Buddy Caldwell
Encyclopedia
James David Caldwell, Sr., or Buddy Caldwell (born May 20, 1946), is the Republican
attorney general
of the U.S. state
of Louisiana
. Prior to serving as attorney general, Caldwell was the district attorney
for Madison, East Carroll, and Tensas parishes from 1979 to 2008. Caldwell, who resides in Tallulah
, the seat of Madison Parish, is also an entertainer, guitarist
, and songwriter
known for his impersonation of Elvis Presley
. Early in 2011, Louisiana political commentator Jeff Crouere
speculated that Caldwell, then a member of the Democratic Party
was "considering a switch to the GOP
to prevent a challenge this fall" as Democrats faced increased difficulty statewide. Caldwell ended up officially switching parties on February 2. 2011.Caldwell is unopposed for a second term as attorney general in the nonpartisan blanket primary set for October 22, 2011.
, the seat of Caldwell Parish, and the home of former Governor
John McKeithen
and McKeithen's son, the late Louisiana Secretary of State W. Fox McKeithen
, a Caldwell family friend. The Caldwells moved permanently to rural
Madison Parish in 1949. J.D. Caldwell obtained a master's degree
in music
from Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge and sang earlier with the Metropolitan Opera
in New York City
. After moving to Tallulah, the senior Caldwell became a farmer
and clothing merchant
. Mrs. Caldwell, a registered nurse, held a degree from Touro Infirmary
of New Orleans. She was a public health nurse and later a Madison Parish school health nurse for thirty years.
Buddy Caldwell is not related to the late Louisiana Second Judicial District Court Judge David T. Caldwell
of Jonesboro
or to that Judge Caldwell's son, James David "Jimmy" Caldwell (born ca. 1949), a practicing attorney in Shreveport
.
Caldwell graduated from Tallulah High School in 1964 when it was still segregated
, albeit certain Caldwell family members continued supporting white flight, which has been denoted by the Supreme Court when found in other states to be segregating and discriminatory.
Caldwell is one of two statewide elected officials in Louisiana who are Jewish. The other is Jay Dardenne
, the current Lieutenant Governor and former Secretary of State and state senator from Baton Rouge.
Caldwell lettered in basketball
, football
, and track
. He worked in his mother's family drug store during his teen years. Caldwell also played semi-professional baseball
in North Louisiana while he was still in high school, as did several other Louisiana politicians, including the late Education Superintendent Bill Dodd and former State Representatives
Lantz Womack
of Winnsboro
, the seat of Franklin Parish, and L.D. "Buddy" Napper
of Ruston
, the seat of Lincoln Parish.
Caldwell earned his Bachelor of Arts
degree in psychology
, with a minor in history
, from Tulane University
in New Orleans, where he played football and ran track. In 1973, he received his law degree from the Tulane University Law School
and thereafter established his solo law practice in Tallulah, which he maintained until becoming district attorney six years later.
cases in his district. Suspects rarely won acquittal when Caldwell was the prosecutor. Critics, however, note that Caldwell maintained a high conviction rate by not prosecuting the "hard" cases. Caldwell also claimed the highest per capita collection rate for back child support
in the state.
The three-parish district, the most northeastern in the state, is heavily Democratic and includes a high concentration of African American
voters. On his website, Caldwell contended that he established "positive working relationships throughout Louisiana with Sheriffs, other District Attorneys, Mayors, Parish and Town Councils, School Boards, Justices of the Peace, Constables, and other local officials. I also have experience working with federal agencies like the United States Justice Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
, Drug Enforcement Administration
, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms."
Caldwell won his third term as district attorney in 1990, when in a low-turnout election he defeated fellow Democrat Samuel Thomas, 6,711 (61 percent) to 4,277 (39 percent). He was unopposed in 1996. Caldwell secured a fifth term in 2002, when he defeated fellow Democrat Raymond "Ray" Cannon, 4,987 (56 percent) to 3,931 (44 percent) in another low-turnout election.
While District Attorney for multiple parishes, Caldwell repeatedly refused to investigate and indict family members. In repeated audit findings from the Louisiana Board of Ethics and Legislative Auditors, Carolyn and Ray Caldwell, as well as their children, other family members, and friends, were discovered to be inappropriately profiting from Madison's Office of Clerk of Court finances.
, fellow Democrat Charles F. Foti, Jr.
