide by the laws that are passed by this body, the Legislature,’ she said.” [E&E News, 9/15/22]
Louisiana State Bond Commission Members Eventually Voted To Approve The Funds. According to E&E News, “But on Thursday, commission members had clearly run out of patience with Landry, voting 11-1 to approve the future line of credit for the project. ‘Any flood protection anywhere in this state should not be held up for any reason,’ Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser (R) said.” [E&E News, 9/15/22]
Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Criticized AG Jeff Landry And Said The Commission Was An Inappropriate Venue To Punish New Orleans For Its Abortion Stance
Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser: “Any Flood Protection Anywhere In This State Should Not Be Held Up For Any Reason.” According to E&E News, “But on Thursday, commission members had clearly run out of patience with Landry, voting 11-1 to approve the future line of credit for the project. ‘Any flood protection anywhere in this state should not be held up for any reason,’ Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser (R) said. […] Nungesser said that his representative had voted to withhold the funding at the previous two meetings without his knowledge or approval and that he was intending the commission meeting in-person ‘to change the previous two votes.’ Noting that he disagreed with the New Orleans mayor and City Council, Nungesser argued that the State Bond Commission was not an appropriate venue to punish the city for its abortion stance. Landry, Nungesser said, ‘is really good at suing.’ ‘Take it up in the courts and not here interrupting flood protection at a time when our insurance rates are through the roof,’ he said. ‘File a suit if he thinks the laws are broken, but that’s not for this commission.’” [E&E News, 9/15/22]
While He Was Missouri Attorney General, Schmitt Was Accused Of Employing Questionable Tactics
Schmitt Was Criticized For Subpoenaing The Private Emails And Texts Of An Opposing Attorney In A Case That Revisited A Murder Conviction. “The Jackson County Prosecutor’s office charged Strickland with capital murder in 1978 for his alleged involvement in the killing of Sherrie Black, John Walker and Larry Ingram at 6934 S. Benton Ave. in Kansas City. Despite the fact that the prosecutor’s office brought the original case against him, Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, a Democrat, has insisted since May that Strickland is innocent. Her conclusion came after a months-long review of new evidence in the case. […] Attorney General Eric Schmitt has subpoenaed a long list of evidence, including the private emails and texts from Jackson County’s chief deputy prosecutor. Jean Peters Baker called it curious, and a form of harassment. ‘What does this have to do with the guilt or innocence of Kevin Strickland?’ she told KCUR in a text message. Law professor [and Midwest Innocence Project Founder] Sean O’Brien took the question one step further. ‘The case will be decided on evidence and not on any communication between lawyers,’ he said. ‘Nothing that Jean Peters Baker says or thinks is admissible evidence at the hearing.”’ [KCUR, 8/18/21]
- Schmitt Opposed Efforts To Overturn An Old Murder Conviction Even Though The Key Witness Recanted Years Before And The Conviction Jury Was All White. “ The Jackson County Prosecutor’s office charged Strickland with capital murder in 1978 for his alleged involvement in the killing of Sherrie Black, John Walker and Larry Ingram at 6934 S. Benton Ave. in Kansas City. Despite the fact that the prosecutor’s office brought the original case against him, Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, a Democrat, has insisted since May that Strickland is innocent. Her conclusion came after a months-long review of new evidence in the case. But the state’s Republican governor and attorney general have refused to accept that narrative. […] While the legal and political processes play out, Strickland, who is 62 and now uses a wheelchair, remains behind bars. He was convicted by an all-white jury and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 50 years. The conviction hinged on the testimony of Cynthia Douglas, who recanted in 2009. ‘People just have a deep mistrust of government,’ said Mizzou’s Stephen Graves. The longer and more frequently people watch political fights happen in the courts, he said, the more likely it is that mistrust will extend to the judicial branch.” [KCUR, 8/18/21]
- The Defendant’s Wrongful Conviction Case Was Successful And He Was Exonerated Of Murder Charges From 1978. “After he was freed in a highly-publicized exoneration, Kevin Strickland said he is looking forward to coming and going when he pleases, and being able to eat when he wants. Just living. One day at a time — without supervision. Strickland, 62, was released Tuesday from the Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron after a judge granted Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker’s motion to exonerate him in a 1978 triple murder that he has always said he did not commit. After he was pushed out of the prison in a wheelchair by one of his attorneys, Strickland told reporters and cameras crews gathered across the street that he learned of his exoneration through a news alert that flashed across a television. Before then, he had been watching a soap opera, he said. Other prisoners started hollering and banging on the walls.” [Kansas City Star, 11/23/21]
In Response To Schmitt’s Subpoenas, University Of Missouri Political Scientist Stephen Graves Said Injecting Political Fights Into The Courts Would “Ultimately Just Hurt American Democracy.” “As University of Missouri political scientist Stephen Graves put it, ‘We may not get the presidents that we want, or the governors we want, the senators that we want, but we do look to the judicial system … to be that third, outside party to advocate for justice.’ That image of the courts, though, does not necessarily reflect reality, Graves said, as indicated in the case of Kevin Strickland. Last week, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office issued subpoenas that would force the Jackson County Prosecutor to turn over communications with third parties concerning Strickland’s case. It is the latest volley in a legal strategy that has caught the attention of judicial and political observers in the state. […] ‘People just have a deep mistrust of government,’ said Mizzou’s Stephen Graves. The longer and more frequently people watch political fights happen in the courts, he said, the more likely it is that mistrust will extend to the judicial branch. ‘That’s going to ultimately just hurt American democracy and our ability to do things in this country is going to get worse,’ Graves said. ‘While it seems like this is about a Black man trying to get his innocence … this is a much larger issue for criminal justice that has been in need of reform for a long period of time.’” [KCUR, 8/18/21]