Eddie Price III
Encyclopedia
Edward Joseph Price III (born 1953, New Orleans), is the former mayor
of Mandeville, Louisiana
, who resigned amidst a federal plea agreement.
, Eddie Price III played football for New Orleans' Jesuit High School
and for the Tulane University
Green Wave
. He was first elected mayor of Mandeville in 1996 after serving on the Mandeville City Council
for a 16-year period characterized by exponential growth as well as administration largely free of controversy.
(SUV) into a tollbooth
at the north end of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
; he admitted that he had been drinking
, but the failure of the causeway police to give the mayor a sobriety test, along with the failure of the police to issue the mayor a ticket until two weeks later when the story was in the hands of news reporters, augmented the controversy.
in a case against Gary Kopp, owner of SpeeDee Oil Change & Tune-Up Company. Price maintained his innocence and refused to resign even as the Times-Picayune editorially urged him to do so. Instead, he announced plans to select a new police chief, whereupon the Times-Picayune published a second editorial calling for him to resign. On August 27, 2009, for the second year in a row the Mandeville City Council
gave no raises to Price and his department heads but did grant raises up to 5 percent for others on the city payroll. At his arraignment on September 3, backed by his attorney Ralph Whalen, Price pleaded innocent. In the same month a grand jury began investigating allegations of corruption in Mandeville city government, including council members; on September 25 the Times-Picayune claimed that the implicit reason for the investigation "is thought to be" focused on Price. The next day, the newspaper—positing that the council members "were testifying before a grand jury investigating possible criminal wrongdoing by Mayor Eddie Price"—left less to read between the lines.
The Mandeville City Council set about to choose an interim mayor.
On October 16, 2009, Price plead guilty to tax evasion and depriving citizens of honest services through mail fraud. He was to be sentenced on January 28, 2010. On October 17, 2009, Edward "Buddy" Lyons, having been chosen by the Mandeville City Council, was sworn in as interim mayor of Mandeville. Lyons (born 1929) is a former mayor of Houma
, president of Terrebonne Parish
, and member of the Terrebonne Parish police jury
. After retiring to Mandeville, he served for 5 months on the Mandeville City Council in 2000 to complete the unexpired term of Jack McGuire. Lyons, in applying to be interim mayor, agreed not to be a candidate in the March 27, 2010, special election
to select a mayor to complete the term to which Price had been elected and which ends in 2012. The hotly contested election was won by Republican Donald Villere in a 3-vote majority over Republican Trilby Lenfant, 1,372 votes to 1,369.
sentenced Price in U.S. district court in New Orleans
on charges of income tax evasion as well as corruption
. The sentence was for 64 months to commence on August 12, 2010. Price continued to face sentencing for the perjury charges. Two days before Price's sentence was to begin, Feldman granted a delay of the start of the prison term until September 11, 2010. On September 29, 2010, Feldman reset the start of the prison term to October 27, 2010 and shortened it to 40 months in keeping with interpretations of law by higher courts in meting sentences in similar cases.
the Saint Tammany Parish Republican Party Political Action Council, and the Saint Tammany Republican Parish Executive Committee (PEC). He is a member of Trinity Evangelical Church, an affiliate of the Evangelical Free Church of America
. "A community that fails to plan, plans to fail"—that is his stated philosophy.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Mandeville, Louisiana
Mandeville, Louisiana
Mandeville is a city in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 12,421 in 2008. Mandeville is located on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, south of Interstate 12. It is across the lake from the city of New Orleans and its southshore suburbs...
, who resigned amidst a federal plea agreement.
Background
Like his eponymous relative Eddie PriceEddie Price
Edward J. Price was an American football running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He played college football at Tulane University and was drafted in the second round of the 1950 NFL Draft. Price led the NFL in rushing in 1951...
, Eddie Price III played football for New Orleans' Jesuit High School
Jesuit High School (New Orleans)
Jesuit High School is an all-male Catholic high school in New Orleans, Louisiana. The school was founded in 1847. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans....
and for the Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
Green Wave
Tulane Green Wave
Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official...
. He was first elected mayor of Mandeville in 1996 after serving on the Mandeville City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
for a 16-year period characterized by exponential growth as well as administration largely free of controversy.
Causeway accident
During his fourth term as mayor in 2008, Price became increasingly surrounded by scandals, one of them involving a wee-hours accident on April 22, when Price drove a city-owned luxury sport utility vehicleSport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
(SUV) into a tollbooth
Toll house
A tollhouse or toll house is a building with accommodation for a toll collector, beside a tollgate on a toll road or canal. Many tollhouses were built by turnpike trusts in England, Wales and Scotland during the 18th and early 19th centuries...
at the north end of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, or the Causeway, consists of two parallel bridges crossing Lake Pontchartrain in southern Louisiana, United States. The longer of the two bridges is long...
