While the Louisiana Republican Party appears to be claiming that they are being targeted by an Obama-scandal-like-IRS audit for expressing its opposition to taxes, the Louisiana Democratic Party has just announced, also via email, that the legislative auditor has also sent them a request for information.    

Original article below (This article has been updated) 7:27

The infighting within the Louisiana Republican Party that has marked this legislative session night be taking a turn for the worse today as its Executive Director circulated an email with the title, "LAGOP Responds to Unpreceden​ted Government Intrusion". 

Jason Dore, the exeutive director announced in the email that the State Central Committee received a letter (below) from the legislative auditor, requesting specific information. 

 Below is the e-letter from Dore and the text of the attachments to the LAGOP letter: 

Dear Interested Parties:


The Republican State Central Committee of Louisiana recently received a letter from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor requesting records of our financial reports for the last three fiscal years. In the request, the Legislative Auditor cites an obscure three decade old law, which, to our knowledge, has never been enforced.

We are concerned about this inquiry given the Republican Party of Louisiana’s recent move to urge people across the state to contact their state representative and tell them to oppose the ultimately failed effort in the Legislature to raise taxes by $1.3 billion. 

In recent weeks, it has come to light that the Obama Administration and our federal government has engaged in shocking efforts to suffocate the 1st Amendment rights of conservative Americans. We have grave concerns that this action is an attempt out of the Obama Administration’s playbook to halt our ability to express free speech.

Attached to this email is our response to the Legislative Auditor. Included in our letter is a Louisiana Public Records Law request for records relating to recent efforts to enforce the statute cited by the Legislative Auditor on other organizations in Louisiana besides the Republican Party. Additionally, we are requesting correspondence between members of the Louisiana House of Representatives and employees of the Legislative Auditor’s Office to find out if this has been a coordinated effort to target and harass the Republican Party of Louisiana as a means of retribution for our actions in opposing tax increases. A similar Public Records Law request has been sent to Louisiana House of Representatives Clerk Alfred “Butch” Speer. 


We are hopeful our concerns of being targeted for fighting against tax hikes - a strongly held belief that is the cornerstone of the Republican Party platform – prove to be unfounded, but in this age of stifling government overreach and the trampling of 1st Amendment rights, we must remain vigilant.


Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

Jason Dore

Executive Director

LegAudRequest

May 16,2013

Mr. Roger Villere, State Chairman

Republican State Central Committee of Louisiana 530 Lakeland Drive, Suite 215

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802

Dear Mr. Villere:

Louisiana Revised Statute R.S. 18§447 and 464 (F) requires each state central committee and each parish executive committee of recognized political parties (as defined in RS. 18:444) to file an

annual financial report with the Legislative Auditor. R.S. (F) specifically states the following:

“F. Financial statements. Each state central committee and each parish executive committee shall file a financial statement annually, certified by the treasurer or, if none, by the chairman, as to its accuracy, with the legislative auditor. Each parish executive committee shall file a copy of the financial statement with the state central committee of the party with which it is afliliated. T he financial statement shall be in a form approved by the legislative auditor.”

We ask that you review this statute and provide the related financial report to the Legislative Auditor for your agency’s last three fiscal years.

Your cooperation in this matter is appreciated. If you have any questions, please call Suzanne Elliott at (225) 339-3802.

Sincerely,

Joy s. Irwin, CPA, MBA [,3 Assistant Legislative Auditor and

Director of Local Government Services

JSI: SHE: ale

Xe: Representative Nick Lorusso

3 5 3 5 Canal Street, Suite 1 03

 Letter to Alfred Speer

BALDWIN SCOTT L. STERNBERG HASPEL ^^VLTVl f\7\/f Q DUKjVC AYPR •t-'-tVLLC This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Direct Direct Dial: Fax: 504.585.7857 504.293.5625

LAW OFFICES

May 22, 2013

VIA E-MAIL: speera(£)legis.la.gov Mr. Alfred W. Speer Office of The Clerk State Capitol Building P.O. Box 44281 Room G-106 Baton Rouge, LA 70804

Dear Mr. Speer:

Re: Public Records Request

Our File No. 691850-002

The undersigned represents the Republican Party of Louisiana. We hereby request that you, as the custodian of records for the Louisiana House of Representatives, provide us with copies of the following records via Louisiana's Public Records Law, LA R.S. 44: §1 etseq:

Any and all correspondence and/or e-mail (including, but not limited to, electronic mail which is currently stored in the inbox, sent, deleted items or corresponding specific folders/boxes) between the dates of May 2, 2013 and May 21, 2013, and between any member or staff member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and any employee of the Louisiana Legislative Auditor regarding inspection of the financial records ofany political party or political organization.

To simplify your search process, please do not use backup tapes or drives. We request the e-mails currently in the members' inboxes, sent items, deleted items and/or corresponding relevant "folders" or boxes.

As you know, R.S. 44:§32(D) of the Louisiana Public Records Act requires a response to this request within three (3) business days, exclusive of Saturdays. Sundays,

1100 POYDRAS STREET, 36'" FLOOR NEW ORLEANS, LA 70163 PHONE 504.569.2900 FAX 504.569.2099 www.bhbmlaw.com

May 22, 2013 Page 2

and legal holidays. If these records will not be produced in three business days, please notify me in writing immediately.

If the records are not currently in your possession, please notify me in writing, and provide any and all information about where and with whom the records may be found, requested, viewed or copied, and/or when they will become available to your office.

If you deny any part of this request, please cite each specific exemption to the Louisiana Public Records Law which you have determined justifies the refusal to produce the records.

Please notify me of any fees associated with my request, including the costs of copying, postage and shipping, before these charges are incurred. If possible, I request electronic records to save unnecessary costs and promote efficiency. If possible, please e-mail copies ofthese documents to me at sls@,bhbmlaw.com.

