East Baton Rouge school Superintendent LaMont Cole was indicted Wednesday, accused of taking part in a bribery scheme involving city-parish contractors while he was a member of the parish Metro Council.
A special grand jury charged Cole with two counts of conspiracy to commit public bribery, two counts of money laundering, and a count of malfeasance in office.
As of Wednesday evening, the court had not yet released probable cause documents that would include details about the charges levied against Cole.
In a statement Wednesday afternoon, Cole briefly acknowledged the indictment but then wrote about the upcoming new school year, which starts Thursday.
“By now, many of you have likely seen the news. I plan to release a personal statement once I feel we are fully prepared for the first day of school,” Cole said. “For now, my focus remains exactly where it has always been, on our students and ensuring they have an outstanding start to the school year.”
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office declined to comment beyond issuing a brief statement.
“These are very serious charges. It was based on a lengthy investigation by the grand jury,” Murrill said in a statement. “This investigation is continuing, so we have no further comment at this time.”
Contractors also indicted
The grand jury also charged Terral “TJ” Jackson and his wife, Erica Jackson, with the same two charges of conspiracy to commit public bribery as the ones Cole faces, plus two separate counts of money laundering.
City-parish records show TJ Jackson and his company — Broad Innovation Market Firm — were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars between 2021 and 2024 through various contracts, including some related to former Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome’s scrutinized “Safe, Hopeful, Healthy BR” program.
According to multiple sources, Cole and TJ Jackson have long been close friends and are members of the same fraternity.
Superintendent LaMont Cole receives a prayer from Rev. Joshua Johnson during the annual back-to-school convocation for EBR Schools at Southern’s Clark Activity Center on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos
Jackson also had contracts for “Blight Community Outreach,” in which he was paid to identify blighted property in Cole’s council district each month.
The Jacksons were charged earlier this year with theft and conspiracy to commit theft related to Baton Rouge transit system contracts that prosecutors say were fraudulent.
Arrest warrants have been issued for all three.
A widening investigation
Cole, 52, is the latest to be indicted as part of a wide investigation by Murrill’s office into alleged corruption in Baton Rouge government.
Current council member Cleve Dunn Jr. was charged in January on a slew of corruption and conspiracy charges, including bribery, money laundering, theft and others.
Dunn entered a not guilty plea in Baton Rouge court on July 1.
Courtney Scott, who was a top staffer for Weston Broome, was indicted in February alongside Veronica Mathis, who was a contractor paid funds from the mayor’s Safe, Hopeful, Healthy initiative.
Scott is accused of receiving nearly $200,000 in kickbacks from Mathis. She also has pleaded not guilty.
On Tuesday, a week after The Advocate reported that he was the subject of a grand jury investigation, Cole addressed the matter at the school district’s annual back-to-school convocation gathering, calling it “one of the most challenging times of my life.”
Sources familiar with the investigation say the grand jury has been reviewing evidence against Cole for several months.
The mayor weighs in
Mayor-President Sid Edwards released his own statement hours after Cole was indicted and said he believes everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence and full due process.
“Allegations should be decided in a court of law, not in the court of public opinion,” Edwards said. “At the same time, moments like this understandably test the public’s confidence in government.”
The mayor noted that the matters under investigation took place before he was in office and said he is trying to make sure his constituents have confidence on how local government is currently operating.
“The people of East Baton Rouge Parish deserve a government they can trust,” Edwards said. “My administration will continue doing everything in its power to ensure that their government operates with integrity, transparency, and accountability every single day.”
Email Patrick Sloan-Turner at patrick.sloan-turner@theadvocate.com.