; he admitted that he had been drinking
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, but the failure of the causeway police to give the mayor a sobriety test, along with the failure of the police to issue the mayor a ticket until two weeks later when the story was in the hands of news reporters, augmented the controversy.
Failure of recall petition
Price gave up the keys to the city SUV in June 2008. In February 2009 a petition to recall Price from the mayoralty failed to collect enough signatures prior to its deadline. Soon after failure of the recall—and on the same day (March 6, 2009) as the inauguration of a city vehicle policy which Councilwoman Trilby Lenfant criticized as deficient in accountability—Price again began driving the city's SUV, which, according to Cindy Chang in the New Orleans Times-Picayune,-
- remains fitted with illegal "ghost" license plates—untraceable plates intended for use by undercover officers—until the arrival of a new public plate.
Indictment
On August 13, 2009, Price was indicted for perjuryPerjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
in a case against Gary Kopp, owner of SpeeDee Oil Change & Tune-Up Company. Price maintained his innocence and refused to resign even as the Times-Picayune editorially urged him to do so. Instead, he announced plans to select a new police chief, whereupon the Times-Picayune published a second editorial calling for him to resign. On August 27, 2009, for the second year in a row the Mandeville City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
gave no raises to Price and his department heads but did grant raises up to 5 percent for others on the city payroll. At his arraignment on September 3, backed by his attorney Ralph Whalen, Price pleaded innocent. In the same month a grand jury began investigating allegations of corruption in Mandeville city government, including council members; on September 25 the Times-Picayune claimed that the implicit reason for the investigation "is thought to be" focused on Price. The next day, the newspaper—positing that the council members "were testifying before a grand jury investigating possible criminal wrongdoing by Mayor Eddie Price"—left less to read between the lines.
Resignation
On October 9, 2009, Price resigned as mayor, supposedly in the context of a plea bargain with law-enforcement authorities—his nemesis, the Times-Picayune, then editorializing:- . . . what's most notable is not that the disgraced politician finally resigned, but that it took him so long.
The Mandeville City Council set about to choose an interim mayor.
On October 16, 2009, Price plead guilty to tax evasion and depriving citizens of honest services through mail fraud. He was to be sentenced on January 28, 2010. On October 17, 2009, Edward "Buddy" Lyons, having been chosen by the Mandeville City Council, was sworn in as interim mayor of Mandeville. Lyons (born 1929) is a former mayor of Houma
Houma, Louisiana
Houma is a city in and the parish seat of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, and the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's powers of government have been absorbed by the parish, which is now run by the Terrebonne Parish...
, president of Terrebonne Parish
Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana
Terrebonne Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Houma. Its population was 111,860...
, and member of the Terrebonne Parish police jury
Police Jury
In the U.S. state of Louisiana, the typical governing body of the parish is called the Police Jury. Not every parish is governed by a Police Jury, but 41 of the 64 parishes use this system....
. After retiring to Mandeville, he served for 5 months on the Mandeville City Council in 2000 to complete the unexpired term of Jack McGuire. Lyons, in applying to be interim mayor, agreed not to be a candidate in the March 27, 2010, special election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
to select a mayor to complete the term to which Price had been elected and which ends in 2012. The hotly contested election was won by Republican Donald Villere in a 3-vote majority over Republican Trilby Lenfant, 1,372 votes to 1,369.
Conviction
On June 17, 2010, Judge Martin FeldmanMartin Leach-Cross Feldman
Martin Leach-Cross Feldman is a United States federal judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. He was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on September 9, 1983, to a seat vacated by Jack M. Gordon. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 4,...
sentenced Price in U.S. district court in New Orleans
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana is a federal trial court based in New Orleans. Like all U.S...
on charges of income tax evasion as well as corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
. The sentence was for 64 months to commence on August 12, 2010. Price continued to face sentencing for the perjury charges. Two days before Price's sentence was to begin, Feldman granted a delay of the start of the prison term until September 11, 2010. On September 29, 2010, Feldman reset the start of the prison term to October 27, 2010 and shortened it to 40 months in keeping with interpretations of law by higher courts in meting sentences in similar cases.
Personal life
According to the mayor's biosketch on the Mandeville city web site, Eddie and Sarah "Sally" Price have five children: Shawn, Sarah, Shannon, Eddie and Samantha. Eddie Price III, a board member for the American Public Works Association (APWA), has served in leadership roles with the Saint Tammany Parish Municipal Association, the Saint Tammany Homebuilders Association,the Saint Tammany Parish Republican Party Political Action Council, and the Saint Tammany Republican Parish Executive Committee (PEC). He is a member of Trinity Evangelical Church, an affiliate of the Evangelical Free Church of America
Evangelical Free Church of America
The Evangelical Free Church of America is an evangelical Christian denomination. The EFCA was formed in 1950 from the merger of the Swedish Evangelical Free Church and the Norwegian-Danish Evangelical Free Church Association.-History:...
. "A community that fails to plan, plans to fail"—that is his stated philosophy.