NEW ORLEANS -- The Metropolitan Crime Commission has filed a formal complaint with the Louisiana Judiciary Commission against the judges of Orleans Parish Civil District Court. The complaint stems from WWL-TV's discovery of a private chef who was listed on the court payroll as a custodian.
Click to see the MCC complaint
Who is Chef Gason Nelson? He’s one of the newest bright lights in the constellation of New Orleans culinary stars. He’s the personal chef of Saints running back Reggie Bush and other pro athletes. His talents have been savored by clients all over the country.
But until recently, Nelson juggled his private catering gigs with a full-time job cooking lunch for the 14 judges of Orleans Civil District Court. Payroll records going back to 2004 show that Nelson was paid for his talents with public money.
The perk was little known outside of court, but employees were well aware of what was happening in the judges’ private third-floor kitchen and conference room. Maurice Hodo, a custodian until his retirement in 2007, was one of those employees.
“He’d come in sometime around 10:00, 9:30, 10:00,” Hodo said. “He’d bring his groceries in with him, unload his car with the groceries, and about a couple of hours later that third floor hall would be smelling good.”
But here’s something Hodo didn’t know: Nelson was classified and paid as a custodian. Hodo and other employees were familiar with Nelson as one thing and one thing only: the judges’ chef.
“He was not part of the custodian crew,” Hodo said. “I believe something was going on. It just looks funny,” Hodo said. “That’s all I can say. This is the first time I heard that they listed him as an employee, you know, a custodian. While I was working there he never did any custodian work. It would have been nice if he cleaned some of them offices for me.”
The judges declined a request for an interview, but responded to questions through spokesman Walt Pierce.
When asked why Nelson was listed on the payroll as a custodian, the court responded: “Mr. Nelson was listed as custodian because he performed the duties of a custodian. He maintained the judges’ conference room, kitchen and restroom facilities. He also assisted in maintaining the jury pool and lounge. He also cooked meals for the judges.”
Court employees – and several judges who spoke to Eyewitness News anonymously – said the judges have had a cook since the mid-1980s when the kitchen and conference room were built. The judges also pointed out that they paid $65 a month for the privilege and even adopted a name for the regular diners – “The Lunch Bunch.” But the judges who talked to WWL-TV said they were unaware that Nelson was paid as a full-time custodian.
Gason Nelson also was unaware. In a telephone interview, Nelson said he was hired as a chef. In fact, he beat out two other candidates for the job, both with culinary credentials.
“How the judges classified that is out of my hands. I’m just a man who loves to cook,” Nelson said.
Retired custodian Maurice Hodo was clear: Nelson did not perform the regular duties of a janitor.
“No he never really joined us,” Hodo said, “but every now and then we’d have to mop up some water in his area. But most of the time he took care of his own kitchen and his own area.”
According to court expense account records, Nelson was dropped from the payroll in 2009. This came amid sharply declining court revenues, leading to widespread layoffs and cutbacks. Total revenue for the court – most generated from filing fees – dropped from about $18 million in 2004 to $6.3 million in 2009.
But even in the face of severe belt-tightening, the judges continued to pay Chef Nelson to whip up meals for monthly meetings and special occasions.
Nelson was paid from the court’s petty cash fund, records show. These records show that Nelson was paid $150 for regular meetings. For the judges’ 2008 Thanksgiving Dinner, he was paid $350. Nelson also was reimbursed for all his food purchases, as these receipts indicate. Some of the receipts are from bulk grocery runs. Ohers are for specialty items such as fresh seafood, with invoices billed to Nelson’s catering company – Full of Flavor.
In February 2009, the court authorized Nelson to purchase up to $400 in new cooking equipment. Which he did, from stores like Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma and Walgreens. The judges declined a Channel 4 request to tour the kitchen, citing a state law prohibiting cameras in court.
Rafael Goyeneche, president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, said the arrangement appears to break the very laws the judges are paid $136,000 a year to uphold.
“These are judges who took an oath to uphold the law,” Goyeneche said, “and they are violating it every day at lunchtime,” Goyeneche said.
In Goyeneche’s opinion, the judges’ use of a private chef appears to violate the Code of Judicial Conduct, as well as state law governing judicial compensation. He points to a prohibition against judges receiving any compensation or benefit beyond their salary.
The statute reads as follows: “No judge whose salary is provided herein shall receive for his services as a judge, directly or indirectly, any additional salary, compensation, emolument, or benefit from the state….”
“If the court, out of its funds, are paying for a chef, that is an additional benefit that those judges receive that no other judges in the state are receiving and I believe is something that cries out for an independent investigation by the Louisiana Judiciary Commission,” Goyeneche said.
He said Nelson classification as a custodian makes matters even worse.
“The fact that that is disguised on their judicial expense fund payroll sheets as a custodian, I think, indicates, certainly creates the appearance of an intent to deceive and conceal the fact that they had hired a personal chef, not for all of the court’s employees, but just for the elected judges of Civil District Court.”
No other New Orleans area courts employ a chef or have a private kitchen for judges. Most of the courts said they have no such facilities. The Louisiana Supreme Court and Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal say they share a cafeteria that is open to all court employees. The other court with food on the premises is the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal in Gretna. Employees there said the court has a dining area open to everyone, with a food preparer who comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and collects $5 from diners for lunch.
-----
Have a story tip for 4 Investigates? Click here to submit.
