A widening corruption investigation tied to former Mayor Sharon Weston Broome’s administration is drawing deeper attention at Baton Rouge City Hall, WAFB-TV reports.
Broome has hired prominent criminal defense attorney James Boren after receiving a subpoena to appear before a grand jury, though that meeting was abruptly postponed with no new date announced.
Neither Broome nor five Metro Council members previously called before the grand jury have been accused of wrongdoing, but the investigation has already resulted in eight criminal charges connected to alleged kickback schemes involving public funds.
At the center of the probe is the Mayor’s Safe, Hopeful, Healthy Initiative, where investigators allege former aide Courtney Scott steered contracts to Build Brand Design in exchange for kickbacks.
Bank records reviewed by WAFB show the company received more than $738,000 in contracts tied to the initiative, while Scott allegedly received nearly $194,000 in kickbacks.
The case continues to expand as prosecutors examine the flow of public money and potential connections inside the administration.
