Some don’t see problem with Marcus Lambert continuing to serve, others call board ruling fair
On Jan. 28, the state Board of Ethics confirmed an earlier advisory opinion that said that St. Charles Parish Councilman Marcus Lambert must either resign from his sales director job at Transload America or give up his council seat to avoid a conflict of interest.
But some of Lambert’s fellow council members don’t have a problem with him keeping his Transload job while continuing to serve on the council. Others believe that the Board of Ethics decision was a fair one.
“I really don’t have a problem with Marcus serving on the council as long as he abstains from voting if an issue comes up with the dump,” Councilman Shelley Tastet said. “I’ve known Marcus for over a year now and he is a straightforward guy.
“He obviously needs his job at Transload more than his council job, because no one can make a living by serving on the council, but as long as he abstains from voting on any issue with Transload, I don’t have a problem with it.”
Councilwoman Wendy Benedetto agrees.
“I think we have much bigger things to worry about,” she said. “I don’t have a problem with Marcus continuing to serve on the council at all. If you look closely enough at all the council members, you will probably find that everyone has a conflict of interest at some point.”
While Tastet and Benedetto don’t feel that Lambert’s job at Transload should prevent him from serving on the council, Councilwoman Carolyn Schexnaydre thinks Lambert needs to make a choice between the two.
“Marcus needs to make an immediate decision,” she said. “He owes that to the residents and the council.”
Councilman Paul Hogan echoed those sentiments, calling the board’s ruling “fair.”
Lambert was hired by Transload in May and said he spoke with someone at the Board of Ethics over the phone to make sure it wasn’t a conflict of interest. Though he would not name the attorney he spoke with, Lambert said he was told that as long as he didn’t vote on any issue concerning the landfill, it was OK for him to continue serving on the council.
Kathleen Allen, an attorney for the Board of Ethics, said that informal opinions over the phone do not reflect the decision of the board and don’t count. The only opinons that do count are those that are done in writing and voted on by all members of the Board of Ethics.
In its original opinion on Oct. 29, the Board of Ethics said that St. Charles Parish and Transload have an agreement to allow parish officials to dispose of parish debris free of charge. The agreement further provides that in the case of natural disasters, the landfill will arrange for a discounted fee to accommodate the parish and that the landfill is seeking to be recognized and acknowledged as the designated construction debris disposal site for St. Charles Parish.
According to the board, this constitutes a business relationship between the parish and Transload America. As long as there is a contractual, business or other financial relationship between the parish and Transload, the board said that Lambert’s employment with the company is prohibited while he serves on the St. Charles Parish Council.
Since the Board of Ethics’ opinion is not binding, Lambert could continue to work at Transload and serve on the council. However, someone could file an ethics complaint against him, which allows the Board of Ethics to pursue prosecution. If Lambert was found guilty by an administrative law panel, he could appeal the decision to a state appeals court.
“I really don’t know what was presented or how it was presented, but we all have our own issues to deal with and we have to address them in our own way,” Councilman Terry Authement said. “I hate to see someone dealing with ethical issues because it’s not an easy thing to deal with.
“I like Marcus. He’s a smart, young man and I wish him the best as he goes through this.”
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