Tag: whistleblowers

Corruption Scorecards for Jefferson Parish House of Representatives Election 2023

Tracie Burke | Motion to Quash LLC | Sept. 22, 2023

Louisiana State Representatives are being scrutinized under the False Claims Act for receiving payments from over 100 entities that received over $200 million dollars in taxpayer backed Disaster Assistance, according to an analysis of federal government data by Motion to Quash LLC. 

The investigation of loan fraud by PPP loan recipients and Louisiana lawmakers is alarming. Businesses issued large political donations after receiving taxpayer backed pandemic loans, raising concerns about the legitimacy of their need for assistance. “Loan recipients who issued campaign contributions after receiving their awards should be required to repay the loans,” a spokesperson for the agency said. “Fraud schemes such as this are the costliest for the taxpayers.”

Motion to Quash is a powerful representation of the fight against corruption in Jefferson Parish, with the State Representative 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.

Campaign finance reports were obtained from the Louisiana Ethics Board website. Disaster Relief Profiles were found at usaspending.gov.

Click the name to view each candidate’s folder.

Joseph OrgeronC73%
John IllgD67%
Debbie VillioD60%
Polly ThomasD67%
Laurie SchlegelB-80%
Kyle Green JrB+87%
Reginald JasminA+100%
Timothy KernerF47%
Andrew BennettA+100%
Vincent Cox IIIF47%
Andrea ManuelA+100%
Rodney Lyons SrD63%
Trent Mackey Jr.A+100%
Michael SigurD67%
Joseph StagniD67%
Stephanie HilfertyC73%
Charles MarsalaA+100%
Jacob BraudF53%
Joanna LeopoldD67%
Mack CormierD60%
Donald ValleeA+97%
SCORE DISTRIBUTION OVERVIEW

Of the 21 candidates for State Representative on the Jefferson Parish sample ballot, 6 scored A+ (28.6%), 1 scored B+ (4.8%), 1 scored B- (4.8%), 2 scored C (9.5%), 8 scored D (38.1%), and 3 scored F (14.3%)

Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI)

From the time period 2020 to the present, candidates received a grand total of contributions over $1.4 million dollars including a sum of over $600,000 from pharmaceuticals, gaming interests, government contractors, and PPP disaster recipients. By far the most frequent recipient is Timothy Kerner Sr.

Methodology

For consistency, the total scores were based on these three principles:

  1. Campaign contributions issued (5 points)
  2. Campaign contributions received (5 points)
  3. 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, 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. 

Jefferson Parish State Senator Corruption Scorecard 2023

Tracie Burke | Motion to Quash LLC | August 27, 2023

Use of political campaign funds has been of great interest lately among Louisiana voters and members of the Louisiana Board of Ethics. The Motion to Quash scorecards are sufficient to provide accurate, reliable and sound judgment of campaign finance abuse. Motion to Quash identifies quid pro quo by compiling and analyzing campaign contribution data and through its understanding of the electoral and public policy-making process.

Anti Corruption Scorecard for Jefferson Parish State Senator Candidates 

Click the name to view each folder.
Jefferson Parish Sample Ballot
State Senator
Total (cumulative):15
Candidate averageC75%
Royce DuplessisC73%
Gary Carter Jr.C73%
Patrick ConnickB-80%
Timothy Kerner Jr.F53%
J. Cameron Henry Jr.C73%
Mary Ann MushattA+100%
Kirk TalbotC73%
Marilyn BellockA+100%
Gregory MillerC73%
Overview

SCORE DISTRIBUTION

Of the 9 candidates for State Senator on the Jefferson Parish sample ballot, 2 scored A+ (22.2%), 1 scored B- (11.1%), 5 scored C (55.6%), and 1 scored F (11.1%).

Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI)

Candidates received a sum of $225,670 from pharmaceuticals, gaming interests, and government contractors. The most frequent recipients are Kirk Talbot and Timothy Kerner. 



