East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III says he’s still waiting on additional evidence from the Louisiana Board of Ethics before he can make any decision on the case involving former Metro Councilman Darrell Glasper and his alleged funding of an anti-Kip Holden flier during the 2008 mayoral race. In November the ethics board dismissed charges filed in August 2009 against Baton Rouge businessman and Republican activist Scott Wilfong in connection with the fliers. Frank Simoneaux, ethics board chairman at the time, identified Glasper as the flier funder, and the board voted in November to send info on the case to Moore’s office. “In December we received a cover letter and a copy of Glasper’s disposition before the ethics board, and that’s all we have,” Moore says, adding that Glasper “basically denies all the allegations” in the disposition.
Moore says he doesn’t know if or when he’ll receive additional info on the case, but notes he met with ethics board representatives as recently as January to discuss it. “They said they were going to review their files and documents to see if they have any other info or evidence to provide us for review. We haven’t received anything yet, and what we have received thus far isn’t enough to proceed forward with,” Moore says, adding he could not lawfully proceed with the case unless felony charges were warranted. “If we do receive more information, we’ll review it and act on it as quickly as possible.”
Wilfong filed suit against the ethics board last week, claiming media coverage of the ethics board’s probe caused him distress, embarrassment and business losses. He’s seeking unspecified damages, and District Judge Tim Kelley has been assigned the suit. —Steve Sanoski
