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Do you remember Anita Begnaud? In this episode, we revisit a high-profile tax controversy from 2022. It involved the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) in Lafayette, Louisiana. At the time, Citizens for a New Louisiana raised serious concerns that public resources were being illegally used to promote an ad valorem tax renewal on the ballot. In response, we were labeled as conspiracy theorists, stalkers, and worse.
But now the truth is out on Anita Begnaud’s actions
The Louisiana Legislative Auditor has officially confirmed our findings. Anita Begnaud, then the CEO of the DDA, was cited for violating state law by using public funds to promote a tax proposition. This is a clear violation of Louisiana Revised Statute 18:1465. The statute strictly prohibits the use of taxpayer money to influence voters in any election.
What’s more, Anita Begnaud quietly left her position just weeks after the audit report was released. She accepted a new role in Virginia, where she would work for a familiar figure: Jason El Koubi. Long-time readers will recall that his name is also associated with leaving town after a different tax push in Lafayette, which we exposed in 2017.
This episode breaks down the timeline, including our original multi-part submission to the auditor, the smear campaign we endured, and the audit’s damning conclusion. It’s a case study in how truth eventually rises to the surface no matter how fiercely it’s buried.
If you’ve ever doubted the importance of government watchdogs or the power of persistence, this story will change your mind.
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Facts First. Even When They’re Inconvenient.
Some outlets or groups tell you what to think. Others have discovered there’s an easier way to build an audience: tell people exactly what they want to hear. We’ve chosen a harder path.
At Citizens for a New Louisiana, we start with the evidence — public records, financial disclosures, court filings, voting records, audits, and original documents — and follow it wherever it leads. Sometimes the facts confirm what we expected. Sometimes they surprise us. Sometimes they disappoint our friends. Either way, we publish them.
That approach doesn’t always produce the loudest headlines or the easiest fundraising. But over time, it produces something much more valuable: TRUST. If you value independent Louisiana journalism that puts evidence ahead of outrage and principle ahead of tribe, please help us continue the work.
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