Ethics Board Looking At Sheriff’s Home Purchase

ABBEVILLE, La. (AP) — Vermilion Parish Sheriff Mike Couvillon (KOO'-vee-yawn) is waiting for an opinion from the Louisiana Board of Ethics on whether his purchase of a home at a sheriff's sale violated state ethics rules and laws.

The Advocate reports an audit of the sheriff's office revealed that someone had filed a complaint with the Ethics Board. The complaint was over Couvillon's possible violation of the prohibitions against transactions between officials and the agencies they run.

Couvillon said Monday he bid on the home at a sheriff's auction in February after consulting an attorney about the legality of him participating in the auction process to buy the home.

Couvillon said that if the opinion goes against him, he'll lodge an appeal.