Shari Champagne: I will fight this

The following statement was sent to The Times by former candidate Shari Champagne in response to her disqualification from candidacy for parish president. We are sharing in its entirety:

On Monday the board of ethics and all of its powers used Judge David Arceneaux to disqualify me from the parish president race .

 The ethics departments director targeted me after I questioned her for not having the documents that I sent to her office multiple times. And told her she she be removed . Last year when I ran for school board and nearly won . In September prior to the election the ethics department began the harassment during that election.the same election that a current school board member sued me for sharing a public news article with parents that he was accused of sexual harassment of a student . (Still fighting that)

It began , They requested the forms I already sent to them via mail . On September 2,2022 I sent the documents again in a PDF file . And a  separate file .

I did not hear from them again until March of this year saying I would be charged a $2500 fee for the paperwork not being in compliance yet not stating why it was not so on March 20 2023 I resent the documents again , after not hearing from them a week later I called their office 3 times and left voicemails to see if they received the documents, no one returned those calls , on March. 20th I emailed their office asking if they received the information, no one ever replied . I heard nothing else from the board of Ethics again until 2 weeks prior to qualifying for Parish President. I called to ask specifically what they needed , they would not say specifically just I was not in compliance, after sending the information again 2 times waiting days to hear from them they dragged it out to qualifying day , Ashley from ethics was extremely rude on the phone when I asked Llegitimate questions. Regarding this situation , after resending the information again , The morning of qualifying Ashley  emailed to say the box on Form G was checked and the box on form H WAS NOT checked Therefore the only thing I did differently was I darkened that  box and returned the information again adding (CC attorney) Ashley finally messaged me stating I WAS now in compliance.Not saying if I was still going to made to pay $2500 dollars.  I then asked if I still needed to pay the fine SHE assessed and if I do , when would it be due . She replied “prior to qualifying “

After 2 pm . I used the link to pay the fee several times and it did not work , then the payment sent . I went to the courthouse and qualified, after qualifying, Ashley emailed me saying the payment did not process until AFTER 4 and I qualified right after 3 pm so she would still oppose my candidacy if I did not removed myself from the race .

I was at my whits end and replied that at this point what she was doing was harassment, her office should be investigated, she should be removed from her position”.

The very next morning Ashley filed a lawsuit to remove me from the race. I received the court papers on Thursday to appear on a Monday . The ethics department called a special hearing , had the ethics attorney, Ashley from Ethics an IT individual and a private stenographer there . I did not know I could ask Judge Arceneaux to recuse himself because The clerk of court named in the suit with me is HIS SISTER. I did not have counsel with me . I was allowed to question Ashley under oath though ,  it was then that she admitted under oath that I made her very angry by questioning her and her office’s incompetence and that SHE herself has to power to assess fines as she see fit .

Judge Arceneaux allowed the state to change the judgement from demanding I be removed to what should have been requested was disqualified.

Since entering into this race , I have had to prove something to every agency possible because they were all on me .

This is the same office I’ve had to contact to ask questions regarding the voting machines not working for the school board election . It is also the same office that should handle to real ethics issues with other candidates in the same race that they’ve neglected to address . I had no legal

Representation against Ashley from the ethical board , their attorney and an IT person there to prove I did not pay the fine of $2500 dollars Ashley Wimberley’s assessed before I signed to qualify .

The clerk of court said this has never happened.

Ashley had the power to get a special session for this case . Had Judge Arceneaux called in to hear the case only , had a private stenographer called in for this case only .

it is documented that the board of ethics is notorious for not adequately doing their job , there could be a couple reasons the ethics department used  the powers they hold to do this , however , this is election interference, harassment and political prosecution by a state agency .

I will continue to protect my community from those who want me removed from this race ,And I pray for justice.

  I love my community , a corrupt system will not prevent me from continuing to do what is right for my family and my community . The best disinfectant is sunlight .

I will fight this .