Gaston Gerald
Encyclopedia
Gaston Gerald is a former American politician
from Greenwell Springs in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
, who was imprisoned in the early 1980s
for extortion
of a bribe from a Baton Rouge
contractor
.
A Democrat
, Gerald represented Ward II on the Baton Rouge City-Parish Council from 1965 to 1972. He succeeded council member W.W. Dumas upon Dumas' election as mayor
-president. Gerald then entered the Louisiana State Senate
for the first of three terms. He was elected to the Senate for a second term in his state's first ever nonpartisan blanket primary held in 1975.
In 1979, Gerald was convicted of having attempted to extort $25,000 from a contractor who faced forthcoming late charges for his failure to complete construction of the Baton Rouge Civic Center before the contract deadline. Gerald offered to distribute money among members of the Baton Rouge city-parish council, on which he had previously served, to get additional time for the contractor. Despite legal conviction, Gerald won a third Senate term in 1979. He was soon remanded to the Federal Bureau of Prisons
in Fort Worth
, Texas
. While imprisoned, Gerald befriended Everett Bleichner, an insurance
adjuster convicted of extortion. Upon Bleichner release on February 9, 1981, Gerald put him on the Senate payroll as an aide with undisclosed duties at a salary of more than $900 per month. Though Gerald's sentence was for five years, he served only half that time, having been released on July 30, 1982. Gerald did not resign from the Senate when he entered prison but continued to draw his salary and expenses. In 1981, the Senate, in a rare move, voted 33-3 to expel him as a member.
Meanwhile, Henry Holden, business manager for the Pipefitters Local 198 union, was convicted of obstruction of justice
in attempting to influence the federal grand jury
during the investigation of the Gerald case. Holden was sentenced to two years imprisonment.
In a series of press articles beginning in 1993 it was revealed that politicians in both parties in Louisiana had been tapping either their own family members or relatives of political allies for coveted legislative scholarships to Tulane University
, enabled by an 1881 state law. In 1995 it was disclosed that while in the Senate, Gaston Gerald had sponsored a scholarship for Pascal Calogero, III, of New Orleans
, one of three sons of Louisiana Supreme Court
Chief Justice Pascal F. Calogero, Jr.
After expulsion from the Senate, a special election
was held to name a successor for the unexpired part of Gerald's third term. Fellow Democrat Mike Cross
, then the mayor of Baker
in East Baton Rouge Parish, was elected. Cross held the seat from 1981 to 1996, when he was unseated by the young Republican
Mike Branch
, who served only one term.
Gerald was one of eight children born to James Edward Gerald and the former Cynthia Martin. Only two of his siblings survive, a brother, Kelly P. Gerald of rural
Pine
in Washington Parish
, and a sister, Martha G. Watts of French Settlement
in Livingston Parish
. Since his release from prison, Gerald has been engaged in cattle
ranching and farming in East Baton Rouge and Washington parishes. Former State Senator B.B. "Sixty" Rayburn
of Washington Parish similarly farmed and ranched after his defeat in the 1995 general election
by the Republican Phil Short
. From 1995 to 2006, Gerald received $30,357 in federal farm subsidies
.
Gerald and his wife, Lorraine C. Gerald (born c. 1935), have two sons, James Darrell Gerald (born c. 1955) and Kendall Paul Gerald (born c. 1958).
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from Greenwell Springs in East Baton Rouge Parish, 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...
, who was imprisoned in the early 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
for 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...
of a bribe from a Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
.
A Democrat
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...
, Gerald represented Ward II on the Baton Rouge City-Parish Council from 1965 to 1972. He succeeded council member W.W. Dumas upon Dumas' election as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
-president. Gerald then entered the Louisiana State Senate
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...
for the first of three terms. He was elected to the Senate for a second term in his state's first ever nonpartisan blanket primary held in 1975.
In 1979, Gerald was convicted of having attempted to extort $25,000 from a contractor who faced forthcoming late charges for his failure to complete construction of the Baton Rouge Civic Center before the contract deadline. Gerald offered to distribute money among members of the Baton Rouge city-parish council, on which he had previously served, to get additional time for the contractor. Despite legal conviction, Gerald won a third Senate term in 1979. He was soon remanded to the Federal Bureau of Prisons
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
in Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. While imprisoned, Gerald befriended Everett Bleichner, an insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
adjuster convicted of extortion. Upon Bleichner release on February 9, 1981, Gerald put him on the Senate payroll as an aide with undisclosed duties at a salary of more than $900 per month. Though Gerald's sentence was for five years, he served only half that time, having been released on July 30, 1982. Gerald did not resign from the Senate when he entered prison but continued to draw his salary and expenses. In 1981, the Senate, in a rare move, voted 33-3 to expel him as a member.
