Louisiana State Police Commission (LSPC) Fifth Congressional District Representative Michael L. DuBos, at the LSPC meeting of Thursday, March 13, 2025, testily refutes the contention by attorney Jill Craft that he should recuse himself from any participation in any matter entailing her client, former Master Trooper Nicholas Gee.
It was only a month ago that we presented this feature in which attorney Jill Craft said LSP “freaked out” after a WBRZ news feature on Trooper Nicholas Gee.
Gee was the subject of a U. S. Attorney’s Office investigation of potential Veteran’s Administration fraud; however, he was never indicted nor arrested from the investigation. Moreover, the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced toward the middle of 2024 that it was not going to prosecute Gee (nor anyone else) in the matter.
At that meeting a month ago (February 13, 2025), Craft was seeking for the LSPC to simply award Gee his job back without the need for a hearing after stating that LSP Col. Robert Hodges fired him in July of 2024. The LSPC denied Craft’s Motion to Summarily award Gee his job back, and that set the stage for a full-blown hearing today (Thursday, March 13, 2025).
We have been attending LSPC meetings for just over eight (8) years now and videotaping all of them. We have seen some things go down in these meetings, but we don’t think we’ve seen anything quite as bizarre as what transpired today!
First, when we published the above-linked feature, we had this to say:
To the extent there are future appeals wherein Craft serves as the attorney for a trooper, what we’re guaranteed is a friendly (for the most part) bantering between Craft and DuBos.
We say that because, as DuBos served as Defense Attorney for multiple Troopers from Troop F entailing alleged use of excessive force (including obtaining a Temporary Restraining Order blocking the Troopers’ administrative investigations as well as Federal Court jury acquittal of former Trooper Jacob Brown on alleged Civil Rights violations), it became very obvious to us that he has extensive knowledge of LSPC Rules and procedures and has obviously extensively defended police officers during his career.
Meanwhile, Craft, who has dedicated her entire legal career to government employee litigation, is the unquestioned legal authority on labor law, grievances, and whistleblower legal actions in Louisiana. Thus, dialogue between Craft and DuBos at future meetings should be akin to a heavyweight boxing match between two very well-qualified fighters.
Well, our words proved prophetic as DuBos and Craft went at each other like two heavyweight boxers today except with neither of them having gloves and, unlike a month ago, it was anything but “friendly!” They went at it! Here’s the entire video of the Gee matter, which was dominated by the terse exchanges between Craft and DuBos.
3/13/25: DuBos and Craft engage in terse exchanges about whether LSPC Member Michael DuBos (or, at one point, the entire Membership of the LSPC) should recuse himself (themselves) from the matter of the appeal of Master Trooper Nicholas Gee.
The above video depicts Col. Hodges apparently “caving” (the word used by multiple parties whom we consulted on today’s feature) at quite literally the last second (3:47 p.m. yesterday) and with his “caving” thereby permitting former Master Trooper Nicholas Gee to resign under some highly favorable (some have even said “lucrative”) terms. That contention was fortified by the huge smile on Craft’s face at the conclusion of the proceeding!
What seems obvious to us from the above video is that Hodges placed the LSPC in a very awkward position: buck a sitting LSP Colonel or do something the body was not very comfortable doing (approving the lucrative separation terms).
It’s our firm belief that the impetus to settle this matter came from LA-1, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry!
Why? Because four (4) of the five (5) appointments Landry has made to the LSPC (one of which may have denied U. S. Congressional District 6 of any representation on the LSPC) still need Senate confirmation, and he did not want to risk alienating the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus by sticking by Hodges’ decision to fire Gee.
Here are those four Commissioners whom the Senate must confirm at this upcoming Legislative Session which commences on April 14, 2025:
Lt. Gen. James M. Kowalski, USAF (Retired), Member
Represents: 4th Congressional District
Nominations from: Centenary College
Appointed: 10/16/2024
Term Expires: 12/05/2026
Mr. Stephen L. Guidry, Jr., Member (who already has his own confirmation issues)
Represents: 6th Congressional District
Nominations from: Xavier University
Appointed: 01/27/2025
Term Expires:12/05/2028
Mr. Jared J. Caruso-Riecke, Member (who also already has his own confirmation issues)
Represents: 1st Congressional District
Nominations from: Dillard University
Appointed: 01/10/2025
Term Expires: 12/05/2030
Mr. Michael L. DuBos, Member
Represents: 5th Congressional District
Nominations from: Loyola University
Appointed: 08/02/2024
Term Expires:12/05/2025
It would be hard to argue that Senate confirmation of these gentlemen would be much more difficult to obtain if the Legislative Black Caucus opposed any or all of the appointments.
Common sense also dictates that, especially with Gee being from Troop F and in light of the recent problems in Troop F regarding the use of excessive force on black citizens, the Legislative Black Caucus would have been miffed if Gee’s termination by Hodges had been upheld by the LSPC.
Thus, perhaps Gee lucked up, as one observer put it, “in just happening to be in the right position at the exact right moment!”