Lafayette Developer Fined $1.5M Over Consulting Contracts

(Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com)

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — A Lafayette developer has been fined more than $1.5 million over claims that he steered lucrative consulting contracts to himself while serving on a public board.

The Advocate reports that the developer, Greg Gachassin, can appeal the decision released Wednesday by the Louisiana Board of Ethics.

The ethics board brought charges against Gachassin and his firm, The Cartesian Company, in June 2012. Gachassin allegedly steered two $500,000 consulting contracts for himself through the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority in 2009, while he was serving as the authority's chairman.

He resigned as chairman weeks after the contracts were approved by the board.

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