If you cannot provide electronic copies, please forward hard copies of these documents to the physical address provided above. Do not hesitate to contact me at (504) 569-2900 if you have any questions about this request.

Very truly yours,

SCOTT L. STERNBERG

SLS/jmz

{B0685216.1}

BALDWIN SCOTT L. STERNBERG HASPEL Q DUKJKJb Direct Dial: 504.585.7857 IvMAYFR Direct Fax: 504.293.5625 VT^X1a\1 •C'IV LLC This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

LAW OFFICES

May 22, 2013

Via Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Mr. Daryl G. Purpera Louisiana Legislative Auditor 1600 North Third Street P.O. Box 94397 Baton Rouge, LA 70804

Re: Republican Party of Louisiana

Our File No. 691850-002

 Letter to Daryl Purpera

Dear Mr. Purpera:

The undersigned represents the Republican Party of Louisiana. My client received your letter of May 16, 2013 requesting that the Republican State Central Committee of Louisiana provide financial reports to your office for the last three fiscal years. My client also understands that you have requested the same information from the Republican Parish Executive Committees. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that this request has been put forth.

The Republican State Central Committee of Louisiana is concerned with the timing of this request in light of the recent efforts to urge Republicans across the state to contact their state representatives and tell them to oppose the ultimately failed legislative effort to raise taxes by $1.3 billion. My client fears this letter is akin to recent efforts by the Internal Revenue Service to specifically target certain groups seeking non profit status. My client is hopeful that the Republican Party of Louisiana is not being targeted for fighting against new taxes ~ a sincerely held belief that is the cornerstone of the Party platform.

Given the national controversy swirling around audits and certain causes, it is not a stretch to say that such an act would be a violation ofparty members' fundamental rights of freedom of speech, freedom of association, and the right to petition the government for the redress of grievances, all of which are guaranteed by the Louisiana and United States Constitutions.

{B0685173.1}

1100 POYDRAS STREET, 36'" FLOOR NEW ORLEANS, LA 70163 PHONE 504.569.2900 FAX 504.569.2099 www.bhbmlaw.com

To our knowledge, my client has never been requested to file any reports with your office in the almost 40 years since the passage of LA R.S. 18:§464(F). Furthermore, because the law states that "the financial statement shall be in a form approved by the legislative auditor," we request clarification as to what form you have approved. As you know, the Republican Party of Louisiana is legally required to file campaign finance reports regularly with both the Louisiana Ethics Administration and the Federal Election Commission, and faces fines if it does not do so timely. The Party's financial records are already open and available to the public, and we were shocked by this additional inquiry coming from our state's legislative body.

In addition to this response to your letter of May 16, 2013, I am filing a public records request pursuant to the Louisiana Public Records Law, R.S. 44:§1 et seq, requesting that you, as custodian of the records, produce immediately for inspection the following records:

1. Copies of any correspondence (including, but not limited to, electronic mail which is currently stored in the inbox, sent, deleteditemsor corresponding specific folders/boxes of any employee of the Louisiana Legislative Auditor) between the dates of May 2, 2013 (the date that the debate over the $1.3 billion tax increase began in the Legislature), and May 21. 2013, between any member or staff member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and any employee of the Louisiana Legislative Auditor regarding inspection ofthe financial records of any political party or organization.

2. Copies of any correspondence sent to the Louisiana Democratic Party or any Democratic Party Parish Executive Committees between the dates of May 2, 2013, and May 21, 2013, from the Legislative Auditor's Office regarding requests for financial reports.

5.

A copy of the financial statement form, approved by the Legislative Auditor under LA R.S. 18:§464(F) to be used to submit information to the

Legislative '&*

Auditor.

4. A copy of any previous financial statement forms which were approved by the Legislative Auditor under LA R.S. 18:§464(F) for the following years: 2000 through 2012.

5.

Copies of any correspondence sent to or received from any organization in the State of Louisiana which cite R.S. 18:§464(F) from 2008 to the present.

1Forexample, the Republican Party of Louisiana regularly files financial reports with theFederal Election Commission, http://www.fec.<zov/fecviewer/CandCmteFilingsPDFDownload.do?imaueNumber:=1396067Q6Q5«S:pdfURL

the Party's 2012Year-End report is readily available to the public at the following URL:

-http://images.nictusa.com/pdf/605/13960670605/13960670605.pdf. {B0685173.1}

May 22, 2013

Pa«e *tv

3

6. Copies of any financial statements submitted pursuant to LA R.S. 18:§464(F) by any organization in the State of Louisiana from 2008 to the present.

As you know, R.S. 44:§32(D) of the Louisiana Public Records Act requires a response to this request within three (3) business days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. If these records will not be produced in three business days, please notify me in writing immediately.

If the records are not currently in your possession, please notify me in writing, and provide any and all information about where and with whom the records may be found, requested, viewed or copied, and/or when they will become available to your office.

If you deny any part of this request, please cite each specific exemption to the Louisiana Public Records Law which you have determined justifies the refusal to produce the records.

Please notify me of any fees associated with my request, including the costs of copying, postage and shipping, before these charges are incurred. If possible, Irequest electronic records to save unnecessary costs and promote efficiency. If possible, please e-mail copies of these documents to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

If you cannot provide electronic copies, please forward hard copies of these documents to the physical address provided above. Do not hesitate to contact me at (504) 569-2900 ifyou have any questions about this request.

Sincerely,

{B0685173.1}

SCOTT L. STER

SLS/jmz

cc: Jason Dore

Executive Director Republican Party of Louisiana

Bayoubuzz Note: Prior to the publishing of this article, this publication sent this email to Dore.  As of the time of this publishing, there has been no immediate response:

Jason,