The problems just keep stacking up for Louisiana Republican David Vitter as he battles to stay alive in what’s become a contentious race for governor. The two-term U.S. senator has been dogged by new allegations surrounding his use of prostitutes in New Orleans and Washington, D.C.
And on the eve of today’s open primary, a private investigator whose employer was a client of Vitter’s campaign was arrested in Jefferson Parish for illegally recording a conversation among a group of friends that included a local sheriff who had endorsed one of Vitter’s Republican opponents.The New Orleans Advocate has the details:
Later inspection determined that the device — the sheriff could not say late Friday whether it was a phone or some other recording device — had captured several minutes of conversation at the center table.
The sheriff’s breakfast club, composed of several regulars who come and go, continued chatting for a time, the sheriff said. Among the others at the table were Danny DeNoux, a local private investigator; John Cummings, a prominent local attorney; and Danny Martiny, the state senator who also works as an attorney for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
According to journalist Clancy DuBos, among the materials found by police in Frenzel’s car was a dossier on the local blogger who earlier this week had published an on-camera interview with a woman who claimed to have had Vitter as a client and had even had a child by the Republican candidate.
And a source close to one of Vitter’s opponents, Republican lieutenant governor Jay Dardenne, says Dardenne campaign staffers and consultants believe they were being trailed by someone, possibly Frenzel, for the past several months. The sheriff who helped nab Frenzel, Newell Normand of Jefferson Parish (the second largest in the state), is a Dardenne supporter.
Dardenne, who is among the three other major candidates squaring off against Vitter, released an online ad last night in response to the latest development:
Vitter once led the field but has fallen significantly in the polls in recent weeks. He’s been overtaken by Democratic candidate John Bel Edwards and has fallen within the margin of error against Dardenne and the third Republican running, Scott Angelle.
In Louisiana’s open primary system, the top two candidates regardless of party will proceed to a runoff election, and while Edwards, the Democrat, is expected to make the runoff, the identity of his Republican challenger seems more in flux than ever. Dardenne, in an interview Friday with THE WEEKLY STANDARD, expressed concern that given his poor favorability ratings and the growing cloud of scandal, Vitter is at a greater risk of losing the runoff. “David Vitter is dropping like a rock,” Dardenne said.
To add to everything else, Vitter was involved in what he called a “minor fender bender” Friday afternoon in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie. Vitter’s driver hit another car, and no one was injured. The Republican senator left the scene of the accident “shortly after the crash,” according to police.
Read more about Vitter’s prostitution scandal here.
