Ethics Board files charges against School Board chief

• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Nov 7, 2009 - Page: 10A

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The Louisiana Board of Ethics has filed conflict of interest charges against the president of the Tangipahoa Parish School Board.

The ethics panel alleges that Danny Ridgel ran afoul of state ethics laws when he resigned from the School Board and then returned to it in an appointive position a short time later.

Under state law, “no former member of a board shall, for a period of two years following the termination of his public service on such board, contract with, be employed in any capacity by, or be appointed to any position by that board.”

The allegations expose Ridgel to a civil fine of up to $10,000.

The Ethics Board referred the case to the Ethics Adjudicatory Board for setting of a hearing into the allegations against Ridgel.

On Friday, Ridgel said he does not believe that he or the School Board did anything wrong.

“They did not appoint me to a paid position or anything like that,” Ridgel said.

Ridgel said the School Board’s attorney advised at the time that the appointment would not violate the law.

“I was relying on attorney’s advice as was the board,” said Ridgel, who said he will fight the charges.

Ridgel resigned from the School Board on June 30, 2008, to avoid having to file personal financial disclosure reports required under state ethics laws adopted earlier that year. June 30, 2008, was the deadline for resignations in order to avoid having to file the reports.

On July 8, the Tangipahoa School Board appointed Ridgel to the position of interim School Board member for the seat he had vacated.

The appointment came after Ridgel changed his mind about resigning. He said there was a misunderstanding about what the state ethics legislation would have required him to report about his business interests.

Ridgel later ran in a special April 4, 2008, election and recaptured his Amite-area seat.