“Kema Dawson is pimping our district and the city of Monroe in exchange for campaign contributions.” That’s the claim of Mondrian Douglas, a candidate for the District 5 city council seat after reviewing a recently filed campaign finance report from Dawkins that showed Dawson has received thousands of campaign dollars in her reelection bid, but only one contribution from someone in the district.
Douglas’ comment was echoed by Minister Verbon Muhammad, who is also a candidate for the District 5 seat. After reviewing Dawson’s official finance report, Muhammad said the people of District 5 are being sold out to people outside of our neighborhood.
Dawson has filed two campaign finance reports that show she has collected over $20,000 in contributions for her re-election, but only one for $400 from a resident of her district.
Both Douglas and Muhammad said large engineering companies, under the cover of a variety of subsidiary names, rewarded Dawson for shepherding through contracts for them in 2023, when she was chairwoman of the council, worth millions of dollars.
Douglas pointed to an April 11, 2023, council meeting in which Dawson was the chair and ramrodded through a proposal to give a $6 million contract to a Baton Rouge company named Atakapa for storm sewer inspections. A month later, the company, directly and through its affiliates, donated $2,600 to her re-election campaign, Douglas said.
Douglas said in the same April 11th meeting, Dawson pushed through an amendment for another Baton Rouge company named Manchu Consulting that increased their contract from $265,644 to $494,457.00. The next month, Manchu directly gave Dawson’s campaign $1,000, and two other companies affiliated with Manchu gave $1,000 each, for a total of $3,000.00, Douglas said.
Muhammad said in 2022, Mayor Friday Ellis and Representative Michael Echols staged a fundraiser for Dawson at the Monroe Civic Center, in which more than $6,000 was raised. A few weeks later, she ignored the pleas of the people in her district and voted to approve a $2.5 million TIF for Michael Echols to build an opera house and hotel downtown.
Should have abstained
He said her campaign finance report showed a donation of $500 from Plugged-In Creative, a company she voted in favor of receiving a $28,000 video contract from the city. “At the least, she should have abstained, but she didn’t.,” said Muhammad.
“These people are walking away with millions, and all we get is some paint on the recreation centers, and a few sidewalks. Black people are not at the table when the big bucks are doled out. It’s like putting lipstick on a pig; we look pretty, but we have nothing. She profits, and the district loses.,” said Douglas.
“I’m not saying what she did was illegal; I’m saying it’s a betrayal of the district. It’s a trick way of selling out the district and receiving a legal bribe,” said Douglas.
“Everyone receives campaign contributions, but it’s too obvious that the people of District 5 were ignored when we gave our input. A few weeks later, they stuffed her pockets. She doesn’t represent us; she represents people who don’t live in our neighborhood and could care less about us,” said Muhammad.
Douglas said, “At the very least, this looks bad. It was done during the same time she was having people who challenged her actions as chairwoman ushered out of the city council meetings by the Marshals,” said Douglas.
Douglas said Dawson may have had anxiety and frustration over being fired from CAP at the time, and may not have been aware of what she was doing.
Muhammad said that since only one person in District 5 has given to her campaign, “all of the signs we see in District 5 are being paid for by people outside of the district trying to influence us.”
“She has sold us out to big companies who don’t hire people from the district, subcontract to District 5 businesses, or give to any of our causes. The only person who profited from this is Kema Dawson,” said Douglas.
Contributions
The following contributions have been reported by Kema Dawson related to the March 23, 2024, election:
Cajun Solutions, Baton Rouge, $2,000 (Engineering Company)
Waggoner Engineering, Pleasant Grove, Utah, $1,000.00
Atakapa Corporation, Baton Rouge, $1,000.00 (Storm Sewer inspections) A Waggoner Company
Mississippi Engineering, Jackson, Ms., $200.00 A Waggoner Company
Mississippi Geographic Inc, Jackson, Ms., $200.00, A Waggoner Company
Gemini Waggoner, LLC Jackson, Ms., $200.00, A Waggoner Company
Mancha Management Services, Baton Rouge, $1,000 (Consulting) Kenneth Ferachi
Kenneth Ferachi, Baton Rouge, $1,0000
Lake Street Holdings, Lake Charles, La. $1,000 Kenneth Ferachi & Joshua Fontenot
Joshua Fontenot, Lake Charles, $1,000
Redstick Enterprises, Baton Rouge, $1,000 (Engineering Company) Brady Sessums
Etec Services, Baton Rouge, $1,000 (Waste water) Brady Sessums
Tullier Services, Plaquemine, $1,000 (Utility Contractor) Robin Tullier
Christopher Lacroix, Prarieville, La, $1,000.00
Wakevia Engineering, Winter Park, FL, $1000 (Structural Engineers)
EAI/WEI, Jackson Ms, $200.00 (Water Sewer Systems ) James Hurst
Jay Russell, West Monroe, $900
Christian Creed, Monroe, $750
Friday Ellis, Monroe, La, $500
Rep. Michael Echols, $500
Joe Holyfield, Monroe, LA, $500
Herbert Land (Land 3 Architect), $500
Steve Taylor, Monroe, $500
Plugged-In Creative, LLC, $500
Boles Shafto, LLC, Monroe, $500
Terrance Tugwell, Monroe, $500
Susan Weaver, Monroe, $500
Kenneth Wilson, Monroe, $450
Donna Cole Harris, Monroe, $400
Misti Cordell, Monroe, $350
Gray Stephens, Monroe, $250
Martinez Chiropractic, Monroe, $250
Benjamin Peters, Monroe, $250
Brent Vidrine, Monroe, $250
Jason Plesant, West Monroe, $250
Robert “Steve” Tew, $250
Judge Angie Studivant, Monroe, $150
George Sims, Plano, Texas, $100
William Bill Willson, Monroe, $100
Rev. James B. Johnson, Monroe, $100
MKS Twins, Monroe, $200
Daryll Berry, Monroe, $250
Fred Bennett, Monroe, $250
Ben Marshall, Monroe, $250
Chastity Brown, Monroe, $21.83
Chassidy Dowd, Monroe, $18.17
Bobby Lowens, Monroe, $14.39
Bobby Lowens, Monroe, $10.61
