Biz-Backed School Board Candidate Has Special Qualification – His Name

Jefferson Parish, that of Harry Lee and Aaron Broussard and Carlos Marcello, and other crooks, has a funny new crookedness with which to deal:

The Jefferson is quite interested in the upcoming School Board races. So is the Teachers Union. The way these things go down, most of the time anyway, is that the Union has their people and the Chamber has their people. The endless battle between labor and capital. A tale as old as time.

However, in this case, the biz groups are doing something kind of funny. The union candidate in JP District 2 is named Ricky Johnson. The chamber put in two horses in this race – the ostensible chamber candidate named “Ricky Jackson” (also known as former the former Saints’ player’s son) and the now-defeated candidate April Williams. Jackson and Johnson now head to the runoff. You could see how someone might get confused. Perhaps even on purpose.

Not perhaps. That’s the point.

The fun part comes during the residency challenge originally filed after qualifying. Mr. Jackson has quite the record and a very convenient memory regarding whether he even lives in the District (for the required 2 years):

Mr. Jackson is a football player, like his father, just not as successful. Until 2013, he played football in Pennsylvania at Robert Morris University. That’s a year ago.

Mr. Jackson did register to vote. Last year.

And, to these untrained eyes, he committed (or conspired to commit) voter fraud in Florida. 

And he admits that he really just hasn’t been living in Jefferson Parish for two years. But oh well, since this is Chamber-run Jefferson Parish, Jackson is allowed on the ballot. And now he’s in the runoff!