New Audit Released On Mike Edmonson's Luxurious Personal Life As Head of LSP

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As Louisiana's longest tenured State Police superintendent, Mike Edmonson created a life of luxury for his family on the taxpayer dime, ordering troopers to chauffeur his wife around the state, tapping state resources to service his son's Jeep and even relying on trusties to walk the family dog at the Department of Public Safety compound, where the Edmonsons lived rent-free for years.

Edmonson, who retired amid scandal this year, also allowed friends to stay in New Orleans hotel rooms — paid for by the city of New Orleans — reserved for troopers providing security at Mardi Gras; ate free meals at the State Police cafeteria; ordered inmates to deliver food to his residence; and improperly used the Governor's Mansion dry-cleaning service to clean his uniforms -- while taking a stipend from the state for dry cleaning.

Those are among the findings of a scathing report being finalized this month by the state Legislative Auditor's Office — an inquiry that portrays Edmonson as a freeloader who never turned down a handout. The report, a draft of which was obtained by The Advocate, concludes that Edmonson may have broken several laws during his nine years as superintendent, a tenure marked by a pattern of using public resources for personal benefit and questionable excesses, like free tickets to the annual Endymion ball.

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The state Legislative Auditor's report could present more significant legal problems for Edmonson, who stepped aside in March after internal affairs investigators briefed him on concerns they had about the troopers' side trip. Among the auditors' concerns was Edmonson's use of a state credit card to purchase more than $7,000 in special meals without approval from the Division of Administration. Those meals were "not sufficiently documented to show their business purpose," according to the report.

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The auditors determined that Edmonson moved his family into the DPS compound "without legal authority," and that he had the state pick up his utilities, including cable television and electricity. The compound, known formally as the Residential Conference Center, was built in 2002 and originally intended to house the governor and State Police superintendent during emergency situations.

At some point, the Edmonsons had the residence modified to construct a shoe closet for Edmonson's wife. The auditors noted that Edmonson's use of the residence — at an estimated value of $434,720 from February 2008 to March 2017 — was not included as a fringe benefit on his W-2. It's unclear whether Edmonson paid federal taxes on the benefit, but auditors clearly believe he should have.

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For years, according to the report, Edmonson ordered troopers to provide transportation for his wife, whether she was bar-hopping in New Orleans, gambling in Lake Charles or catching a concert in Lafayette. Troopers routinely were used to run personal errands for Edmonson on the clock, the audit found. One trooper reported driving Edmonson's wife, mother-in-law and a friend to and from a Bob Seger concert at the Cajun Dome in Lafayette. State Police also frequently gave Edmonson's wife a lift to the airport.

"Other LSP troopers informed us that they were required to escort Col. Edmonson's wife and friend to the French Quarter while wearing costumes, which may have included parts of the LSP uniform," the report says.

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