Methodology

For consistency, the total scores were based on these three principles:

  1. Campaign contributions issued (5 points)
  2. Campaign contributions received (5 points)
  3. 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, 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 American Money Laundering Act and the Whistleblower Protection Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by donating today. Click here to donate. The National Whistleblower Center (NWC) is the leading nonprofit dedicated to protecting and rewarding whistleblowers around the world. 

U.S. Advocates and Whistleblower Recognition

Saturday, July 30

RSVP for This Day

Dear Readers,

We’re excited to share the NWC schedule for the third and final day of National Whistleblower Day 2022!

2 PM EST
The Story of National Whistleblower Day

Speakers: Stephen Kohn, Jane Turner
Tune in for our annual tradition of telling the story of our nation’s brave first whistleblowers and the important actions taken by the Continental Congress to safeguard the integrity of democracy in the United States.

2:30 PM EST
Life After Whistleblowing

Speakers: Jane Tuner, Fred Whitehurst, Jackie Garrick, Sara Thompson, Sherron Watkins
Influential U.S. whistleblowers will join Jane Turner in an in depth discussion about the impacts whistleblowing has had on their lives and families, how they have moved forward after facing retaliation, and what comes next.

3:30 PM EST
Building on Their Legacy

Speakers: Matthew Beddingfield, David Liberman, Kayla Svihovec

Early Career Whistleblower Attorneys join together to discuss their role in whistleblower rights and protections and best practices learned from mentors who, together with industry changing whistleblowers, helped create the whistleblower laws we use today. Moderated by Matthew Beddingfield of ZMF.

4:30 PM EST
Reading of Whistleblower Names

Speakers: Stephen Kohn, Siri Nelson, Jane Turner
Over 100 whistleblowers have registered to be recognized this year. We will read their names to commemorate and celebrate their whistleblowing.

5 PM EST
Keynote

Speaker: Dr. Allison Gill
Federal Whistleblower Dr. Allison Gill tells the story of her whistleblowing, and what came next.

Hope you can attend. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Tracie Burke, President

Motion to Quash LLC

Below are the whistleblowers who’ve submitted their name to be recognized on National Whistleblower Day 2022. These names will be read aloud throughout the ceremony.

Agnes Mina
Al Atlansky
Aleksey Anisimov
Amy Joy
Andrae Crayton
Andrew Scollick
Anthony Barberan
Austin Handle
Avshalom Tevel
Babak Babakinejad
Barry Angeline
Belinda Calvin
Boisson Alexandre
Brian Bolden
Bruce Gabbard
Carrie Devorah
Christopher Hood
Cindy Dennis-Schappe
Constance Andresen
Dale Klein
Daniel Richardson
Daribor Maroevic
Darlene Ewing
Darren Mitton
Dave Dambrosio
David Conklin
David P. Weber
David Skrypichayko
Deliris Montanez
Diane Signorile
Dr. Jason Piccolo
Dr. May Edwards
Dr. Toni Savage
Endashaw Mogessie Tiruneh
Francine Marie Arthur
Gary Moody
George Duggan
Georgina Halford-Hall

Gerald Bini
Greg Kopatch
Heidi Weber
Helen Edwards
Ibrahim Hussain
Baqir Hussain
Jacqueline Garrick
James Murtagh
James English
James Moss
Jane Turner
Jason Piccolo
Javier Esqueda
Jennifer Sanchez
Jill Maratea
John Christmas
Joseph Carson
Julie Dicks
Kathy Callahan
Katie Lenza
Kayla Walker
Keith Dougherty
Keith Garber
Kelly Miller
Kenneth Leonard
Kevin Stanton
Kimberly Young-Mclear
Laser Haas
Lawrence Miruka
Martin Edwinandersen
Matthew Jernigan
Matthew Tuinstra
Mauro Botta
Michael Kirwan
Michael Larsen
Michael Pulse
Mike T. Muna
Nadia Sindi