, of New Orleans, and Republican
Royal Alexander
), an attorney
from Shreveport and a former congressional aide to U.S. Representative Rodney Alexander
(no relation) of Jackson Parish. Caldwell secured high-profile endorsements from the Louisiana Sheriff
s' Association and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, two longtime Democratic-leaning interest groups. Most of the state's newspapers, including the Shreveport Times in Alexander's hometown, endorsed Caldwell. Foti, a former Orleans Parish criminal sheriff, had lost favor with voters over controversies involving the prosecution of medical professionals in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
.
Shortly before the three-candidate primary for attorney general on October 20, 2007, it was revealed that Caldwell's son, James "David" Caldwell, Jr., was employed by former Attorney General Foti. Caldwell was himself a Foti supporter in the 2003 election. Nevertheless, Caldwell led the primary with 434,507 votes (36 percent). Alexander ran second with 395,498 (32 percent). Foti polled 389,300 votes (also 32 percent) but trailed Alexander and was hence eliminated from the general election competition.
In the general election, Caldwell defeated Alexander by a 2-1 margin. Caldwell received 477,574 votes (67 percent) to Alexander's 239,485 (33 percent). Just hours prior to the general election, Alexander had filed and then withdrew from a suit against Caldwell on grounds that the Democrat had "lied" about Alexander in television
advertising. Alexander said that he had to drop the suit because Louisiana law permits lying as a form of free expression in political campaigns.
. A few months later, he was served with divorce papers by his new wife. Four days after that, she was terminated as the "confidential assistant" to Louisiana Secretary of State Fox McKeithen. Caldwell testified that he arranged for his second wife's hiring with the help of an employee of the attorney general's office, which in other states could be known as nepotism. "I've known Fox ever since we were children," Caldwell said. The second Mrs. Caldwell testified that McKeithen called her into his office on May 12, 1995, and they discussed her divorce case: "I was terminated from my job. I was upset. I was crying. I have a child to support. I could not survive without a job." Amid the divorce proceedings, Caldwell dropped a bid for lieutenant governor
that year on the grounds that his position as district attorney would not allow him time to campaign. The lieutenant governorship was instead won by eventual Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco of Lafayette
.
of Baton Rouge, an unsuccessful Republican candidate for insurance commissioner in 2003, was a leading critic of Caldwell's attorney general candidacy. Kyle reported that in 1997 Caldwell "spent $1,529 in D.A. office funds to pay for personal items, including clothing and golfing expenses." The expenses included air fare to Montana
and golf fees in Alabama
.
According to The Advocate, Kyle claimed that Caldwell tried "to quash release of parts of the audit... and used foul language and threats in an unsuccessful attempt to block the audit." Then, Kyle accused Caldwell of having blamed his own secretary for the questionable spending: "Caldwell also said the spending problem in the 1997 audit was a mistake by his secretary, adding that he personally brought it to the auditor's attention." In Committee Room 3,during a Legislation probe, Mr. Caldwell was testified against by the auditor who stated that Mr. Caldwell said, "Some very racist remarks, because the police jury we were issuing the audit on were all minorities, he told me I just needed a white man to issue an audit on. I said'no' the findings are the same. You've done the same thing these people have done and justice is justice. And, I have to issue both reports. And, if you'll look at them, they both have the same data on them." The auditor stated that he was later told Mr. Caldwell "is a loose cannon... out to get you. He is dangerous. You need protection."
Three years later, Caldwell accused Kyle's investigators of "an array of questionable activities ranging from improperly bugging conversations to having sex with witnesses in audit investigations" in testimony before the Legislative Audit Advisory Council. Caldwell "told the council... that state auditors working in north Louisiana had suppressed evidence, secretly tape-recorded interviews with witnesses, and compromised the credibility of witnesses in possible criminal investigations. Caldwell later told reporters he also knew of instances of an auditor in Kyle's office having sexual relations with people being audited." Caldwell gave no details, according to Kyle.
Caldwell subpoena
ed two of Kyle's investigators before a grand jury
in Tallulah. Kyle later claimed that Caldwell was trying to indict Kyle or the investigators. According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune
, Caldwell said after the Legislative Audit Advisory Council meeting that he "might reopen a grand jury investigation of Kyle's office."
Caldwell also came under fire for his role as a self-appointed special prosecutor
in a case against St. Tammany Parish Judge Patricia Hedges. He filed charges of extortion
, public bribery
, and malfeasance
against the judge, only to drop all claims without explanation on the premise that he could not have won a conviction without a jury trial.
, and the United Way. Like his father, he can also sing opera.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Prior to serving as attorney general, Caldwell was the district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
for Madison, East Carroll, and Tensas parishes from 1979 to 2008. Caldwell, who resides in Tallulah
Tallulah, Louisiana
Tallulah is a city in and the parish seat of Madison Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 9,189 at the 2000 census...
