Mark Twain once said there are lies, damn lies and statistics and if you move that over to the realm of elected office (all apologies to Mr. Twain), there are politics, damn politics and Jefferson Parish politics.
Because NOLA politics occupy a world of their own.
Case in point: A political ally of Jefferson Parish Councilman Byron Lee was arrested on a misdemeanor charge this week for allegedly stealing magnetic campaign decals off the vehicle of challenger, former state lawmaker Derrick Shepherd, who Lee faces in an election Saturday.
Simeon Dickerson, a former School Board member and ally of Lee's, was arrested for the alleged theft on Monday afternoon, according to a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office spokesperson.
"It’s the latest incident in a long-running feud between two veteran politicians that, even by Louisiana standards, has escalated to extreme levels," Louisiana Illuminator wrote.
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In a nutshell, Lee's political ally allegedly stole decals valued at $600 from Shepherd's vehicle at a Harvey church parking lot. Shepherd was at the church to speak and he claimed the theft was captured on video. See the video below.
"I was robbed on church grounds," Shepherd told NOLA.com. In addition to posting it on Facebook, Shepherd sent it out in a press release, where he added, “My car should be safe in the parking lot of the House of the Lord."
In a rejoinder, Spears said, "The video doesn't show anything. I can't tell who that is." His alleged companion in the theft said "that definitely wasn't me."
Both men are throwing stones, but as Illuminator noted, neither candidate has clean hands. They first faced off in 2019 in a primary election which Lee claimed in a runoff by 146 votes out of more than 21,000.
"Shepherd’s strong showing could be considered a victory of sorts, considering he had been convicted of money laundering in 2008 and served two years in federal prison. He was a state senator at the time, having previously held a seat in the Louisiana House. Shepherd was twice prevented from running for the legislature again because of his felon status," Illuminator wrote.
Their fight has gotten so personal this time around that one of their moms got involved as Dickerson's mother, Karen Dickerson, filed a lawsuit in August challenging Shepherd's candidacy for the 3rd District Parish Council seat. The courts eventually sided with Shepherd, allowing him to stay in the race.