Philip Rudy
Raulito Balingit
Rebekah Jones
Rebekah Jones
Robert Kobus
Robert Maclean
Robin Weiss
Ron Fisher
Roselyn Tolliver
Ryan Sweazey
Sara Thompson
Sam Gundersen
Sherri Marquis
Sonya McNeal
Spencer Murray
Stephanie Van De Motter
Steve Spangle
Susan Carlson
Teresa Tumblin
Terry Williams
Thomas Peterson
Tony Rigg
Tracie Burke
Trevor Kitchen
Veronica James
Veronica Lack
Vina Colley
Vitus Ejiogu Chibueze

Recognized by the National Whistleblower Center, Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org. Motion to Quash LLC promotes legislation that supports the American Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC 2019 Click here to donate. The National Whistleblower Center’s (NWC) mission is to support whistleblowers in their efforts to expose and help prosecute corruption and other wrongdoing around the world.

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Whistleblower Day 2-International

Dear Readers,

Today, Motion to Quash LLC is joining the National Whistleblower Center in welcoming French Assembly Member Ugo Bernalicis as we celebrate National Whistleblower Day! Register Here for Whistlebower Day 2-International. Free to Attend!

Hear Mr. Bernalicis’ remarks, today, Friday, July 29, at 2 PM EST.  RSVP here!

Ugo Bernalicis was elected to the French National Assembly in 2017 and represents La France Insoumise. As a member of the National Assembly, Bernalicis is committed to bettering France’s whistleblower laws. He has proposed numerous improvements which he continues to advocate for. Although it is believed that the EU Directive was modeled on French whistleblower laws, there is still room to improve. In his remarks, Mr. Bernalicis will discuss needed improvements to French whistleblower law and his general support for whistleblowers.

Here is the schedule for today:

International Whistleblowers and Whistleblower Advocates

2 PM EST

Opening Remarks

Speaker: Ugo Bernalicis

Ugo Bernalicis to give opening remarks on Day 2 of the National Whistleblower Day event.

2:30 PM EST

Understanding Whistleblower Rewards

Speakers: Aiyesha Dey, Jonas Heese, Stephen Kohn

Harvard Business School professors discuss their groundbreaking work on understanding what motivates whistleblowers and the impact of reward laws on whistleblower decision making with author and whistleblower attorney Stephen Kohn.

3:30 PM EST

International Whistleblower Experiences Panel

Speakers: Johannes Stefansson, Yasmine Motarjemi, Ari Danikas

Whistleblowers from around the world will chat with whistleblower Johannes Stefansson, who is from Iceland and blew the whistle in Namibia. The conversation will cover little know nuances of their experiences as whistleblowers outside of the United States.

5 PM EST

Fireside Chat with Alfred Brownell

Speakers: Alfred Brownell, Siri Nelson

Join Siri Nelson and Alfred Brownell for an interactive discussion about environmental whistleblowers and environmental defenders around the world. Alfred Brownell is a professor at Yale and an environmental whistleblower and defender.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Tracie Burke, President

Motion to Quash LLC

Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org. Motion to Quash LLC promotes legislation that supports the American Anti-Corruption Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC 2019 Click here to donate.

Your Tax Dollars Support Whistleblowers!

Dear Readers,

Welcome to this year’s National Whistleblower Day celebration. This year we’re celebrating online, again, with the NWC, and will have many opportunities to interact.

We’re proud to announce that the House Office of the Whistleblower Ombuds will kick off our event!

The Office is an independent and nonpartisan resource dedicated to serving the U.S. House of Representatives. It advises members of Congress on best practices for working with whistleblowers from the public and private sectors. It also offers resources to educate whistleblowers regarding our rights and options for reporting wrongdoing.

Indeed, Motion to Quash LLC is very familiar with this Office and so honored that they will present their work with Staff Directors Tim Monahan, and Jamie Fleet.

We often contact Congress directly about our concerns and this is your chance to learn how professional whistleblower advocates help prepare your legislators to work with whistleblowers. Your tax dollars are at work, and we invite you to RSVP for our free event to get updates. After that, participate in our Q&A on July 28th, at 2:30 PM EST

Emphatically, Motion to Quash LLC is committed to advocating for whistleblowers and spreading public awareness about the adversity whistleblowers face—to continue with this mission, we need your support. Encourage your friends to RSVP today.

