Subsequent to a puzzling exchange at a community meeting,
Republican 26th District Atty. Schuyler Marvin finds himself with
a growing no-win political situation in the context of what has happened to a
slew of elected officials in Bossier City over the past four years
The parish’s political insiders in the city have had a rough time of it in recent years. First came the 2021 elections, where voters dumped GOP former Mayor Lo Walker and two city councilors, all part of the same cabal with Marvin. And just from qualifying for this year’s round, three others – Republicans David Montgomery and Jeff Free and Democrat Bubba Williams – removed themselves from reelection consideration as public antipathy towards their high-handed style of governance grew, mainly over the issue of their illegally blocking the sending to voters of a petition installing term limits on city elected officials. Two others, Republican Vince Maggio and independent Jeff Darby who also voted on multiple occasions to engage in that illegal action, have drawn opposition to their reelection bids.
After multiple courts chastised the five who broke their oaths of office with these votes, with one panel deeming their actions construable as malfeasance in office which is a felony, perturbed parish residents began petitioning Marvin to investigate the matter or to call in the state to do so. Not that reformers should have much confidence that Marvin should do either, for Marvin – son of a former district attorney – is among the most insider of parish insiders and has a history of protecting allies when his office is put in a situation where it may wade into legal controversy.
On the personal side, Marvin never has answered satisfactorily questions surrounding how campaign donor and personal friend the late Lyn Lawrence gained possession of a DA’s vehicle and crashed it into a bayou. Despite a flotilla of empty beer cans surrounding the wreck, Lawrence got off with a small fine and no restitution demanded by Marvin for the taxpayer-funded vehicle (technically Lawrence was prosecuted was Democrat 1st District Atty. James Stewart, as Marvin by rule recused his office).
On the political side, Marvin ran interference for Robert Berry as he faced inquiry into legal violations for dual officeholding, Berry, who simultaneously served as a commissioner for and executive director of the Cypress-Black Bayou Recreation and Water Conservation District, eventually was found in violation but not after Marvin conducted some legal maneuvering, fighting the state and GOP then-Atty. Gen. Jeff Landry, to try to sidetrack the matter, aided by a ruling by GOP then-District Judge Charles Jacobs later overturned, before Jacobs became city attorney for Bossier City and worked with the five oath-breaker councilors not only to thwart the petitioned term limit amendment but also to prop up a charter review commission designed primarily to circumvent the petition amendment by producing a competing but less stringent temporary term limits amendment.
That effort proved tumultuous. With a commission holding a bare majority of Oathbreaker appointees, it tussled over sending forward the strict limits as by the petition. After political intrigue led to three resignations of those in the minority, the quintet reconstituted it (at first, illegally) with allies who then rubber-stamped the weaker version. Here, Marvin had a connection to the outcome, initially through Commissioner and Republican Police Juror Julianna Parks to whose husband Republican Santi Parks’ campaign for city judge he had contributed as well as contributing to GOP City Marshal Jim Whitman’s campaign whose wife Vicki Whitman also sat as a commissioner. Julianna Parks and Jim Whitman also have donated to Marvin’s campaigns.
But Marvin also had another ally join the CRC after the mass resignations: Debbie Martin, a donor to his campaign also as well as to previous mayor and insider Walker. Martin has an eclectic donation history as an active member of the North Shreveport Business Association where she serves as treasurer – and perhaps played a role in the controversy that hit the group at its most recent Feb. 11 meeting.
Its guest speaker was Marvin, which piqued a small amount of media interest given the news about the requests flooding into Marvin concerning what he would do about which he was tight-lipped. One, KEEL-AM talk show host Erin McCarty, attended and took advantage of (a move he surely now regrets) a statement by Marvin at the end of his presentation that he would entertain questions on any subject.
So, McCarty asked (with somebody in the background pleading “no, no, no”) if he would investigate the quintet of councilors. He replied that he had, and McCarty followed up with asking whether he would prosecute, to which he replied he wasn’t sure.
At that point, perhaps from a signal by Martin, the group’s president Brian Tull interrupted with an allegation that the nonprofit status of the group prevented any discussion of “political questioning,” and the exchange ended. That was a grossly inaccurate recitation of federal law, which mandates that such groups only avoid campaigning for candidacies, but it did erroneously cut off further probing of Marvin on the issue. After the meeting’s conclusion, McCarty asked Marvin about accusations he didn’t want to prosecute public officials, and in reply Marvin rattled off several obscure names he claimed he had sought action against, but apparently none that would be considered Bossier political insiders.
As if it weren’t clear enough whose dog Marvin has in this hunt, he and Montgomery have donated to each other’s campaigns. So, as the other four have behaved exactly as has Montgomery in contravening the city charter, he has to treat all five equally even if they don’t have the connections with him as he has with Montgomery.
This, the present facts as well as his history, is what warrants a healthy does of skepticism that Marvin will do anything at all about the controversy except to send supplications that it all will go away quietly. But as the Bossier public has become increasingly politically aware of the Council majority’s antics, it becomes more agitated when clear favoritism and power plays occur. That McCarty also got Marvin on the record saying he was looking into charging its members only increases the attention and expectation that something will come of it and conversely would damage his credibility if he defers without the very least saying he does so out of a conflict of interest and that he recommends that GOP Atty. General Liz Murrill charge them.
Thus, when it becomes clear (probably after a prolonged period where Marvin bats away the occasional inquiry about it) that he won’t do anything about the matter, this will be like waving a red cape at a bull, especially if reformers succeed in taking over Bossier City governance and start to make changes that creates even more momentum for them. To date, Marvin has enjoyed armchair rides into office. In 2026, that all might change.
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