Highlights

• Louisiana Legislative Auditor finds Lafayette violated state, federal, and local laws during the 2022 spoil bank removal project in St. Martin Parish
• Audit forwarded to District Attorney Don Landry and the U.S. Attorney's Office for potential prosecution
• The project cost $3.7 million and was allegedly conducted secretly under the code name "Apollo," according to auditors
• Former Mayor-President Josh Guillory disputes findings, calling audit "political drive-by" and "lawfare"
• The current LCG administration is implementing safeguards to prevent similar violations in the future

Louisiana Auditor Delivers Final Report on Lafayette's Spoil Bank Project

State auditors report they found multiple violations and have forwarded those findings to prosecutors.

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — The Louisiana Legislative Auditor has released its final audit report on Lafayette Consolidated Government's controversial spoil bank removal project, concluding that the Guillory administration violated multiple state and federal laws when it secretly moved forward with the $3.7 million flood control project in St. Martin Parish in February 2022.

The 133-page report states that "LCG executed this project without securing the required legal authority, land rights, or permits — raising significant legal, regulatory, and intergovernmental concerns," and has been forwarded to District Attorney Don Landry of the 15th Judicial District and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District.

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What Lafayette Parish Residents Need to Know

The Legislative Auditor's report itself does not add anything new. The audit findings largely confirm what previous findings and reports have already uncovered about the spoil bank project, with state auditors reaching similar conclusions to LCG's own annual auditors regarding legal violations and procedural failures.

According to the Legislative Auditor, LCG violated its Home Rule Charter and Louisiana law by spending public funds outside its jurisdiction without proper agreements with St. Martin Parish, performing work on land it didn't fully own without documented consent from all property owners, and failing to obtain required local and federal permits.

The project involved removing decades-old spoil banks on the St. Martin Parish side of the Vermilion River and reconstructing them on the Lafayette Parish side, allegedly for flood mitigation purposes.

What the Audit Claims—And What It Doesn't

The audit finds LCG moved forward on the spoil-bank project without the required authority and permits. Specifically, auditors conclude LCG:

1. Spent public funds outside its jurisdiction in St. Martin Parish without a joint service/cooperative agreement as required by the LCG Charter and the Local Services Law
2. Treated a new capital project as a scope change instead of bidding it under Public Bid Law
3. Worked on property it did not fully own without the co-owner’s consent under Civil Code art. 804
4. Proceeded after withdrawing a USACE application, triggering potential violations of the Clean Water Act (§404) and the Rivers and Harbors Act (§10).

The report does not make findings of personal enrichment, kickbacks, or self-dealing by any official. Its focus is on legal authority, procurement, property rights, and environmental permitting—not on personal gain. It does, however, note that the resulting corrective actions from LCG's current administration did cost Lafayette taxpayers.

Timeline and Project Details

The controversial project began in February 2022 when LCG amended a $390,050 "as-needed excavation contract" with Rigid Constructors to include the $3.7 million spoil bank work without seeking new public bids. The amendment was signed just three days before work began and after some equipment had already been mobilized.

According to the audit, former Mayor-President Josh Guillory gave the project the code name "Apollo" because it was "very secretive" and only a handful of LCG officials knew about it. There was concern that St. Martin Parish officials would obtain an injunction if they discovered the project was about to begin.

The work was conducted despite LCG having withdrawn its federal permit application from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the project may have violated the federal Rivers and Harbors Act and Clean Water Act.

SEE ALSO: Controversial $17 Million Lafayette City Hall Renovation Put on Hold

Legal and Financial Complications

The project has resulted in significant legal and financial consequences for Lafayette taxpayers. LCG purchased land from two of three property owners the same day the spoil bank removal started, but apparently didn't approach the third owner before removing the spoil bank and allowing the river to flood the property.

The property owner sued LCG, and the current administration settled the lawsuit, paying about three times the property's fair market value. The audit also notes that LCG may have violated the Louisiana Constitution by overpaying for the property.

Guillory's Response and Administrative Blame

In his 25-page written response included with the audit, former Mayor-President Josh Guillory rejected the findings, calling the Legislative Auditor "a politically appointed fixture masquerading as a watchdog" and "little more than a hitman for the elite's intent on dragging Lafayette Parish (and our state) backwards."

Former City-Parish Attorney Greg Logan and the public works director both denied giving the spoil bank removal project approval, placing blame on former Chief of Staff Michael Hicks, who had been on the job only seven weeks and told auditors he was still learning staff names and wasn't in position to lead a multi-million dollar project designed before he was hired.

According to the audit, Hicks provided emails showing approval from Guillory and Logan to proceed with the spoil bank removal, contradicting their claims. Sources from that period of the Guillory administration, however, say Hicks threatened to "get even" with Guillory prior to being fired.

In a statement to KPEL News, Logan said he stood by his initial response to the Legislative Auditor's findings, which are in a 32-page appendix to the report.

Current Administration's Response

Current Mayor-President Monique Boulet's administration, through City-Parish Attorney Pat Ottinger, stated they found no material facts misstated in the audit report and confirmed that Boulet has issued specific directions requiring safeguards to "avoid occurrences of this type in the future."

The current administration has conducted in-house legal seminars addressing issues identified in the spoil bank project and implemented the recommendations set forth by auditors.

What Happens Next for Lafayette Consolidated Government

The Legislative Auditor recommends that LCG implement several procedural changes, including:

• Implementing jurisdictional review procedures
• Mandating permit compliance documentation
• Strengthening property acquisition controls
• Enforcing intergovernmental agreement protocols
• Establishing legal risk review processes
• Conducting staff training on legal boundaries

The audit findings don't provide substantially new information about the spoil bank project, as similar conclusions were reached by LCG's annual auditors and previous audits. However, the state audit carries additional weight as it can be used by prosecutors in potential criminal proceedings.

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The project continues to face scrutiny from multiple agencies, with ongoing audits by the FBI, EPA, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reportedly still active.

Editor's Note: Former mayor-president Josh Guillory has a two-hour talk show on NewsTalk 96.5 KPEL, a Townsquare Media station in Lafayette, Louisiana. He is not an employee of Townsquare Media, and his airtime is paid for. The views and opinions of the host and his guests do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of NewsTalk 96.5 KPEL or Townsquare Media.