Please ask Congress , as soon as possible, to make National Whistleblower Day a Federal Day of Observance.

Sincerely,

Tracie Burke, President

Motion to Quash LLC

motiontoquash.org

Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org. Motion to Quash LLC promotes legislation that supports the American Anti-Corruption Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC 2019 Click here to donate.

Statewide Anti Corruption Scorecards Nov. 2021

By Tracie Burke | Motion to Quash LLC | September 26, 2021

External Link

Integrity is a top issue facing Louisiana voters. Unfair business practices and long standing financial connections are breeding grounds for corruption. See how candidates score on integrity for the November 2021 Statewide/Multi-Parish Elections.

We based the candidate integrity scores on these three principles: Campaign Contributions Issued, Campaign Contributions Received, and Disclosures/Conflicts of Interest. 

Click here to view the SCORECARD. You can download and print the complimentary spreadsheet. Click on the Grades Tab to view each Candidate’s folder.

Internal Link

METHODOLOGY

Candidates are graded on the number of critical issues for anti-corruption listed in the candidate scorecard, as divided into three overarching principles. We believe all of these issues are crucial for candidate integrity. 

We assigned a total possible score of 5 for each principle. For the sake of consistency, we treat individual issues equally: calculating fewer of these critical issues gets candidates a higher score—and only when they score 15 for the whole package do they score 100 percent.

We compiled candidate information from their campaign websites, in interviews, or from public and private sources. 

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.

Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org. Motion to Quash LLC promotes legislation that supports the American Anti-Corruption Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC 2019 Click here to donate.

Statewide Multi-Parish Candidates- November 2021Download

WE MADE HISTORY IN JULY!

By Tracie Burke | Motion to Quash LLC | August 22, 2021

Internal link

I attended the National Whistleblower Center’s (NWC) National Whistleblower Day celebration. It was a masterclass celebration honoring the amazing contributions of whistleblowers and I’m so grateful I was recognized. It was a historic event.

Celebrating whistleblowers is not always fun, it takes determination and commitment to stand beside other whistleblowers against waste, fraud, and abuse. But after seeing the monumental support for us at this National Whistleblower Day, I know that we can stand up and speak truthfully. 

Largest and Most Prestigious National Whistleblower Day Ever!

It was my privilege to represent Motion to Quash LLC on National Whistleblower Day and to help promote the event. While more than 1000 people RSVP’d for National Whistleblower Day this year, even more showed up to join the celebration! Our 2021 National Whistleblower Day celebration had nearly 10,000 people in attendance, celebrating whistleblowers. Together, we made history.

With Mistress of Ceremonies, Jan Turner, FBI Whistleblower, and more than 60 speakers making up the more than a dozen panels, this was the largest National Whistleblower Day event in history. Speakers, ranging from a wealth of whistleblowers like Kimberly Young McLear, Thomas Le Bonniec, and Allison Gill; to government leaders like Senator Charles Grassley, Secretary Marty Walsh, SEC Chair Gary Gensler,  Representative Jackie Speier and Senator Tammy Duckworth; to whistleblower experts like Stephen Kohn, Taxpayers Against Fraud’s Jeb White, Project On Government Oversight’s Melissa Wasser, Whistleblower Summit and Film Festival Organizer Marcel Reid, and whistleblower attorney Mark Zaid; made the program the gem of the whistleblower community this year.

Motion to Quash LLC has received an outpouring of positive feedback and invites you to stay tuned for future events. Donate today to support more great events like National Whistleblower Day. We could not have done it without you!

WILL YOU HELP WHISTLEBLOWERS?

Motion to Quash LLC attended and promoted the most successful Whistleblower Day celebration to date. We were so thrilled to be able to celebrate whistleblowers and our contributions with a global audience of whistleblower advocates.

Please consider donating to Motion to Quash LLC to support future National Whistleblower Day celebrations and our work fighting on behalf of whistleblowers. Click the button below to support our efforts!

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Your donations allow us to continue to advocate, educate, and assist whistleblowers, as well as celebrate our achievements. 

