Douglas: “Kema Dawson is pimping our district” to get donations

“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.

Opponents accuse Dawson of influence pedaling

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