BATON ROUGE, LA – In response to what analysts confirm is now the fifth indictment tied to the previous administration, the City of Baton Rouge has officially rolled out the Baton Rouge Oversight of Official Misconduct & Ethics (BROOME) Initiative, a structured “accountability experience” designed to bring order to an increasingly crowded court calendar.
Named in honor of former mayor Sharon Weston Broome, the BROOME Initiative establishes a tiered rewards system for former officials who find themselves repeatedly navigating federal indictments. According to an email obtained by The Sadvocate, the program was created after staff realized it is now easier to compile a list of former employees tied to the Broome administration who are not under indictment than to list those who are.
Under the initiative, participants earn escalating recognition levels. A first indictment qualifies for Standard Status, while a second one gets you to the Bronze Status, which includes a commemorative press conference and a city-issued ethics handbook. Silver Status is unlocked at indictment number three and comes with priority courtroom scheduling. By indictment five, members achieve Platinum Status, described as “dedicated courthouse parking, unlimited plate lunches from the 19th JDC cafeteria and a limited edition “BROOME Initiative” plaque that has your name engraved on it.”
We spoke with several residents who say they are proud of the structure the BROOME Initiative provides. One noted that while mayors will come and go, federal accountability appears to be here to stay, which is good for tax payers but not so good for anyone tied to the Broome administration.
