It's a tricky thing, that.
Creates all sorts of unsavory relationships.
New Orleans city employees in seven departments were provided with
hundreds of free tickets to Jazz Fest last year, a possible violation of
state law that prohibits public employees from receiving gifts,
according to a report issued Wednesday by the New Orleans Inspector
General's Office.
Keep enough of the important people happy and they'll have your back when it counts.
It works both ways, in fact.
While officials at Entergy New Orleans appear ready to grudgingly pay
a large fine related to the use of paid protesters, the utility in
recent weeks has attempted to use its charitable largesse to fight back
against the penalties likely to be imposed by the New Orleans City
Council.
Communications obtained by The Lens show that in response
to the proposed $5 million fine — over the use of paid actors who
appeared at public meetings to support a proposed power plant — several
beneficiaries of Entergy’s charitable giving sent letters supporting the
company to council members.
At least two of the authors were
directly asked to write the letters by an Entergy employee who oversees
the company’s charitable giving.
It's fine, though. The principals involved here are all heads of non-profits, departmental higher-ups, and political appointees so nobody is in any real trouble.
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