'Whistleblower' suit filed against Livingston Parish

In yet another twist to the ongoing saga of Livingston Parish politics, a contractor hired by the parish to investigate debris removal work after Hurricane Gustav has filed suit against the parish, Parish President Layton Ricks, as well as other contractors hired to perform and monitor debris removal. Former Parish President Mike Grimmer and the Parish Council had attempted to pay Corey Delahoussaye and his firm C-Del $379,517 as Grimmer's term was ending. But new Parish President Layton Ricks stopped payment on that check, against the wishes of the council, denying C-Del "payments which are due and owing to them," according to the suit. His attorney, Jill Craft, says the suit primarily is about clearing her client's name. "All he did is blow the whistle on improprieties that were going on in Livingston Parish," she says. "Once he did that, he became public enemy No. 1." The suit says Delahoussaye uncovered various irregularities tied to debris removal work after Gustav. He has since been threatened and defamed, he alleges. Delahoussaye has been accused of overbilling the parish, by playing golf on days he billed, for example, although Craft says the accusations are unsubstantiated. The council voted to pay most of the $379,517 bill but deducted about $6,000 in billings deemed questionable by an auditor. —David Jacobs

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