, the seat of Madison Parish, is also an entertainer, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
known for his impersonation of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. Early in 2011, Louisiana political commentator Jeff Crouere
Jeff Crouere
Jeff Crouere is a Conservative political commentator in the Greater New Orleans area.He has held several positions within the Louisiana Republican Party, formerly including executive director...
speculated that Caldwell, then a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
was "considering a switch to the GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to prevent a challenge this fall" as Democrats faced increased difficulty statewide. Caldwell ended up officially switching parties on February 2. 2011.Caldwell is unopposed for a second term as attorney general in the nonpartisan blanket primary set for October 22, 2011.
Early years, family, education
Caldwell was the fourth of seven children born to J.D. Caldwell (1910–1987), and the former Genevieve Minsky (1916–2001) in tiny Columbia, LouisianaColumbia, Louisiana
Columbia is a town in and the parish seat of Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 477 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbia is located at ....
, the seat of Caldwell Parish, and the home of former Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
John McKeithen
John McKeithen
John Julian McKeithen was the 49th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1964 to 1972. A Democrat from the town of Columbia, he was the first governor of his state in the twentieth century to serve two consecutive terms...
and McKeithen's son, the late Louisiana Secretary of State W. Fox McKeithen
W. Fox McKeithen
Walter Fox McKeithen served five terms as Secretary of State of Louisiana between 1988 and 2005. He is best remembered for merging the state's election divisions into one department and for the promotion of historical preservation.-Son of a governor:He was born Walter Fox McKeithen in Columbia in...
, a Caldwell family friend. The Caldwells moved permanently to rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
Madison Parish in 1949. J.D. Caldwell obtained a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
from Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in Baton Rouge and sang earlier with the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. After moving to Tallulah, the senior Caldwell became a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and clothing merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
. Mrs. Caldwell, a registered nurse, held a degree from Touro Infirmary
Touro Infirmary
Touro Infirmary is a non-profit hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana.- Organization. :Touro Infirmary is affiliated with the Louisiana State University Health Science Center and Tulane University School of Medicine....
of New Orleans. She was a public health nurse and later a Madison Parish school health nurse for thirty years.
Buddy Caldwell is not related to the late Louisiana Second Judicial District Court Judge David T. Caldwell
David T. Caldwell
David T. Caldwell was a Second Judicial District Court judge based in Jonesboro, the seat of Jackson Parish in north Louisiana. He was initially appointed to his position on January 31, 1970, by Governor John J. McKeithen to succeed Judge P.E. Brown, who had reached the mandatory retirement age...
of Jonesboro
Jonesboro, Louisiana
Jonesboro is a town in and the parish seat of Jackson Parish in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 3,914 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ruston Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
or to that Judge Caldwell's son, James David "Jimmy" Caldwell (born ca. 1949), a practicing attorney in Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
.
Caldwell graduated from Tallulah High School in 1964 when it was still segregated
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
, albeit certain Caldwell family members continued supporting white flight, which has been denoted by the Supreme Court when found in other states to be segregating and discriminatory.
Caldwell is one of two statewide elected officials in Louisiana who are Jewish. The other is Jay Dardenne
Jay Dardenne
John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr. , has been Louisiana's Republican lieutenant governor since November 22, 2010. He won a special election to the position held in conjunction with the regular November 2 general election. At the time, Dardenne was Louisiana secretary of state...
, the current Lieutenant Governor and former Secretary of State and state senator from Baton Rouge.
Caldwell lettered in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. He worked in his mother's family drug store during his teen years. Caldwell also played semi-professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
in North Louisiana while he was still in high school, as did several other Louisiana politicians, including the late Education Superintendent Bill Dodd and former State Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
Lantz Womack
Lantz Womack
Lantz Womack was a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives who served mostly Franklin Parish, from 1958, when he won a special election caused by the death of a freshman member, until his retirement in 1976...
of Winnsboro
Winnsboro, Louisiana
Winnsboro is a city in and the parish seat of Franklin Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of July 2009, the estimated city population was 4,377...
, the seat of Franklin Parish, and L.D. "Buddy" Napper
L.D. "Buddy" Napper
Laurice Dean Napper, known as L.D. "Buddy" Napper , is an attorney and civic figure in Ruston, Louisiana, who served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1952-1964....
of Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
, the seat of Lincoln Parish.
Caldwell earned his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, with a minor in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, from Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in New Orleans, where he played football and ran track. In 1973, he received his law degree from the Tulane University Law School
Tulane University Law School
Tulane University Law School is the law school of Tulane University. It is located on Tulane's Uptown campus in New Orleans, Louisiana. Established in 1847, it is the 12th oldest law school in the United States....
and thereafter established his solo law practice in Tallulah, which he maintained until becoming district attorney six years later.
