There’s controversy in a tied Baton Rouge Senate race as one of the candidates was reportedly offered help winning a future judgeship in exchange for dropping out.
Franklin Foil and Steve Carter are in a 12,522 vote tie for second. The Advocate’s Mark Ballard says Republican mega-donor Lane Grigsby tried to get Foil to drop out by calling the seat’s term-limited incumbent.
“It turned out that Mr. Grigsby tried to talk to Dan Claitor, then tried to have him pass along this offer of help with a future race,” says Ballard.
Grigsby backed Carter in the primary. Democrat Beverly Brooks Thompson took 1st in the race.
Claitor says the offer was appalling, and he did not pass it along to Foil, whom he supports. Ballard says Claitor expressed concerns that the offer was also illegal.
“If you look at what the Attorney General went after the Ascension Parish President Kenny Matassa for, it’s very similar,” says Ballard.
Attorney General Jeff Landry says he will not comment or get involved in the case right now.
Grigsby was heavily involved in a number of primary races, including the election of Cleo Fields to the Senate, a number of BESE members, and was reportedly involved in Eddie Rispone’s run for governor.
Ballard says it’s a rare look at how the sausage gets made in Baton Rouge, “You know that this happens on a daily basis in the State Capitol, but you rarely get to see it spelled out on the front page of the newspaper,” says Ballard. “We rarely have enough information and sourcing to be able to put that in the paper.”
A hand recount of paper ballots in the race is scheduled for today at the Secretary of State’s office which could break the deadlock.