Shreveport Councilman John Nickelson asks state auditor to investigate city finance department
Shreveport council member John Nickelson sent a letter to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor Thursday requesting that the state office investigates a number of accusations made by a former city employee against the city's finance department.
"These allegations from a former member of the city's senior management team are serious and call into question the department's capacity to administer public funds," Nickelson wrote.
Ben Hebert, former Shreveport controller, claims he was fired by the city's interim Chief Financial Officer Kasey Brown for age and race discrimination shortly after Hebert refused to follow instructions that Hebert said would have violated state laws.
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Hebert also said a number of the city's accounting issues were committed because of incompetence and malfeasance, and requested the City Council delay a vote Tuesday that would have made Brown the permanent CFO in order to investigate Hebert's claims. All six council members present Tuesday granted that request with a vote that delayed the permanent appointment.
Kendrick Dante writes for the USA Today Network and is a government watchdog reporter in Shreveport, Louisiana. He enjoys cooking, concerts, and content. Email him at kdbrown1@gannett.com or connect on Twitter @kendrickdante.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport Councilman asks state auditor to investigate city finances
