What is Bobby Jindal hiding?  Why won’t he and his staff answer basic questions?  Is he fit to be Governor when he preaches one thing and does something totally inapposite?

These are the questions I ask myself as I look at campaign expenditure records that were sent to me.  These records absolutely raises a big question--who the real Bobby Jindal?

For months, all we have received from Bobby Jindal is bone silence.  We know nothing about his real abilities to deal with the basic issues of health, welfare, security of this state.  We know he is bright, was accepted to the top Ivy League medical and law schools, is a fast talker, but, know he is a dodger and won’t answer basic questions or discuss hard issues with his opponents or with reporters concerning his past or our future. 

Before I get slammed as being anti-Jindal or anti-Republican, remember, I voted for Jindal him four years ago, wrote that Governor Blanco should not run, wrote that John Breaux should not run, voted for George Bush and have championed many Republican causes in the past. 

As far as Mr. Jindal, I once thought he was about openness.  Now, I know, he is about being silence and hiding  That concerns me greatly.  It tells me his administration will be anything but transparent. 

Since Jindal is running with “ethics on his sleeves”, since I have reviewed public records sent to me, I am now very concerned about his credibility concerning his values and ethics. To wit:

After Bobby Jindal lost his Gubernatorial campaign in late 2003, he filed his intent with the Federal Election Commission to run for federal office on February 3, 2004.  After that he started to raise money as he began to run for Congress.  However, on February 16, 2004, he paid $31,688 to Strategic Directon.com. Inc, of Tallahasse, FL from money from his Governor’s race account.   Then, on March 2, 2004, he paid $13,660 to The Anderson Group, Bowie, of Maryland.   Why were these large expenses paid so late after his Governor’s race and while he was running for Congress?  Almost all political firms get their money for political campaigns up front, so why would he be disbursing money from his Governor’s account after filing to run for federal office and months after losing to Governor Blanco?  What were the purposes of these expenditures?  We don’t know.  He refuses to tell us.

Then, on June 15, 2004, Jindal paid from his Gubernatorial account, $11,368  to Haynes Motor Lines  for  "Moving Expense".  Moving expense for what?  For his move to Kenner so he could run for Congress?  The major ethical problem with this transaction is —this money came out of his Gubernatorial account.  What would give him the right to use his gubernatorial race money to move his personal residence, if that is what he did?  He certainly cannot use gubernatorial money for a Congressional race.  What could possibly have cost over eleven thousand dollars?  Why was it paid over seven months after he lost his gubernatorial campaign?  Campaigns use volunteers to move tables, phones and other items.  They certainly do not use moving companies.   

Later, Jindal won his Congressional bid.    

Later, in June of 2006, Jindal raised money for his 2007 gubernatorial run and at the same time, he paid some very interesting expenses from his Congressional account.  At that time, he ran for re-election for his Congressional seat.  He was a complete “shoe-in” had little or no competition and while running for Congress, according to the Advocate, Jindal collected $140,000 from 28 Baton Rouge donors on June 5, 2006 for his Governor’s run.

So, while running a Congressional race where he was a “slam dunk”, he was prancing around the state priming for his gubernatorial race spending gobs of money on that Congressional race where nobody knew his opponent.  Then, the numbers get even funkier.  Starting March 27, 2006, Jindal spent over one hundred thousand dollars with GCR & Associates for Computer software and development for that “no-competition” Congressional race.  By comparison, Mayor C. Ray Nagin, spent approximately $25,000 with the same company for what seems to be similar type of services in his race for Mayor.  Again, Jindal spent four times the amount of money with GCR & Associates to run a Congressional race he could not lose, yet Ray Nagin spent one fourth of the money to run a race where he had serious competition.  During this time, Jindal was raising money for his Governor’s race.   

Which raises the ultimate question—in 2006, was Bobby Jindal then using his Congressional election money to pay for expenses that were really related to his gubernatorial 2007 gubernatorial run?  Why would Jindal spend over $100,000 for computer expenses for a congressional run for a seat he had a “lock” and at the same time, he was traveling around the state really running for Governor? 

I do not have answers, but I am asking the questions because he and his campaign refuse to talk.  We all should be asking these questions and forcing the answers.  He has refused to answer questions about his record post-Katrina and has refused to face the public in open debate on the issues   At a time when Louisiana so desperately needs full discussion on all of the issues, he is mute.  I am told by experts he is a certainty to win, but some of us have real concerns about his policies and will keep an open mind but won’t vote along party lines for anyone.

After raising my concerns about his refusal to debate, I still had questions about his positions.  I received nothing but stone from a campaign that has millions to run an election and hire press secretaries.  Certainly his campaign could answer questions, but after well over a dozen attempts for information, I received zilch. 

So, very recently, I received information that disturbed me related to his supposed high ethics, openness in government and honesty—the basic tenets of his campaign.

On Tuesday, I wrote his campaign manager asking for some information:

Here is a copy of the e-mail to Tim Teepell:

Timmy,

As publisher of Bayoubuzz asking you to discuss with me on the record all information relative to these items which I wrote about in my column on Tuesday.   Bayoubuzz will be looking very hard at all candidates for information about their past as it relates to their policy issues including the Bobby Jindal campaign.  Since your campaign has refused to respond to my simple innocuous requests in the past, I am assuming you will not respond to this one.

