Sulphur councilman alleges charter, procurement, and spending failures at City Hall

October 11, 2026
11:12 am

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https://youtu.be/q10WTNHz_lw Sulphur, Louisiana, City Council member Josh Baden (District 4) sat down with Legally Armed America to argue that City Hall has lost focus amid scandal and that taxpayers deserve a full accounting of how public money has been spent. Baden said residents are tired of drama, including personal legal matters involving Mayor Jacob Stutes, and that the council’s duty is ethics, charter compliance, and following the money—especially at 501 Willow Avenue, a post-hurricane temporary site for council, court, and marshal functions.What Baden allegesCharter and hiring process issues involving the mayor and chief of staff, including alleged favoritism and skipped background checks and drug tests501 Willow Avenue: scope changes not renegotiated with FEMA; claimed 90% rent reimbursement; rent of $20,853 a month on a 6,000-square-foot private property without a market comparisonA $325,000 capital improvement that he says exceeded the state’s public-bid threshold (about $250,000–$260,000) without competitive biddingOne individual tied to the landlord, the contractor, and the property-management firm that drafted the leaseA $100,000 donation from Judge Charles Trump that was not publicly bid, plus later hiring of former public-works director Mark LeJune through FEMA consultant Rostan Solution GroupA $1.5 million water-sector grant spent before council approval, then backdated, with meters on businesses but not residences while rates roseBaden said these claims rest on public records obtained through FOIA, not private opinion, and that he asked the Louisiana attorney general, legislative auditor, ethics board, district attorney, and inspector general to review them. He described a fully new council and mayor, with no holdovers from the prior administration except some members’ earlier planning or charter-committee roles. He declined to join a no-confidence motion against the mayor, citing a recent second chance given to Council President Danny DePietro and his own religious duty of even-handed judgment—while arguing DePietro pushed a chief-of-staff hiring probe but would not back the Willow Avenue inquiry.Host’s push for legal vs. political linesThe host pressed whether Baden’s complaints were statutory or personal preference, and whether one person owning three related entities is illegal. Baden answered that state law requires public bidding above the capital-project threshold with supporting bids, that he believes the arrangement is unlawful, and that he wants an attorney general opinion if it is not. On former fire chief commentary and Narcan-related talk, Baden said department heads who take ethics training must report possible ethics or resource-abuse issues that appear in council minutes; the host asked whether that duty belongs to others if the chief does not run those departments. Baden said Mayor Stutes has not taken his calls, that he withdrew support after warning the mayor not to expect cover-ups, and that the “solution” for Sulphur is obtaining official findings so the city can fix waste and fund water infrastructure.

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Sulphur, Louisiana, City Council member Josh Baden (District 4) sat down with Legally Armed America to argue that City Hall has lost focus amid scandal and that taxpayers deserve a full accounting of how public money has been spent. Baden said residents are tired of drama, including personal legal matters involving Mayor Jacob Stutes, and that the council’s duty is ethics, charter compliance, and following the money—especially at 501 Willow Avenue, a post-hurricane temporary site for council, court, and marshal functions.

What Baden alleges

Charter and hiring process issues involving the mayor and chief of staff, including alleged favoritism and skipped background checks and drug tests
501 Willow Avenue: scope changes not renegotiated with FEMA; claimed 90% rent reimbursement; rent of $20,853 a month on a 6,000-square-foot private property without a market comparison
A $325,000 capital improvement that he says exceeded the state’s public-bid threshold (about $250,000–$260,000) without competitive bidding
One individual tied to the landlord, the contractor, and the property-management firm that drafted the lease
A $100,000 donation from Judge Charles Trump that was not publicly bid, plus later hiring of former public-works director Mark LeJune through FEMA consultant Rostan Solution Group
A $1.5 million water-sector grant spent before council approval, then backdated, with meters on businesses but not residences while rates rose

Baden said these claims rest on public records obtained through FOIA, not private opinion, and that he asked the Louisiana attorney general, legislative auditor, ethics board, district attorney, and inspector general to review them. He described a fully new council and mayor, with no holdovers from the prior administration except some members’ earlier planning or charter-committee roles. He declined to join a no-confidence motion against the mayor, citing a recent second chance given to Council President Danny DePietro and his own religious duty of even-handed judgment—while arguing DePietro pushed a chief-of-staff hiring probe but would not back the Willow Avenue inquiry.

Host’s push for legal vs. political lines

The host pressed whether Baden’s complaints were statutory or personal preference, and whether one person owning three related entities is illegal. Baden answered that state law requires public bidding above the capital-project threshold with supporting bids, that he believes the arrangement is unlawful, and that he wants an attorney general opinion if it is not. On former fire chief commentary and Narcan-related talk, Baden said department heads who take ethics training must report possible ethics or resource-abuse issues that appear in council minutes; the host asked whether that duty belongs to others if the chief does not run those departments. Baden said Mayor Stutes has not taken his calls, that he withdrew support after warning the mayor not to expect cover-ups, and that the “solution” for Sulphur is obtaining official findings so the city can fix waste and fund water infrastructure.

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