Thank you for your support!

Celebrating Whistleblower Victories

In addition to our unprecedented success at National Whistleblower Day, many pieces of whistleblower protection legislation were introduced recently. Motion to Quash LLC supports and is following:

The recently reintroduced Congressional Whistleblower Protection Act of 2021, introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) in the U.S. Senate, which, if adopted, would provide protections for federal employees, current and former, whose right to petition or furnish information to Congress is interfered with or denied. NWC, joined by POGO, TAF, and WoA, issued a letter of support for this bill on July 28. Motion to Quash LLC firmly supports this bill.

The Whistleblower Protection Improvement Act of 2021 (WPIA), introduced by a bipartisan group of Representatives led by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). The critical reform bill would strengthen whistleblower protections for federal employees who expose wrongdoing, providing them greater legal recourses against retaliation including access to a jury trial. Motion to Quash LLC firmly supports this bill.

Finally, the IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act of 2021, introduced by Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), would ensure the integrity of our nation’s tax system by strengthening and improving the IRS Tax Whistleblower Program. NWC, joined by TAF, POGO, and GAP, issued a letter of support on June 16. Motion to Quash LLC firmly supports this bill.

Motion to Quash LLC thanks and recognizes the efforts of NWC, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Sen. Charles Grassley, and Sen. Ron Wyden for introducing these important bills and their continued support for whistleblowers.

Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org. Motion to Quash LLC promotes legislation that supports the American Anti-Corruption Act. Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC 2019 Click here to donate.

JPSO Police Sexual Violence & PREA- graphic content warning

The law says there’s no such thing as consensual sex under the Prison Rape Elimination Act because of the power imbalance.

By: Tracie Burke | Motion to Quash LLC | November 18, 2020

The seal of secrecy of sexual misconduct by fellow police officers is a serious obstacle in controlling police sexual violence and achieving police accountability in Louisiana.

As more efforts to stem sexual abuse by members of law enforcement in Louisiana come to light, there are victims still seeking justice for the police sexual violence they suffered, specifically in Jefferson Parish.

Motion to Quash LLC obtained evidence that Sheriff Lopinto and District Attorney Paul Connick improperly investigated reports of police sexual violence that occurred, and continues to occur by law enforcement and employees of Jefferson Parish. “Some high ranking members in law enforcement across Louisiana are using hidden cameras during intercourse without the subjects knowledge, some while on duty. Then the officers share the videos with others,” according to the disclosure obtained by Motion to Quash LLC.

“Survivors of police sexual violence are the only survivors of sexual assault who have to report the assault to the people that committed it. That’s the main reason they’re not reported,” one victim told Motion to Quash LLC.

The Sheriff and the DA are reluctant to take reports or complaints of police sexual violence—often trying to dissuade victims from making them, and even wrongly categorizing reports of abuse in an attempt to diminish their severity and impact.

If that fails, Sheriff Lopinto, District Attorney Paul Connick and their officers, have been known to actively pursue a victim’s silence through direct threats and intimidation.

One victim in Jefferson Parish told Motion to Quash LLC that she was “given the run around” by internal affairs officers, who intimidated and discouraged her from making the report, and instead issued her a battered women’s broshure and instructed her to call the hotline on the broshure for support.

Motion to Quash LLC takes action against police sexual violence by helping victims in Jefferson Parish file lawsuits, but there are no civil provisions yet for the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Urge congress this session to pass a bill that allows civil provisions under PREA. Now is the time for action and we urge Congress to get an amendment passed that provides a civil remedy for victims of Police Sexual Violence in Louisiana. 

Here is a copy of the victim’s lawsuit for damages. Warning, this content may be distressing for victims of sexual assault.

Plaintiff-V-Jefferson-Parish-Sheriff-Lopinto-DA-Paul-Connick-petition-for-damages

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“On October 26, 2020, defendant [name redacted] an employee of the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office, sexually harassed the plaintiff via text message. Without warning or provocation, the defendant transmitted unsolicited photos of his own genitalia to the plaintiff. This hostile act by the defendant caused the plaintiff extreme emotional distress,” the lawsuit alledges

The law says there’s no such thing as consensual sex under the Prison Rape Elimination Act because of the power imbalance. Clearly, this situation demands pressing and serious attention, including passing bills promoting civil provisions for victims of the Prison Rape Elimination Act.

