Tangi waits to hear if Sheriff is simply incompetent or is he a crook

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Hammond PD was treated like a crime scene, as in FBI went in with guns drawn and removed firearms and tasers from Officers. This did not happen to TPSO.

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Machines were not removed. That is an absolute fact.

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There are no indications that Edwards himself has become a target of the secretive probe, a point the sheriff sought to underscore Friday in brief remarks to reporters. But an investigation that for the past year has unfolded behind closed doors landed publicly at the sheriff's doorstep this week.

And its surprise appearance — in the form of a raid, rather than a subpoena — suggested that Edwards himself is under mounting scrutiny, delivering a black eye to a lawman who has campaigned on his integrity and honesty.

"Aside from the two individuals who have been charged — Karl Newman and Johnny Domingue — no one in the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office has been notified that they are targets of the federal investigation," a strained-looking Edwards said Friday.

The sheriff then apologized for the inconvenience the raid caused and urged people to buckle up when riding in a car and to avoid drinking and driving before walking out of the room, ignoring questions from reporters. He would not say whether he has hired an attorney.

The investigation also has placed the governor in an unenviable position, though by no means an unprecedented one for a high Louisiana officeholder. The two youngest of eight siblings, John Bel and Daniel Edwards remain very close, vacationing together and maintaining regular contact.

The brothers come from a long line of law enforcement in Tangipahoa Parish. Their father, Frank Edwards Jr., served three terms as sheriff; their older brother, Frank Edwards III, is the police chief of the town of Independence.

"This certainly could affect the Edwards name," said Bernie Pinsonat, a Baton Rouge-based political consultant. "But I'm sure the governor is more concerned about his brother's well-being right now than he is about his own image or re-election. This is his brother, and he's probably very worried and hopeful that nothing comes of this."

Even though the investigation is in the hands of federal authorities, the executive director of the state Republican Party, Jason Doré, said Friday that the governor owes the public assurances that his brother will not receive special treatment because of their close relationship. "(The governor) needs to come out and express what, if any, knowledge he has of the investigation and if he has encouraged law enforcement to treat his brother differently," Doré said.

Gov. Edwards' office offered minimal comment on the investigation, saying it had no information about it. But Edwards' administration took umbrage at political opponents capitalizing on the story about his brother. Richard Carbo, the governor's spokesman, called it "incredibly irresponsible" for the state GOP to make accusations about the federal investigation.

While Daniel Edwards has played down his connections to the DEA task force, text messages and emails obtained by The Advocate show Edwards for years has had a close relationship with Scott, an agent of 17 years who remains at the center of the misconduct investigation.

The friendship began even before Edwards was elected sheriff in 2003, at a time when Edwards was an assistant district attorney who prosecuted many drug cases Scott investigated. But the pair became even closer in recent years, swapping emails and text messages and sharing meals.

"It was well known that Scott led what many considered to be local investigations, all with the blessing and approval of the sheriff," said a law enforcement official who has known both men for more than a decade. "Nobody's going to dispute that."

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