In a move that reads more like legislative sleight-of-hand than genuine reform, Louisiana’s Republican supermajority is barreling ahead with House Bill 397, a 26-page overhaul of the state’s ethics code, introduced by Acadiana Republican Rep. Beau Beaullieu, designed to let Gov. Jeff Landry and his allies dodge corruption probes.
“Cure your own crimes”—no investigation required
Today, if a sworn complaint meets a minimal factual threshold, the Ethics Board must investigate before dismissing it. As Ethics Administrator David Bordelon warned, “the board is typically unable to make th[e] determination without the facts of an investigation”.
View this post on Instagram
Under HB 397, officials can simply assert they’ve “already cured any potential violation” and walk away unscathed—turning due process on its head.
Stacking the deck
Last year, Landry expanded the board from 11 to 15 seats, stripping out independent university nominees and packing nine gubernatorial appointees onto the panel. HB 397 then insists on a two-thirds vote at every stage—opening investigations, issuing subpoenas, even moving to public hearings.
In practice, five Landry loyalists can veto any complaint before a single fact is aired .
Privatized jets made “legit”
The bill’s crowning outrage? It reclassifies donor-paid private – jet trips — like Landry’s notorious 2021 Maui flight — as if they were ordinary commercial first-class or coach tickets.
The very conduct that sparked his 2023 ethics charges would be retroactively legalized .
A GOP power play
With Republicans holding supermajorities in both chambers and sweeping statewide offices, HB 397 caps off a relentless push to shield the powerful. This isn’t reform — it’s a legislative pardon, a clear signal that in today’s Louisiana, the corridors of power are sealed off from scrutiny.
The result? Accountability becomes optional, and public trust slips further into the swamp.
You can read the bill below:
Document_1403274