Inspecting the Fox That Watches the Henhouse – A Report on the New Orleans Inspector General
Prepared by: New Orleans United Front (NOUF), a community coalition advocating for transparency and accountability in New Orleans governance.
Introduction:
The New Orleans United Front (NOUF) has uncovered troubling findings regarding Inspector General Ed Michele and the New Orleans Ethics Review Board (ERB). A detailed investigation reveals over $200,000 in taxpayer money wasted, no-bid contracts, obstruction of public records requests, and misconduct that undermines public trust. This report raises serious questions about oversight, accountability, and the true role of the OIG in city governance.
Key Findings from the Report
🔹 Taxpayer Waste: Over $200,000 spent defending Inspector General Michele against allegations of racial bias, misogyny, and professional misconduct.
🔹 Lack of Transparency: ERB dismissed complaints against Michele without investigation, shielding him from accountability.
🔹 Obstruction of Public Records: NOUF’s requests for Michele’s city credit card expenses, performance evaluations, and legal settlements were ignored or delayed.
🔹 No-Bid Contracts: The ERB funneled public money into undisclosed legal expenses without oversight, creating an opaque system of financial mismanagement.
🔹 Pattern of Bias: The OIG’s investigations disproportionately target Black leaders, raising serious concerns of racial profiling in local government oversight.
Community Grievances Against the OIG & ERB
📌 Transparency: Investigations are selectively conducted and manipulated to fit political narratives, rather than seeking true justice.
📌 Abuse of Authority: Michele retaliated against former employees and critics, violating ethical standards and creating a culture of fear.
📌 Sexism & Racial Bias: Evidence suggests discrimination against women and people of color, with internal complaints ignored.
📌 Waste & Fraud: Public funds are being misused, while the ERB refuses to hold the Inspector General to the same standards he imposes on others.
Obstruction of Public Records: What Are They Hiding?
NOUF submitted formal public records requests to investigate OIG financial practices, yet these were stonewalled or delayed. What’s being hidden? Among the requested documents:
📌 OIG budget and spending breakdowns
📌 Credit card usage and expenses of Ed Michele
📌 Emails and internal communications on key investigations
📌 Performance evaluations of the OIG and its leadership
The refusal to release these documents raises serious concerns about corruption and cover-ups.
Community Policy Recommendations
To restore public trust, NOUF demands the following actions:
✔️ Resignation of ERB Board Members – Immediate removal of those who failed to hold the OIG accountable.
✔️ Reconstitution of the OIG & ERB – Implement new oversight mechanisms to prevent further abuse of power.
✔️ Public Accountability Measures – Require mandatory hearings and full transparency on complaints against the OIG.
✔️ No Contract Renewal for Ed Michele – Until public records requests are fulfilled and investigations are completed, Michele should not receive another term.
✔️ City Council Investigation – A formal inquiry into how taxpayer funds are being allocated within the OIG.
Call to Action: The Public Deserves the Truth
The residents of New Orleans should not tolerate an unaccountable, biased, and wasteful oversight office. The OIG was designed to serve the public interest—not to shield its own leadership from scrutiny.
📢 Join the movement for accountability. Demand answers. Share this report.
📩 Contact the New Orleans Ethics Review Board & City Council NOW!
Let them know you demand transparency and an investigation into the OIG’s actions.
🔗 See Full OIG Report Card Below
About NOUF:
The New Orleans United Front (NOUF) is a grassroots coalition committed to government transparency, ethical leadership, and community advocacy. NOUF works to expose corruption, demand accountability, and ensure that public officials serve the interests of the people—not their own agendas.
Stay Informed & Take Action
📍 Follow NOUF for updates on the investigation.
📢 Share this report with your community.
📨 Contact city officials and demand accountability.
Together, we can ensure that New Orleans’ government serves its people—not its insiders.
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of Executive Appraisers Louisiana, an MBE-certified real estate appraisal firm, and EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu
Publisher — Black Source Media
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of Executive Appraisers Louisiana, an MBE-certified real estate appraisal firm, and EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu