GONZALES - Several months after Ascension Parish councilman Aaron Lawler was accused of submitting document requests in the parish present's name, landing him charges of impersonation and identity theft, the attorney general's office said those charges were dropped.

A spokesman with Attorney General Liz Murrill's office said that after officials had reviewed the evidence and met with witnesses, they "determined that Mr. Lawler’s actions did not meet the elements of the offense to be able to prove the charges.”

Lawler was accused of the charges back in November 2023 and had turned himself in to parish deputies.

The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said deputies began investigating reports of a person impersonating a high-ranking public official in early September. The investigation showed this person filed multiple public records requests under the name of Ascension President Clint Cointment. Lawler reportedly used personal devices to submit the requests under Cointment's name. 

Deputies did not specify what the public records requests entailed.