Former Livingston councilman, wife face ethics charges

• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jul 3, 2009 - Page: 11A

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The Louisiana Board of Ethics filed charges against a former Livingston Parish Council member and a company his wife owned alleging violations of state conflict-of-interest laws.

Danny Harrell faces six charges related to private business dealings with Livingston Parish government. His wife Petra’s firm, P&D Development, faces a single charge.

The allegations are detailed in recently released documents notifying the Harrells that the case had been sent to the Ethics Adjudicatory Board. The panel would hold a public hearing into the charges unless  a settlement could be reached prior to that. Penalties could be in the thousands of dollars.

Danny Harrell served as a Livingston Parish Council member from 2004 to 2008. He lost a bid for re-election.

The Ethics Board complaints against Danny Harrell involve work he did as superintendent of residential construction for D.R. Horton, as an authorized agent for Valley Builders Inc., and assistance he gave his wife’s company.

The alleged conflicts of interest involve Danny Harrell seeking permits and applications for inspection and “communicating regularly with the Livingston Parish Permits Department” in his private employment.

Other allegations relate to his role in the approval of re-subdivision of property owned by his wife’s firm.

Allegations against P&D Development involve dealings with the parish government.

State law generally bans a public servant from working for anyone who does any type of business with his agency regardless of what the business with that agency is.

Efforts to reach the Harrells for comment were unsuccessful. A woman who answered the telephone at a number listed for Harrell said it was not the residence of the former councilman. Another address provided by the Livingston Parish Council has an unlisted telephone number.

The state ethics agency has no attorney of record for the Harrells.

The ethics board said subdivisions under construction by D.R. Horton, including ones on which Councilman Harrell served as superintendent, were subject to multiple inspections by the parish permitting department.

The councilman submitted permit applications for the inspections and communicated with the permits agency regarding scheduling of inspections — running afoul of conflict of interest laws between his government position and his private employment.