Days ahead of the election for an open seat on the Jefferson Parish Council, Jean Lafitte Mayor Timothy Kerner Jr. has filed a lawsuit against opponent Ricky Templet over an attack ad now airing on voters' televisions.
Kerner filed a lawsuit in the 24th Judicial District Court on Monday against Templet, a former council member and Kerner's opponent in the District 1 race. The lawsuit claims an attack ad by Templet's campaign contains false and misleading information, and Kerner requested a judge grant an injunction on the ad's airing ahead of the election on Saturday.
A hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning was delayed because Templet had still not been served, according to Kerner's attorney.
Kerner also reported Templet to the Louisiana Attorney General and Jefferson Parish inspector general on separate allegations, accusing him of federal fraud and tax evasion.
The lawsuit targets an ad that cites a 2023 story by WVUE-TV, which reports Kerner Jr. was a "silent partner" with a local contractor hired by Lafitte to repair city-owned buildings. The story also alleges he used his position as mayor to influence the selection of his property as the preferred site for a temporary town hall after Hurricane Ida, putting it in line for FEMA repairs and boosting its value.
In the complaint, Kerner says the allegations "are untrue and spuriously and intentionally designed to improperly influence an upcoming election and deceive the electorate."
Kerner has repeatedly said that all deals were conducted above board and that he had no personal involvement with the local contractor. Kerner also divested himself of the property's ownership after receiving an opinion from the Louisiana Board of Ethics stating the arrangement could potentially violate the law.
"Ricky Templet is spreading fake news, and his ad is libelous and is a blatant attempt to mislead the voters," Kerner said in a statement.
The original story came out during Kerner's previous campaign for the Louisiana Senate against incumbent Sen. Patrick Connick, who won the seat months later.
Templet said Tuesday his campaign based the advertisement on a legitimate and reputable news channel.
"What they are trying to do is stop the truth from being told, and that ought to outrage the citizens," Templet said.
WVUE is not a party to the lawsuit, but said Monday it "stands by its investigation."
Representing Kerner in the lawsuit is Stephen Dwyer, husband of at-large Jefferson Parish Council member Jennifer Van Vrancken. She endorsed Kerner in the election last month and previously bested Templet in a race for the at-large seat.
Five of the 16 judges with the 24th Judicial District Court recused themselves for personal conflicts before Judge Nancy Miller took up the case, including judges Jacqueline Maloney, Donald Rowan, Chris Cox, Stephen Grefer and Ellen Shirer Kovach.
Two other judges, Raymond Steib Jr. and Frank Brindisi, were unable to hear the case before Saturday's election.
Kerner and Templet have repeatedly squabbled via social media, political advertisements and debates in recent months as they attempt to sway district voters, which include residents of Gretna, Terrytown, Jean Lafitte, Crown Point, Estelle, Barataria, Grand Isle and parts of Harvey and Marrero.
Andrea Manuel, a Gretna Democrat also in the race, has stayed above the fray and is not involved in the lawsuit.
Accusations of fraud and tax evasion
Separate from the lawsuit, Kerner's campaign also is pushing accusations that Templet misused federal funds to build a second home on his personal property on Decamp Street in Lafitte and has committed property tax evasion in the years since.
Kerner said Tuesday he sent a letter to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and Jefferson Parish Inspector General Kim Chatelain alerting them to the allegations.
Kerner's campaign launched a website titled "The Real Ricky," which accuses Templet of using money from two Federal Emergency Management Agency flood mitigation grants totaling more than $170,000 to build a second home, as well as improperly rezoning his original home for storage.
Kerner claims Templet's property was undervalued on Jefferson Parish tax records and public finance disclosure records. The website cites over 100 pages of supporting documents.
"Sadly, this abuse of power surely resulted in some deserving family being left without funding for their home," Kerner wrote in his letter.
Templet denied any misuse of federal funds in an interview Tuesday, saying he applied for the grants after the bottom floor of his house — which was located behind pilings and contained the kitchen — flooded multiple times.
Templet said he used the FEMA money to demolish that floor of the building and build a new home, which he said the grant money allowed for.
He said the demolition of the first floor made the original building unusable as a residence, and that he did use it for storage purposes.
"I flooded four times, and I applied for the FEMA grants," Templet said. "I have just as much of a right as anyone else who has a property in a flooded area to protecting my property and raising it."
