On July 26, 2012 the Office of the State Inspector General for the State of Louisiana issued a report of its investigation into the acquisition of eight fully automatic M-16 rifles.Inspector General Report
The report stated that the investigation “found no violations of the law in the CPDAO’s (Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office) possession of the weapons.” However, the report stated that the investigation found “that the written justification submitted to the Louisiana Federal Property Assistance Agency (LFPAA) ... contained false information.”
The importance of the two statements above are:
1. The possession of the firearms by the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office was legal, i.e. under the prevailing law the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office was allowed to have possession of automatic M-16 rifle;
2. The acquisition of the weapons was done so through the filing of false information.
The report then states that investigation was “Based upon witness interviews and analysis of pertinent documents”, the application was completed by Lea Hall and Hugo Holland, Jr.” and that Charles Scott, the District Attorney, “signed the documents as requested only after ‘glancing at’ them and without realizing the weapons were fully automatic.” Additionally, the report states that Charles Scott informed the Inspector General that he learned about the weapons being automatic “On or about February 12, 2012” after the weapons had been obtained.
The importance of these statements are:
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The report is based on witness interviews and obviously an interview with Charles Scott;
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The information on the application was placed there by Lea Hall and Hugo Holland, Jr.;
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Charles Scott told the Inspector General that he did not review the contents of the application in detail;
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Charles Scott told the inspector General did not know that the weapons were automatic until after they were acquired.
On July 27, 2012, Charles Scott held a press conference in which he reiterated his stance that he did not review the documents in detail and that he did not know the weapons were automatic weapons.Press Conference
On July 31, 2012 Charles Scott asked Lea Hall and Higo Holland, Jr. to resign their positions as Assitsant District Attorneys. In an interview with KSLA News 12, Lea Hall stated,
“Hall says that he was made a political scapegoat. "[DA] Scott has crawfished from this situation since day one," says Hall. "He has always said to the press that he never knew they were automatic weapons. He absolutely did. They were disclosed fully to him at the time the application was being sent up the chain for his approval."Lea Hall Statement
If Lea Hall’s statement is believed then it appears that Charles Scott has been less than truthful about his knowledge in this case, that he has provided false information to the Inspector General’s Office concerning his role in the acquisition of the weapons, that he has mislead the Press and the people of Caddo Parish, and that his knowledge of the “false information” contained the application when he signed the application was more than “glancing”.
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