District attorney
Caldwell was first elected district attorney of the small Sixth Judicial District on September 16, 1978, when he was thirty-two. He assumed the office, which is located in Tallulah, on January 1, 1979. From 1983-1996, Caldwell served on the board of directors of the Louisiana District Attorney's Association. While district attorney, he personally tried felonyFelony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
cases in his district. Suspects rarely won acquittal when Caldwell was the prosecutor. Critics, however, note that Caldwell maintained a high conviction rate by not prosecuting the "hard" cases. Caldwell also claimed the highest per capita collection rate for back child support
Child support
In family law and public policy, child support is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child following the end of a marriage or other relationship...
in the state.
The three-parish district, the most northeastern in the state, is heavily Democratic and includes a high concentration of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
voters. On his website, Caldwell contended that he established "positive working relationships throughout Louisiana with Sheriffs, other District Attorneys, Mayors, Parish and Town Councils, School Boards, Justices of the Peace, Constables, and other local officials. I also have experience working with federal agencies like the United States Justice Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms."
Caldwell won his third term as district attorney in 1990, when in a low-turnout election he defeated fellow Democrat Samuel Thomas, 6,711 (61 percent) to 4,277 (39 percent). He was unopposed in 1996. Caldwell secured a fifth term in 2002, when he defeated fellow Democrat Raymond "Ray" Cannon, 4,987 (56 percent) to 3,931 (44 percent) in another low-turnout election.
While District Attorney for multiple parishes, Caldwell repeatedly refused to investigate and indict family members. In repeated audit findings from the Louisiana Board of Ethics and Legislative Auditors, Carolyn and Ray Caldwell, as well as their children, other family members, and friends, were discovered to be inappropriately profiting from Madison's Office of Clerk of Court finances.
Candidacy for attorney general
In 2007, Caldwell ran for attorney general against the incumbentIncumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
, fellow Democrat Charles F. Foti, Jr.
Charles Foti
Charles Carmen Foti, Jr. , is a former Democratic Attorney General of the U.S. state of Louisiana, United States. He served as his state's chief legal officer for a single term from 2004 to 2008....
, of New Orleans, and Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Royal Alexander
Royal Alexander
Richard Royal Alexander is an attorney from Shreveport, Louisiana. In 2007, he was the Republican-endorsed candidate for Louisiana Attorney General. A first-time candidate for public office, Alexander finished second to James D. "Buddy" Caldwell, a Democrat, in the nonpartisan blanket primary...
), an attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
from Shreveport and a former congressional aide to U.S. Representative Rodney Alexander
Rodney Alexander
Rodney McKinnie Alexander is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district covers twenty-two parishes in roughly the northeast quadrant of the state...
(no relation) of Jackson Parish. Caldwell secured high-profile endorsements from the Louisiana Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
s' Association and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, two longtime Democratic-leaning interest groups. Most of the state's newspapers, including the Shreveport Times in Alexander's hometown, endorsed Caldwell. Foti, a former Orleans Parish criminal sheriff, had lost favor with voters over controversies involving the prosecution of medical professionals in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
Shortly before the three-candidate primary for attorney general on October 20, 2007, it was revealed that Caldwell's son, James "David" Caldwell, Jr., was employed by former Attorney General Foti. Caldwell was himself a Foti supporter in the 2003 election. Nevertheless, Caldwell led the primary with 434,507 votes (36 percent). Alexander ran second with 395,498 (32 percent). Foti polled 389,300 votes (also 32 percent) but trailed Alexander and was hence eliminated from the general election competition.
In the general election, Caldwell defeated Alexander by a 2-1 margin. Caldwell received 477,574 votes (67 percent) to Alexander's 239,485 (33 percent). Just hours prior to the general election, Alexander had filed and then withdrew from a suit against Caldwell on grounds that the Democrat had "lied" about Alexander in television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
advertising. Alexander said that he had to drop the suit because Louisiana law permits lying as a form of free expression in political campaigns.
