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Former State Police Col. Mike Edmonson cleared of wrongdoing, attorney tells Nakamoto

5 years 4 months 1 week ago Wednesday, August 14 2019 Aug 14, 2019 August 14, 2019 4:32 PM August 14, 2019 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE- Agencies investigating allegations of wrongdoing by former State Police Col. Mike Edmonson have found none worthy of keeping cases ongoing, Edmonson's attorney, Gray Sexton, revealed Wednesday. 

The Louisiana Board of Ethics and other law enforcement agencies were involved in various investigations into reported impropriety.  But, Sexton said following an ethics board decision to close its investigation, the rest of the inquiries wrapped up with no findings.  

"No charges filed, no actions were taken that reflect any wrongdoing or misconduct by Colonel Edmonson," Sexton said.

The ethics agency declined to continue investigating in March and the other agencies followed suit, according to Sexton.

Edmonson left his lucrative position as head of the Louisiana State Police force amid an audit two years ago that questioned how he was benefiting from free services related to his position.  Auditors found Edmonson was living tax-free for nearly nine years at the state police compound, family vehicles were being cleaned and repaired by state workers and he was double-dipping on a dry-cleaning allowance.

Current Louisiana State Police Colonel Kevin Reeves testified at the Capitol two years ago, "We hope you found it clear, we concur with the findings of the audit." 

Wednesday, Sexton said Edmondson is ready to move on.

"It's been a tremendous impact on he, his wife and family," Sexton said. "But, fortunately, the good news is he is rehabilitating his well earned good reputation, and we are confident he has moved on and this matter will be part of the history and not the future."

Sexton would not provide a copy of a letter purportedly sent by the ethics board that clears Edmonson.

"It's confidential," Sexton said. "It's marked confidential. We cannot release confidential documents gathered by the ethics board and the statute prohibits the distribution of information such as that. We intend to honor their request."

The ethics board would not confirm a letter was sent to Edmonson or his attorney when contacted by WBRZ.  Louisiana State Police said through a spokesperson that "State Police has no reason to comment."

We reached out to Mike Edmonson, but he declined to be interviewed for this story.

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