Assessor Audit

     The Calcasieu tax assessor is under fire for an audit that reveals misappropriation of money in his office and the expensive lease of a vehicle.  Sevennews spoke with assessor Richard Cole on Thursday, and he says he accepts responsibility for those actions, and that he has paid back thousands of dollars.  Cole said, "We've paid back all the funds that was used at the office that was personal funds on the office credit card.  We've paid all that money back."  The audit showed that taxpayer dollars were used to lease a 2009 Suburban for Cole at nearly two thousand dollars a month.  And that Cole used the District's American Express card for personal expenses around 48 thousand dollars.  Cole claims that was because he was in a financial bind because of a divorce.  But he says that all the money has been paid back.  District Attorney John DeRosier says he will meet with the auditor next week to review the formal report and supporting documentation.  Do you believe a crime was committed? 

Comments

[Tim Johnson]

Richard has been in office many years and knows that what he did was illegal and did it anyway, so of course a crime was committed. It's time we hold our public officials accountable for theft and gross mismanagement like this. It gives all public officials a bad name and will make it more difficult to pass any taxes in the future.

[AWAKENED]

It doesn't matter if I "believe" a crime has been committed or not. If what he did was illegal, then it's a crime!!
That being said, I "believe" that what he did was wrong on many accounts. Wrong to use his $48,000 personal debts on my dollar! A suburban? for WHAT? Who oversees the charges on the parishe's american express credit cards? and you can bet that it's gonna be "wrong" for him and others (like what Tim has already said...) to pass taxes in the future.....

[elohssa]

Come on, people, these are our RULERS.

They work SOOOOO hard on our behalf, collecting taxes, then meting out our money to people who deserve it. Why should we complain when they skim a little off for themselves?

Government officials and community organizers are SUPPOSED to live better than the peasantry they oversee.

Just look at OUR president, or Al Sharpton...

We should be grateful that he's not, like, some evil CEO or something.

[who me]

Sometimes I'm just can't believe what I read about our elected officials. They need to be on the comic strip page of the paper.

[Da Gardner]

Damn..I am beginning to think politics pays more and is even easier then sitting at home collecting my government check. Now what I don't understand is this. In yesterdays paper he said that he paid back the extra charges at the end of the month and that he wrote a check for the 36k that's a lot of money this guy has JUST HOW much are we paying him to drive around and raise peoples taxes??? also who is this guys supervisor?? where was he during all this?? Tell you what you give me a paid for suburban, let me slap some spinners on that bad boy and i will work for half this yahoo's pay.

[Buck]

YOU COMMIT THE CRIME YOU DO THE TIME! We need a complete audit of his office dating back to the time he was elected. Most crooks have a history of stealing and I bet he is no different. I would like to see this information used in an investigation by the state AG Office. I have little faith in our local elected officals investigating this because they are part of the problem. Remember the old saying, if you live in a glass house you can't throw rocks. We need this crook out of office and in jail ASAP.

[GUMP]

Aren't Calcasieu Parish vehicles approved by the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury?

Well, there goes the "WE ARE GOOD STEWARDS OF YOUR MONEY" bumper stickers for their cars.

A real shame that this wasn't aired on October 1.

[Colleen]

Get records of his spending all the way back from when he was first elected in 2002. I didn't vote for him then because I knew the man was a crook, and not just in the political sense.

[Fuzzy]

Your question requires a lot of speculation on my part to provide an answer. If he put 48,000 on a credit card "temporarily" then he must have had a big savings account somewhere in order to pay it back. That sounds a bit fishy to me. If he had the money to pay it back then why did he need to put it on the company card in the first place? Too many unanswered questions to give a definitive answer at this point but I think there is probably some criminal activity involved. I don't think we need to provide the assessor with a new vehicle each year. The lease deal doesn't sound like a good one for the parish (that's us) either. Buy a used suburban (or a van) and just take care of it. If parish employees can't take care of their equipment then we need different employees. It doesn't appear that these positions require much training so there should be lots of applicants waiting to fill them if the current holders can't play by the rules.

[Erbitty]

Yes a crime was committed, I feel sorry for the employees. My goodness how much more can they take. I know, from personal experience Calcasieu Parish has the best kept records in the state and thats because of the employees trying to do their work while their bosses whoop it up. Kenny Darnstedt had to pay so should Richard Cole. Cole even more since he went through this as employee.

[send them to jail]

To all of the people who voted for the recent tax renewal,and believed that our politicans are good stewards of our money,...wake up people...Poor ole Richard cole,he needed the money. How about the sheriff who is spending 600,000.00+ on a plane for the sheriffs department,But he says not to worry all but 130,00.00 is being paid for by Grants from the government.I wonder if he thinks the money for the grants comes from the tooth fairy..Not to worry,its only play money anyway..Remember folks just say no...to any taxes in the future they all act like crooks.

[TJScott]

What is wrong with these people? We have to take a pay cut to keep our jobs and live within our budgets. Why can't they. They all think they are GODS. Let me do something like tis and see how fast they throw me in jail.
And besides that what about Mancuso, buying an airplane. Where in gods name are they getting this money. We the people are having enough hard time paying our taxes & insurance.

[Scott]

Only a government employee would have the audacity to even suggest that a crime was NOT committed!

[carol]

they need to fry his fat butt

[Billy]

It's not much different than what our wonderful spend happy sheriff does. An airplane, what next a submarine for the marine division.
Their spending and stealing is completely out of control. It's funny how all this stealing and airplane purchases came out after they scammed they voters to renew an already abused tax. I would love to see the audit of the Sheriffs office as well as the Marshall's office.

[Lucifer]

Pimps and Whores at your service

[Sarah]

He's not the only CROOK in our Parish, let's look at all the books. I don't think we'd be surprised at all to see what they would find.

[ASHLEY BERNARD]

I THINK THAT HE COMMITED A CRIME AN THAT WAS WRONG FOR WHAT HE DID AN HE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY THE TIME FOR WHAT HE HAVE DONE THAT IS ILLEGAL AN HE KNOW IT IS HE IS NO DIFFERENT THEN ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE HE WRONG HE WRONG TAKE THE CHARGE.

THANKS ASHLEY

[CTtcg]

This makes me sick. Can't this guy just get paid and not have to steal? It's ridiculous that they think they can get away with this kind of crime!!

Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.

[Denise]

Don't forget, folks, he's an ELECTED official...pay attention and VOTE

[Steve]

What was he charging on the card and how long of period to total almost 50K. Who apporoved this? If he was so broke that he had to "borrow from the tax payers" where did he find 50K to pay it back. This guy needs to be fired and put in jail. With stuff like this going on, why do idiots keep voting for new taxes?

[GUMP]

The reporter asked, "And Mr. Cole, do you have anything to say before you go off to jail?"

Mr. Cole replied, "Damn that Suburban, I should have bought an airplane."

[send them to jail]

Gump,you didnt finish...and the Sheriff said NO..I'm going to get ..me.. an Airplane!

[Swamp Charly]

As all crooks in place, he'll apologise publically,shed a tear or two,get a slap on the wrist and star as a talkshow host?
Thats Louisiana politics at its best...

[Supe]

Who is the "we" he keeps talking about ? "We paid the money back." We won't do it any more." Who is we? Does he have a partner in crime or is it just a split personality?