A recent change to Louisiana law will benefit state Rep. Steven Jackson by erasing a $1,000 ethics fine he faced. The fine was imposed due to Jackson’s failure to submit a personal financial disclosure form required for candidates running for the Louisiana Legislature.
Background of the Fine
Jackson was first hit with the fine in 2023 and did not turn in the required paperwork until January 2026, when the ethics board threatened to increase his fine if it wasn’t filed immediately. This $1,000 fee is part of a larger set of disputes Jackson has had with the ethics board, dating back to 2015.
According to Ethics Administrator David Bordelon, the new law will likely force the Louisiana Board of Ethics to revoke the financial penalty Jackson has been fighting. A spokesperson for Jackson questioned whether he was the only person to benefit from the law change, suggesting that without a comprehensive review, it’s speculative to assert that no other individual is affected.
Legislative Action
The law change was made through an amendment to Act 777, added by Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews. She stated that she inserted the amendment at the request of another legislator but did not know it would benefit Jackson financially until after the Legislature had approved it. State Rep. Chris Turner, who sponsored the underlying legislation, said he didn’t know the amendment would specifically help Jackson.
The ethics board is expected to take up the issue of Jackson’s late fee at their meeting on August 7. The board’s ability to enforce the fine has been impacted by the new law, which makes a previous law retroactive, thereby exempting Jackson from the penalty he faced.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
