Tracie Burke | Motion to Quash LLC | October 6, 2023
Candidates for Jefferson Parish Councilman for the 2023 elections are being scrutinized under the False Claims Act. The False Claims Act is a federal law that imposes liability on those who defraud governmental programs. It is the federal government’s primary litigation tool in combating fraud against the government.
According to an analysis of federal data by Motion to Quash LLC, Councilmembers Jennifer Van Vrancken and Ricky Templet received over a half million dollars from over 350 entities that made political contributions just before or after receiving more than $73 million dollars of taxpayer backed SBA loans. In both instances, candidates received large donations after companies they controlled, or companies owned by family members, obtained loans. Frankie Hayers, the only other candidate, financed his own campaign.
| Click the name to view the candidate’s folder | Total (cumulative): | 15 |
| Candidate average | C | 73% |
| J. Frankie Hyers | A+ | 100% |
| Ricky Templet | D | 60% |
| Jennifer Van Vrancken | D | 60% |
Family Connections
Balcony Enterprises Inc, a family owned enterprise, received a total of $365,491 from the SBA. Afterward, The Balcony Ballroom issued a political contribution to Jennifer Van Vrancken in the amount of $5,000.
Hearing Health Care of Louisiana Inc, owned by family member Ryan Templet, received $186,812 from the Paycheck Protection Program. After receiving the taxpayer backed funds, Ryan Templet issued $5000 to Ricky Templet’s political campaign.
These funds were meant for struggling businesses. Generous campaign contributions just before or after receiving disaster assistance raises concerns about the legitimacy of their need for assistance. “It suggests the entities misled the SBA to obtain government funds and should be required to repay the taxpayers. Fraud schemes such as this are the costliest for the taxpayers.” a spokesperson for the agency said.
Most Egregious Abuses of the PPP
Two of the most egregious abuses of the Paycheck Protection Program, according to the analysis, were Adams & Reese Law Firm and Harvey Gulf International Marine LLC.
Adams and Reese Law Firm received $9.2 million dollars from the taxpayer backed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Subsequently, Adams and Reese and ARPAC issued nearly $800,000 in political contributions, including over $100,000 paid to its own Political Action Committee.
Harvey Gulf International Marine LLC received $8.8 million dollars from the Paycheck Protection Program before issuing over $600,000 to political campaigns, including $100,000 to the Republican Party and $100,000 to Louisiana Citizens for Job Creators Inc.
Recouping Stolen Pandemic Loan Funds
Motion to Quash is a powerful representation of the fight against corruption in Jefferson Parish, with the Anti Corruption Scorecard serving as a reminder of the importance of transparency and honesty in our political system. The scorecards are sufficient to provide accurate, reliable and sound judgment of campaign finance abuse, particularly for those interested in the 2023 Elections and the stand against corruption.
Contributions alone are not enough for an investigation. However, generous campaign contributions and confidential disclosures submitted to the Inspector General are enough evidence to lead to criminal prosecutions.
On September 27, the U.S. House Committee on Small Business held a hearing entitled “Action Through Innovation: Private Sector Solutions to Recouping Stolen Pandemic Loan Funds.” The hearing touched on different solutions the Small Business Administration (SBA) could take to recoup fraudulent loans issued as part of pandemic lending programs.
“When the pandemic started, the SBA took on an outsized role in restarting our nation’s economy. The PPP and EIDL programs were vital to saving small businesses, but that fact does not excuse $200 billion in fraud,” explained Chairman Roger Williams (R-TX). “It’s a top priority of this Committee to recoup these stolen funds, and yesterday’s hearing looked at new, innovative private sector solutions to do just that. I’m very grateful for our four witnesses, and we’ll continue our work on holding these fraudsters accountable.”
Click the link to read the Statement of Michael E. Horowitz, Chair, Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice before the U.S. House of Representatives Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis concerning “Examining Federal Efforts To Prevent, Detect, And Prosecute Pandemic Relief Fraud To Safeguard Funds For All Eligible Americans”
Campaign finance reports were obtained from the Louisiana Ethics Board website. Disaster Recipient Profiles were found at usaspending.gov.
Methodology
For consistency, the total scores were based on these three principles:
- Campaign contributions issued (5 points)
- Campaign contributions received (5 points)
- Disclosures/conflicts of interest (5 points)
Only when candidates scored 15 for the whole package did they score 100 percent.
Campaigns are dynamic. We welcome your feedback. If you see a candidate’s position has changed, send us an email to info@motiontoquash.org with the new information.
Recognized by the National Whistleblower Center (NWC), Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org. Motion to Quash LLC successfully promoted legislation that supports the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 and amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Click here to donate Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC 2019. NWC’s mission is to support whistleblowers in their efforts to expose and help prosecute corruption and other wrongdoing around the world.