YOUR VOICE BE HEARD:

Advocate for Civil Provisions for the Prison Rape Elimination Act by sending a message to your Congress members, asking them to take concrete action to provide civil remedies for PREA victims in Louisiana. 

WAYS TO CONTACT YOUR HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE:

Click Directory of House of Representatives to contact and send a message to your House Representatives using the contact information and forms provided through this link.

EMAIL OR SAMPLE LETTER FOR CONTACTING YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

You may copy and paste the letter below into the message field of any contact form or you may use it in the body of emails to your House Representatives. Be sure to enter the name of your representative at the start of the message, and include or sign your name at the end. Consider adding your own personal anecdote or observation to the messages you send. 

Dear Member of Congress [Name]:

As your constituent, I am writing today to ask for your support of Civil Provisions for Victims of PREA.  I am sure that every day you have a multitude of bills crossing your desk, but I ask you to pay specific attention to those pertaining to and affecting law enforcement that promotes civil provisions for PREA victims in Louisiana. While there have been efforts to provide remedies for victims of police sexual violence in criminal court, there are no provisions for victims of police sexual violence in civil court. Clearly, this situation demands pressing and serious attention, including passing bills promoting civil provisions for the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Now is the time for action and I urge you to get an amendment passed that provides a civil remedy for victims of Police Sexual Violence in Louisiana. 

As a supporter of Motion to Quash LLC, a non-partisan online publication dedicated to advocating for civil remedies under PREA, and raising awareness of the Prison Rape Elimination Act, I urge you to protect the integrity of PREA by supporting legislation on its behalf this session.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding the positive steps you are taking to advance civil remedies for victims of police sexual violence in the immediate and long-term future. 

Sincerely,

[Insert Your Name]

[District or State]

[Contact Information] (if you wish/want a reply)

Recognized by the National Whistleblower Center (NWC), Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of motiontoquash.org. 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. 

2020 Candidate Integrity SCORECARD- Justice of the Peace & Constable- Jefferson Parish

Tracie Burke | Motion to Quash LLC | October 23, 2020

Dear Members and Friends,

Forms « Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court

Integrity is a top issue facing Jefferson Parish voters. See how Justice of the Peace and Constable candidates in Jefferson Parish score on integrity when it comes to financial disclosures and campaign finance reports. Then ask the candidates to pledge to Join the Campaign for Judicial Integrity in Louisiana.          

We based the candidates’ integrity scores on these three principles: 

1. Campaign Contributions Issued

2. Campaign Contributions Received

3. Financial Disclosure Statements. 

Click below to view the SCORECARDS. You can download the complimentary spreadsheet. Candidate review folders are available upon request to: info@motiontoquash.org.

2020-Candidate-Scoresheet-Jefferson-Parish-Justice-of-the-Peace-Const-1-2Download

METHODOLOGY

Candidates are graded on the number of critical issues for anti-corruption listed in the candidate scorecard, as divided into three overarching principles. We believe all of these issues are crucial to unrigging our broken system. 

We assigned a total possible score of 5 for each principle. For the sake of consistency, we treat individual issues equally: calculating fewer of these critical issues gets candidates a higher score—and only when they score 15 for the whole package do they get 100 percent.

We compiled candidate information from their campaign websites, in interviews, or from public and private resources. 

Campaigns are dynamic. We welcome your feedback—if you see a candidate’s position has changed, send us an email at info@motiontoquash.org  with the new information.

Tracie Burke is Louisiana Author of Motion to Quash. Her work focuses on providing education, information, and justice for women survivors of family violence in Louisiana. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org

Please Support journalism in the public interest by contributing today. Motion to Quash ISSN 2644-1594 is the copyrighted property of Motion to Quash LLC 2019

Click here to donate.

