GONZALES – Embattled Ascension Parish President Kenny Matassa will face bribery allegations at a March trial.

The March 13^th date was set at a hearing Wednesday.

Matassa was indicted on charges earlier this year. He is accused of offering a bribe to get a man running for office in Gonzales to drop out of the race. Audio recordings released last year by the Pelican Post Newspaper appeared to show Matassa and another businessman in Ascension Parish offering a bribe to Wayne Lawson, a candidate for Gonzales City Council. Lawson claims he was offered $1,200 to drop out of the race and that Matassa promised him a job.

Previously, Matassa's attorney argued the bribery case is unwarranted because Lawson was not a real “candidate” under state law. Lawson, Matassa's defense team argued, owed the state money and did not live in Gonzales where he was running for city council. 

*******************

Follow the publisher of this post on Twitter: @treyschmaltz