Former chairwoman of the Louisiana Democratic Party Karen Carter Peterson has resigned from the Louisiana Senate, ending a 23-year career in the legislature. Peterson says she needs to focus all of her energy on her struggles with depression and gambling addiction. On Thursday, she spoke about her recovery on the Senate Floor.
“With God’s blessing, I’m sober, I have been off the bet as we call it, in the gamblers anonymous program that I participate in, for a long-time,” said Peterson.
Peterson says she’s not afraid to talk about her battles with addiction in the hopes it helps someone else.
“Who are suffering with this illness to overcome the guilt, the shame and the embarrassment associated with the disease and the things we do in conjunction with the disease,” said Peterson.
The New Orleans Democrat was first elected to the Louisiana House in 1999. She became a Louisiana Senator in 2010 and also served as Chairwoman of the Louisiana Democratic Party from 2012 to 2020. Peterson was known as a passionate legislator who fought for women’s rights and the working poor.
But on Saturday, the Advocate reported that Peterson’s abrupt resignation is because she’s under a federal investigation because of financial issues linked to her gambling.
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