Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican who has made headlines for his assertive leadership style, has agreed to pay a $900 fine and disclose nearly $13,000 worth of previously unreported complimentary trips—moves that bring a yearslong ethics investigation to a close. The settlement, finalized on September 5, 2025, with the Louisiana Board of Ethics, ends a civil case that had loomed over Landry since before his election as governor in 2023, according to reporting by the Associated Press.
The controversy traces back to 2021, when Landry, then serving as Louisiana’s attorney general, accepted a free flight to Hawaii on a private jet owned by Greg Mosing, a wealthy donor and aviation company owner. Landry traveled to Hawaii to speak at a conference but failed to disclose the trip as required by the state’s ethics code. The Board of Ethics charged Landry with violating disclosure laws in 2023, just a month before he clinched the governor’s seat in an election that flipped the state’s top office from Democratic to Republican hands.
Landry’s settlement with the board also resolves investigations into five other complimentary trips and flights he received between 2022 and 2023, including travel to Washington, D.C., and Baton Rouge. In total, Landry disclosed nearly 20 complimentary trips since 2021, with a self-reported value exceeding $13,000. These trips included transportation to northeast Louisiana for a December 2024 announcement of Meta’s plans to build a new data center, as well as several trips to Washington, D.C., for White House events such as executive order signings.
Landry’s attorney, Stephen Gelé, told the Associated Press that the governor "is glad to bring an end to this matter and continue to save the taxpayers money, as he was already doing." Landry himself was not present at the Board of Ethics meeting, having signed the agreement in advance. The settlement allowed him to avoid a potentially costly and public trial before a panel of administrative judges. Had the case proceeded and found Landry in violation of state law, he could have faced fines up to $10,000 per violation, plus additional penalties for the value of the gifts received.
Throughout the investigation, Landry has pushed back forcefully against the charges, characterizing them as a "weaponization of our government institutions," and drawing parallels to what he described as liberal attacks against former President Donald Trump. This combative stance has drawn both support and criticism. Political opponents and government watchdogs have continued to question Landry’s transparency, particularly regarding his use of campaign funds and his approach to disclosure requirements.
In the settlement, Landry stated that he would have testified at trial that he accepted the free flights to save money for the Louisiana Department of Justice. The complimentary transportation, he claimed, reduced expenses for the state, though critics have argued that such arrangements blur the lines between public duty and private benefit. Most of the flights were provided by companies run by Landry’s close allies and a political advocacy group aligned with him, Protect Louisiana Values.
The Louisiana state code of ethics mandates that public officials report complimentary work trips within 60 days. The Board of Ethics reiterated in a legal memo that Landry, and all officials, must continue to disclose free transportation. David Bordelon, the board’s ethics administrator, remarked during the settlement meeting, "We want to make sure the instructions are clear and that everyone has an understanding of exactly how it should be filled out." This signals a potential revision of the reporting process to enhance clarity and prevent future confusion.
Landry’s legal team welcomed the board’s willingness to clarify the rules. Gelé noted, "[Landry] is pleased the Ethics Board agreed to clarify who needs to file paperwork related to official travel," emphasizing that the legal memo would help avoid similar disputes down the line.
However, not all members of the Board of Ethics were satisfied with how the process unfolded. La Koshia Roberts, the board’s longest-serving member and an attorney appointed by the Louisiana House of Representatives, criticized Landry’s team for what she described as stalling tactics. "I believe Landry’s team was not acting in good faith throughout the settlement negotiations, dragging it out for more than a year," she told the Associated Press. Roberts also dismissed Landry’s attorneys’ argument that the reporting forms were confusing, stating, "A middle school or high school student could read and understand the forms. Mr. Landry is an attorney by education and profession. No, the forms are not difficult to understand."
Since taking office as governor in 2024, Landry has moved decisively to reshape the very agency that investigated him. Through new legislation, Landry now has the power to appoint nine of the fifteen members of the Louisiana Board of Ethics, a significant shift from previous rules intended to insulate the board from political influence. These changes, authored by Landry’s personal attorney, also raise the bar for initiating ethics investigations and provide more avenues for officials to challenge allegations of misconduct.
Roberts, reflecting on these changes, voiced her concern that the board’s historically "apolitical" and "independent" character is under threat. "There has been this strong push to shift it to a strictly executive, governor controlled-body that lacks independence," she said, underscoring the tension between political oversight and ethical accountability in Louisiana’s government.
This is not the first time Landry has drawn scrutiny from the ethics board. In 2022, the board sent him a confidential letter warning against the use of campaign funds to pay for a car loan, though it stopped short of taking further action, as reported by The Advocate. The recent legislative changes did not affect Landry’s current settlement, but they have raised concerns among some observers that future investigations might face higher hurdles.
The board’s deliberations on how to improve the reporting process are ongoing. Bordelon’s comments suggest that officials want to avoid ambiguity and ensure compliance across all levels of government. For now, the settlement brings a measure of closure to a saga that has dogged Landry’s rise from attorney general to governor, even as it raises questions about the balance of power and oversight in Louisiana’s ethics system.
As the dust settles, the state’s political landscape remains as contentious as ever, with transparency, accountability, and the independence of watchdog institutions at the heart of public debate. Landry’s case, and the reforms that followed, may set the tone for how Louisiana navigates the tricky waters of political ethics in the years ahead.
