Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission secretary put on administrative leave by LDWF after allegations surface
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is again embroiled in controversy — and this time it has nothing to do with Secretary Charlie Melancon’s opposition to a congressional bill that would turn over red snapper management to the Gulf states.
Now there are questions about alleged unauthorized changes to Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission minutes and an apparent break-in of the commission secretary’s office during the recent flooding, according to news reports.
The first hint of trouble came in early August when the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission postponed approval of the minutes of its July meeting, a move repeated in early September for both the July and August minutes.
At that time, commissioner Chad Courville referenced an anonymous email sent to commission members that suggested changes had been made to minutes without the consent of the commission, NOLA.com reported.
Toby Gascon, who serves as Secretary Melancon’s confidential assistant, told NOLA.com on Sept. 9 he was not aware that any changes had been made to minutes.
“The department would never alter any official minutes of a commission meeting, and such actions, if discovered, would never be tolerated,” Gascon said.
The commission secretary, Wendy Brogdon, has since been put on administrative leave, commission member Pat Manuel and LDWF’s Toby Gascon told NOLA.com.
Manuel said the reasons for that action by the LDWF against Brogdon had not been revealed.
“All we got was an email saying she had been put on administrative leave,” Manuel said.
While LDWF spokesman Adam Einck said he could not confirm Brogdon’s employment, a listing of agency personnel provided to Louisiana Sportsman in August list her title as “confidential assistant” with an annual salary of $78,749.
In addition, Gason told NOLA.com that Brogdon was told not to return to work the Monday after she filed the police report about the alleged break-in.
“Ms. Brogdon was placed on administrative leave on Aug. 29 pending internal investigation, Gascon, said. “The department cannot comment on any employee-related matters, and does not comment on ongoing criminal investigations to ensure the integrity of any of those investigations (is) not compromised.”
Items reported stolen included a 2-terabye hard drive, a weekly/monthly planner; iPhone and iPad chargers; 30 LDWF bronze challenge coins; 30 agency lapel pins and a number of “Duck Dynasty” items signed by the reality show’s personalities, The Advocate reported.
Baton Rouge Police spokesman L’Jean McNeely told The Advocate no one had been arrested in the alleged burglary as of mid-September.
The police report stated the items were allegedly taken between the evening of Aug. 11 and the morning of Aug. 24, The Advocate reported. Einck told the newspaper that the agency’s Baton Rouge office was closed Aug. 12-21 due to the floods, with only essential personnel able to access the building.
“Any time anything is stolen or missing, we’re definitely concerned,” Einck told The Advocate. “The fact that it seems to be a hard drive makes it concerning, as well.”
But Melancon told NOLA.com he doubted a burglary occurred, adding that security cameras would not be a factor in the investigation.
“To my knowledge, there was no break-in,” he wrote in an email to the news outlet. “Cameras are on the outside of the building, not inside.”
Brogdon has declined to speak with media outlets, including Louisiana Sportsman, referring all questions to her attorney.
But commission member Manuel said the current situation raises questions in his mind about the management of LDWF.
“I don’t like what’s happening, I can tell you that,” he told NOLA.com. “I don’t like what’s going on over there. I have issues with the attitude of the department.”