Meanwhile, Henry Holden, business manager for the Pipefitters Local 198 union, was convicted of obstruction of justice
Obstruction of justice
The crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
in attempting to influence the federal 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...
during the investigation of the Gerald case. Holden was sentenced to two years imprisonment.
In a series of press articles beginning in 1993 it was revealed that politicians in both parties in Louisiana had been tapping either their own family members or relatives of political allies for coveted legislative scholarships to Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
, enabled by an 1881 state law. In 1995 it was disclosed that while in the Senate, Gaston Gerald had sponsored a scholarship for Pascal Calogero, III, of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, one of three sons of Louisiana Supreme Court
Louisiana Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Louisiana is the highest court and court of last resort in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The modern Supreme Court, composed of seven justices, meets in the French Quarter of New Orleans....
Chief Justice Pascal F. Calogero, Jr.
Pascal F. Calogero, Jr.
Pascal Frank Calogero, Jr. , is the former Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court. He is a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans School of Law, where he was initiated into the Alpha Delta Gamma National Fraternity. He resides in New Orleans, LouisianaHe was first elected to the Court in...
After expulsion from the Senate, a special election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
was held to name a successor for the unexpired part of Gerald's third term. Fellow Democrat Mike Cross
Mike Cross (Louisiana politician)
Michael Aduron Cross, known as Mike Cross is an American businessman who served from 1981 to 1996 as a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate from District 13 in Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
, then the mayor of Baker
Baker, Louisiana
Baker is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,793 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Baker is located at...
in East Baton Rouge Parish, was elected. Cross held the seat from 1981 to 1996, when he was unseated by the young 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...
Mike Branch
Mike Branch (Louisiana politician)
Michael Franklin Branch, known as Mike Branch , served from 1996 to 2000 as the Louisiana State Senator from District 13 Michael Franklin Branch, known as Mike Branch (born 1968), served from 1996 to 2000 as the Louisiana State Senator from District 13 Michael Franklin Branch, known as Mike Branch...
, who served only one term.
Gerald was one of eight children born to James Edward Gerald and the former Cynthia Martin. Only two of his siblings survive, a brother, Kelly P. Gerald of 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...
Pine
Pine, Louisiana
Pine is a small community located in Washington Parish, Louisiana. It is home to the Pine Raiders and the new Pine junior and senior high school....
in Washington Parish
Washington Parish, Louisiana
Washington Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its parish seat is Franklinton. In 2000, its population was 43,926....
, and a sister, Martha G. Watts of French Settlement
French Settlement, Louisiana
French Settlement is a village in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 945 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in Livingston Parish
Livingston Parish, Louisiana
Livingston Parish Is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its parish seat is Livingston. As of 2010, its population was 128,026....
. Since his release from prison, Gerald has been engaged in cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
ranching and farming in East Baton Rouge and Washington parishes. Former State Senator B.B. "Sixty" Rayburn
Sixty Rayburn
Benjamin Burras Rayburn, Sr., known as B. B. "Sixty" Rayburn , was a veteran politician from Bogalusa, an incorporated city in Washington Parish in southeastern Louisiana in the United States...
of Washington Parish similarly farmed and ranched after his defeat in the 1995 general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
by the Republican Phil Short
Phil Short
Philip Granville Short, known as Phil Short , is a retired military officer formerly of Covington, Louisiana, USA, who served in the Louisiana State Senate from District 12 from 1996 to 1999...
. From 1995 to 2006, Gerald received $30,357 in federal farm subsidies
Agricultural subsidy
An agricultural subsidy is a governmental subsidy paid to farmers and agribusinesses to supplement their income, manage the supply of agricultural commodities, and influence the cost and supply of such commodities...
.
Gerald and his wife, Lorraine C. Gerald (born c. 1935), have two sons, James Darrell Gerald (born c. 1955) and Kendall Paul Gerald (born c. 1958).