Overview
- A special grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday charging LaMont Cole with two counts of conspiracy to commit public bribery, two counts of money laundering, and one count of malfeasance in office.
- Court records and an arrest-warrant affidavit released by prosecutors include text messages that they say show Cole agreed to accept kickbacks from contractor Terral “TJ” Jackson and discussed dividing contract proceeds.
- Prosecutors allege Cole received at least $40,000 in cash and gifts while the Jacksons’ company won nearly $600,000 in city-parish contracts tied to blight remediation and the Mayor’s Healthy City Initiative.
- Arrest warrants were issued for Cole and for Terral and Erica Jackson; Cole surrendered to authorities Thursday and was booked with bail set at $15,000 while the defendants deny wrongdoing and invoke due process.
- The indictment is the latest development in a roughly ten-month investigation by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office that has produced multiple indictments and could prompt tighter oversight of municipal contracting and ARPA-funded programs.