Walter Reed used campaign money to hire criminal defenseattorney's law firm

Those payments include $29,400 regarding "catering" at a 2012 event. He made two payments forthe company about June 17 and also once again upon July 25, according towards the expenditurereport. He has denied wrongdoing.

A federal grand jury has requested records in the Castine Center, a Mandeville venue exactly whereReed held several fundraisers, regarding details related to Reed and the son, Steven.

Walter Reed's campaign paid out Steven Reed's companies greater than $95,000 inside a six-yearperiod, marketing campaign records show. Reed features mentioned he was paid in his personalcapacity. Tammany as well as Washington parishes since 1984, is the subject of a federal criminalinvestigation examining his campaign investing and the relationship together with St. Castine centerrecords from the event present zero evidence that will Steven Reed did just about any perform foryou to create the money.

Stewart said Reed's marketing campaign hired Simmons' firm after "extensive media content articleshave got raised issues as to the legality involving Walter Reed's expenditures of campaign funds."

Stewart cited three opinions from the Ethics Board that will stated politicians are able to be able touse marketing campaign funds to fund legal charges associated towards the campaign finance law,and furthermore to defend on his or her own from a Judiciary Commission complaint.

Investigators will also be examining a $30,000 per year retainer Reed received through St. thehospital features stated it was spending Reed's office. He declared the money as private earningsthroughout sworn disclosure forms filed with almost all the state.

Stewart, whom Reed hired within July to handle media requests related to his campaign, his familymembers and his income outside involving the district attorney's office, ended up being paid out$14,000 in July, the particular expenditure record shows.

Reed additionally paid out Southern Media in Baton Rouge $12,000 to obtain a public opinion poll.the statement additionally mentioned Reed consulted past Ethics Board opinions just beforeauthorizing the actual payment in order to Simmons' firm, and that the expense has been "related toWalter Reed's 'holding regarding public office.'"

Story by

Heather Nolan

NOLA.com | the Times-Picayune

Lee Zurik

WVUE Fox 8 News

"There is nothing unusual or even unorthodox about marketing campaign committees retaining theactual solutions regarding an attorney," Stewart's statement said.Â

Sources have got confirmed Reed also offers hired Simmons as his criminal defense attorney.

Reed, that has served because the district attorney with regard to St. Rick Simmons, any companionin that firm, "has been retained as counsel for that Walter Reed Marketing Campaign Fund," saidReed's spokesman, Morgan Stewart, inside a statement Wednesday. upon Fox 8)

In any record filed August 6 with most the state Ethics Administration, Reed listed a $12,277payment to the Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann as well as Papale Law Firm throughout Metairieregarding legal fees. Tammany Parish Hospital. Tammany Parish Hospital.

District Attorney Walter Reed, who's below investigation simply by federal authorities, has usedmore than $12,200 inside campaign funds to pay his criminal defense attorney's law firm for theparticular purpose Reed known as an "attorney for that marketing campaign fund," in accordancewith Reed's latest campaign finance report.

Reed's marketing campaign in addition paid for a public opinion poll just weeks prior to heannounced he'd certainly not be seeking re-election, and then for Reed to engage a spokesmanbecause the once-powerful district attorney faced developing Lancaster dui law firm questionsregarding his marketing campaign paying and the use associated with public profit his office, yourrecords show.

(Watch Lee Zurik's record from 10 p.m. Reed announcedupon July 15 that he would not necessarily seek the sixthterm throughout office.

Stewart didn't instantly reply to be ableto request for the outcomes in the pollalso to discuss if the quantitiescontributed to end up being able toReed's selection not to run.

The expenditure studies Reed filed thisyear display he's invested $55,144 insidemarketing campaign funds, your vastmajority spent between April 29 and alsoJuly 27, the actual studies show.