Again, as a former voter for Bobby Jindal (because he was open about his finances and his positions) and as someone who could vote for him again this fall, I personally am not out to “get” any candidate.  I share his and your concern about making Louisiana as ethical, as viable and as competitive as possible.  However, I want to make sure that my writing is accurate and that Bayoubuzz maintains the high credibility it has enjoyed over the years.  If I am wrong about anything, I will be the first to apologize in public.      I am very confused about these items and you can clarify my confusion by providing me information and documentation.

I will be writing about this issue again on Thursday and hopefully I will be able to accompany it with a full disclosure and explanation from your campaign about these expenditures.    I look forward to talking to you and my door is always open.  My phone number again is 504-339-3254.

These items below are from the 2003 Gubernatorial campaign, as you know.  

Last, as I have mentioned to you personally and publicly, I have always known Bobby to be “above board”.  But the campaign silence on this now and other issues dealing with policy raises various questions which I believe should be addressed.  So, please get with me as soon as possible so I can address this matter openly and honestly with my readers and so they will know there was nothing improper.   At a later time, I hope that we can discuss policy issues so I can better educate my readers and so they can get this information directly from Bobby.

Steve

On Wednesday, I discussed the matter with a Michael DiResto who has been hired by the Republican party as a spokespersont.  Mr. DiResto told me he would discuss my concerns   with the Jindal campaign.

I then followed that conversation with this letter (My italics)

“Michael,

I enjoyed our chat.

Let me explain, I do not have a horse in this race.  I dislike all political to the extent that they demand loyalties. 

I do have serious questions about Bobby Jindal’s fundraising.  I have called their office in the past about policy issues as I have done with other candidates so I understand the issues better, as I did with you tonight .  I also want to discuss policy, not muck 

I am not saying there are not points Bobby and I do not have disagreements.  But, I do try to be responsible and get information first before shooting from the hip.  I have called or emailed them well over a dozen times.  Whoever is calling the shots is making a big mistake, not just in my case because I have been trying to get to the truth about policy and issues, but I believe definitely among the media who I believe feel like they cannot get any information. 

So, now, someone sent me information that is public record and I do have real questions regarding campaign ethics.  I am hoping they can be cleared up but I am not getting any response whatsoever from the Jindal camp.   I gave them to Thursday.  I will extend it to Friday.  Simple answers and documentation can clarify this and can satisfy me if it makes sense.   I am not trying to torpedo anyone, just do my job and I think my audience expects this from me.  So, since you have contact with their camp, I will wait until Friday before publishing.  Again, I am not trying to do a job on anyone.  I am treating all candidates equally and when I am presented information on the other candidates that do not make sense, I probe and decide if it is worthwhile.

So, I hope you can penetrate them so I can get some basic answers.  Otherwise, I will write my column on this issue on Friday.  I do appreciate your help here as I always appreciated your efforts and Cong. Baker’s efforts with his Baker plan. 

Again, simple answers and documentation hopefully would be more than sufficient.  I look forward to your help.

Steve” (My italics)

Then, yesterday, I again wrote Mr. DiResto and said, “Michael,

I do hope you help bridge the gap.  I will run what I have and just ask questions. That is not what I want to do, but think the information is important enough it should be out there. 

I have not heard from the Jindal campaign.  I will run my story tomorrow.   Again, I look forward to your assistance so I get all the facts.

Steve”  (My italics)

I did not receive any response from anyone on this issue and have not received a single answer from the Jindal campaign about any issue for months.  Nor, has Louisiana heard from Jindal in open debate and due to his refusal to engage in forums, we will only have one state wide discussion although our state has been devastated due to Katrina and Rita and remains at the top of all of the “bad lists” and at the bottom of all of the “good lists”.    .

Ethic is Jindal’s main campaign policy plank and other than providing us wish lists, he is not providing us with answers about himself.  If he will not answer questions now about his past, about his policies, about the future, what type of Governor will he be in the future?

There are more important issues in this world than winning a Governor’s race.  There is his honor and his valor.  When he goes into a bunker mentality and runs a canned campaign, refuses to let the media know where he will be so they can ask him questions, refuses to debate the burning questions of the day, refuses to face the public under scrutiny instead of a staged speech, I have serious problems with that candidate, his courage and his honesty.  Who he is means everything to this state’s future.  After refusing to answer any questions about anything of substance other than blasting the past and posting policy positions that require the crucible of a debate, Bobby Jindal now has the burden to show this state that he has the ability and the ethics to be Governor of Louisiana.  It is time that Mr. Jindal, stops clowning round like a mime.   It is time he tells us why he is worthy to be our Governor.  It is time for him to face the public, face his competition and discuss the issues.  And it is certainly time that he responds to serious questions about his prior campaign financing.  His credibility and his ethics are on the line.  Unfortunately, he cannot hear him since he refuses to speak.  







 

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