Bandits on the Bayou.

• Author: Hegland, Corine
• Position: Public officials - corruption - Brief Article

LOUISIANA USUALLY FINDS ITSELF AT the bottom of most national rankings lists: 48th in child poverty, 44th in teacher salaries, 50th in state bond ratings, 49th in safe water, etc. But it seems the state has finally found a list it can top: most corrupt public officials.

The Louisiana FBI office led the nation with 31 corruption cases last year, and three of the state's eight statewide elected officials were convicted of criminal offenses: former Gov. Edwin Edwards, former Elections Commissioner Jerry Fowler, and former Insurance Commissioner Jim Brown.

Brown, the third successive insurance commissioner convicted in federal court, was the sucker-punch. His predecessor, Doug Green, is still serving a 25-year sentence for taking $2 million in illegal campaign contributions. Green's predecessor in turn spent three years in the hoosegow after pleading guilty to extortion charges for selling insurance licenses. All Brown did was lie to the FBI during its investigation of his alleged misdeeds. Still, nobody's rushing to commend his regulatory management; Louisiana has some of the nation's highest insurance rates.

Louisianans are getting used to seeing their elected officials in prison blues. Former Louisiana Senate president Michael O'Keefe is serving a 20-year sentence for fraud and money laundering, and former state Sen. Larry Bankston just did 31 months on racketeering-related charges.

With its gumbo of...