Multiple marriages
Caldwell and his third wife, Pat M. Caldwell, have a combined seven grown children and six grandchildren. In December 1994, Caldwell married for the second time in Las VegasLas Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. A few months later, he was served with divorce papers by his new wife. Four days after that, she was terminated as the "confidential assistant" to Louisiana Secretary of State Fox McKeithen. Caldwell testified that he arranged for his second wife's hiring with the help of an employee of the attorney general's office, which in other states could be known as nepotism. "I've known Fox ever since we were children," Caldwell said. The second Mrs. Caldwell testified that McKeithen called her into his office on May 12, 1995, and they discussed her divorce case: "I was terminated from my job. I was upset. I was crying. I have a child to support. I could not survive without a job." Amid the divorce proceedings, Caldwell dropped a bid for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
that year on the grounds that his position as district attorney would not allow him time to campaign. The lieutenant governorship was instead won by eventual Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco of Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
.
Challenges to Caldwell's record
Former Legislative Auditor Dan KyleDan Kyle
Daniel Guin Kyle, known as Dan Kyle , is a businessman from Baton Rouge Louisiana, who served as his state's legislative auditor from 1989–2003, when he stepped down to run unsuccessfully for insurance commissioner. An active Republican, Kyle uncovered many instances of misappropriations in state...
of Baton Rouge, an unsuccessful Republican candidate for insurance commissioner in 2003, was a leading critic of Caldwell's attorney general candidacy. Kyle reported that in 1997 Caldwell "spent $1,529 in D.A. office funds to pay for personal items, including clothing and golfing expenses." The expenses included air fare to Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and golf fees in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.
According to The Advocate, Kyle claimed that Caldwell tried "to quash release of parts of the audit... and used foul language and threats in an unsuccessful attempt to block the audit." Then, Kyle accused Caldwell of having blamed his own secretary for the questionable spending: "Caldwell also said the spending problem in the 1997 audit was a mistake by his secretary, adding that he personally brought it to the auditor's attention." In Committee Room 3,during a Legislation probe, Mr. Caldwell was testified against by the auditor who stated that Mr. Caldwell said, "Some very racist remarks, because the police jury we were issuing the audit on were all minorities, he told me I just needed a white man to issue an audit on. I said'no' the findings are the same. You've done the same thing these people have done and justice is justice. And, I have to issue both reports. And, if you'll look at them, they both have the same data on them." The auditor stated that he was later told Mr. Caldwell "is a loose cannon... out to get you. He is dangerous. You need protection."
Three years later, Caldwell accused Kyle's investigators of "an array of questionable activities ranging from improperly bugging conversations to having sex with witnesses in audit investigations" in testimony before the Legislative Audit Advisory Council. Caldwell "told the council... that state auditors working in north Louisiana had suppressed evidence, secretly tape-recorded interviews with witnesses, and compromised the credibility of witnesses in possible criminal investigations. Caldwell later told reporters he also knew of instances of an auditor in Kyle's office having sexual relations with people being audited." Caldwell gave no details, according to Kyle.
Caldwell subpoena
Subpoena
A subpoena is a writ by a government agency, most often a court, that has authority to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of subpoena:...
ed two of Kyle's investigators before a grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
in Tallulah. Kyle later claimed that Caldwell was trying to indict Kyle or the investigators. According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune
New Orleans Times-Picayune
The Times-Picayune is a daily newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.-History:Established as The Picayune in 1837 by Francis Lumsden and George Wilkins Kendall, the paper's initial price was one picayune—a Spanish coin equivalent to 6¼¢ .Under Eliza Jane Nicholson, who inherited the...
, Caldwell said after the Legislative Audit Advisory Council meeting that he "might reopen a grand jury investigation of Kyle's office."
Caldwell also came under fire for his role as a self-appointed special prosecutor
Special prosecutor
A special prosecutor generally is a lawyer from outside the government appointed by an attorney general or, in the United States, by Congress to investigate a government official for misconduct while in office. A reasoning for such an appointment is that the governmental branch or agency may have...
in a case against St. Tammany Parish Judge Patricia Hedges. He filed charges of extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
, public bribery
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
, and malfeasance
Malfeasance
The expressions misfeasance and nonfeasance, and occasionally malfeasance, are used in English law with reference to the discharge of public obligations existing by common law, custom or statute.-Definition and relevant rules of law:...
against the judge, only to drop all claims without explanation on the premise that he could not have won a conviction without a jury trial.
Caldwell the entertainer
As an entertainer and singer, Caldwell has performed before state, regional, and national groups, particularly teachers, coaches, and school administrators in the southeastern United States. He has also entertained Commissioners of Agriculture, Clerks of Court, fellow District Attorneys, Justices of the Peace, the Louisiana Police Jury [county commission in most states] Association, Relay for LifeRelay For Life
Relay For Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. Originating in the United States, the Relay For Life event has spread to 21 countries. Relay events are held in local communities, campus universities, military bases, and in cyberspace...
, and the United Way. Like his father, he can also sing opera.