Former St. Landry Parish President Don Menard Facing Ethics Penalties
The Louisiana Board of Ethics has found former St. Landry Parish President Donald R. "Don" Menard failed to file three campaign finance reports as required by law. As a result, he could be facing civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation.
Menard unsuccessfully ran for Parish President in St. Landry Parish in the November 6, 2019 general election. According to court records, the ethics board held a meeting to determine if Menard failed to file campaign finance disclosure reports for the primary election on October 12, 2019 along with the general election.
Don Menard served as St. Landry Parish President from 2004 through 2012. He was one of three candidates vying to replace former Parish President Bill Fontenot in last year's election.
While Menard was defeated in the primary election, he was still required to file a campaign finance disclosure report 30 days before the primary and another report 10 days before the primary.
He was also required to file a third campaign disclosure report on November 6, 2019.
The record also shows that Menard failed to appear for the ethic's board's hearing despite being sent a notice.
In the hearing, the ethics board determined that Menard failed to file all three reports. They noted that he still had yet to file the reports as of October 5, 2020.
While it is not known yet what the exact penalties will be, the ethics board could impose civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each of the three late reports, totaling $30,000.
You can read the ethics board's full decision and order here.
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