Vote No to HCR 53 Study Concerning Registry of Persons With Autism

By Tracie Burke | Motion to Quash LLC | May 9, 2020

Representative Joe Stagni has requested a study that goes against basic ethical principles and guidelines for research involving human subjects with autism and other developmental disabilities. HCR 53 EXCEPTIONAL PERSONS: Requests a study concerning a voluntary registry of persons with autism and other developmental disabilities for use by law enforcement professionals. Stagni’s request poses some troubling ethical questions concerning privacy, discrimination, and legal harm. It does not answer the question of what the standard should be for judging how much and what sort of information should be provided for the study.

According to The National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research principle guidelines, research involving persons with Autism and other developmental disabilities needs extensive protections.

The National Research Act

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On July 12, 1974, the National Research Act (Pub. L. 93-348) was signed into law, thereby creating the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, as well as the Belmont Report and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). One of the charges to the Commission was to identify the basic ethical principles that should underlie the conduct of biomedical and behavioral research involving human subjects and to develop guidelines which should be followed to assure that such research is conducted in accordance with those principles. In carrying out the above, the Commission was directed to consider: (i) the boundaries between biomedical and behavioral research and the accepted and routine practice of medicine, (ii) the role of assessment of risk-benefit criteria in the determination of the appropriateness of research involving human subjects, (iii) appropriate guidelines for the selection of human subjects for participation in such research and (iv) the nature and definition of informed consent in various research settings.”

Basic Ethical Principles

  1. Respect for Persons. — Persons with diminished autonomy are entitled to protection. The principle of respect for persons thus divides into two separate moral requirements: the requirement to acknowledge autonomy and the requirement to protect those with diminished autonomy.
  2. Assessment of Risks and Benefits. — For a review committee, it is a method for determining whether the risks that will be presented to subjects are justified.

The Louisiana Department of Health has already indicated that studies such as HCR 53 are not feasible. House Concurrent Resolution No. 84 of the 2019 Regular Session requested the Louisiana Department of Health to study the feasibility of issuing a special identification card to individuals with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and the study that the Louisiana Department of Health produced in accordance with that Resolution indicated, “it is not feasible for the department to issue such identification cards because it has no processes currently in place within which that function could be included.” This volubly confirms that it is not feasible to conduct a discriminatory study concerning the potential use of the NCIC database for creating a registry of persons with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Furthermore, Louisiana law, R.S. 40:2404.2(C), already provides for training of law enforcement officers on interacting with persons who have developmental disabilities. Autism Risk and Safety Management provides training and resources for law enforcement, emergency first responders, parents, educators, care providers, and the autism community. Autism training offers scenarios that describe not only the highest risk autism and law enforcement encounters but strategies designed to lower risk when police officers and first responders interact with autistic citizens and resolve the dilemma of recognizing autism related behaviors and characteristics.

The Nature and Scope of Risks and Benefits

The Assessment of risks and benefits requires a careful arrayal of relevant data, including alternative ways of obtaining the benefits sought in the research. One example, The National Autism Registry (NARY) was started in 1999. The mission is to provide opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families to engage in community-based experiences that were not available to them due to the difficulties of the individual with developmental disabilities. It was founded by Valerie Herskowitz, a mother of a son with autism, and her husband, Garth Dolderer.

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The risks that HCR 53 presents to the subjects are not justified. Joe Stagni appears to be a disablist, contributing to the possibility that harm of autistic individuals may occur. Moreover, a conflict of interest is present since Stagni receives thousands of dollars in contributions issued by medical marketing agencies. This requires review by the Louisiana Ethics Administration.

Austistic populations are already burdened in many ways by their disabilities and environments. When research is proposed that involves risks and does not include a therapeutic component, they should be protected against the danger of being involved in research soley for administrative convenience or political purposes. Call or write to your legislators today and urge them to vote no to partisan bill HCR 53.

Tracie Burke is Louisiana author of Motion to Quash. She can be reached at tracie@motiontoquash.org. Motion to Quash LLC promotes legislation that supports the American Anti-Corruption Act.

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