‘Let’s Talk About Michelle Woodfork’

Following the Money Behind the Sheriff’s Race

The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office has long been a political powerhouse — a site of unchecked authority, financial entanglements, and campaign patronage. As Michelle Woodfork launches her bid for Sheriff, we took a closer look at who’s funding her campaign and what that reveals about the future of the office.

A Powerful Office with Little Oversight

Historically, the Sheriff’s office has represented a constitutionally crated entity which the City Council has no direct control over, and the only powers of the people are exercised through the election. The office has allowed for massive political patronage by being one of the City’s largest employers. Previously normalized schemes include kicking back a portion of deputy paychecks to the Sheriff’s reelection campaign, in exchange for preferable off-site “details” that allow for double-dipping (i.e. being paid to work in the jail while actually down at an event working security).

Additionally, all foreclosed homes and repossessed cars are auctioned under their unchecked authority. This drew our attention with Sheriff Gusman’s major donors having financial interests in real estate, used cars, antique jewelry, and used guns.

The Sheriff also has sole authority to put bonds on the ballot. These funds are collected by the sheriff and allegedly redistributed to other court entities (D.A., Judges, Clerk), although it was clear that Sheriff Gusman never transferred all owed funds to the Court Clerk. These are complex financial instruments whereby the funds are fronted by a securities investment firm (of the Sheriff’s choice) and deposited in the bank (of the sheriff’s choice) with unclear allocations of the interest generated on millions of dollars. And then, for decades, the taxpayers of Orleans Parish pay gradually back the bond, with interest. The initial financial transaction generates hundreds of thousands in fees.

The Jail Expansion and City Budget Fallout

Finally, the Sheriff has the authority to construct, expand, and repair the jail. Along with generate revenue from area parking lots and buildings owned by OPSO. The hundreds of millions sunk into the current jail is one of the largest post-Katrina projects, for which detailed accounting has never surfaced.

When federal Judge Africk, under authority of the Consent Decree, ordered the City to pay for a $100 million (and counting) jail expansion, the City drew funds from other parts of the budget without public hearings. Today, City officials bemoan a deficit in the range of $100 million without bothering to offer tribute to the jail expansion project.

Who’s Funding Michelle Woodfork?

Michelle Woodfork started her campaign for Sheriff on Valentine’s Day, 2025. Her first donor, that day, was corporate attorney John Litchfield ($5,000), who has donated to dozens of candidates over the years. Some will know from his involvement in the Catholic Church’s bankruptcy case. He also served as Liz Murrill’s campaign chairperson in her successful bid to become Louisiana Attorney General. When Judge Jennifer Medley was facing various allegations of violating campaign rules, including whether a $100,000 loan from Sidney Torres’ IV Capital could be used as a contribution, she told the Judicial Commission that she relied on advice from Litchfield (a lawyer for Torres) that it followed state ethics rules.

Her second donor was Richard Hart, of Covington ($12,000). Marsha Hart from the same address added another $5,000. It is unclear if this is the same Richard Hart who was the former state police officer that resigned amidst a probe into the workplace culture in Jefferson Parish. Anyone who gives a max contribution this early in a campaign is certainly part of the candidate’s inner circle, and can shed some light on their views and how they may govern.

$12,000 Ally Telecomm Group (Metairie) Jail phone contracts
$12,000 Network Communications (Longview, TX) jail phone contracts.
$12,000 Powerhouse Commercial Construction (Suphur)

$12,000 Attorney James M. Williams

$12,000 Attorney El-Amm & Associates

$9,000 from Elite Southern Solutions (Randy Greenup, general contractor)

$10,500 from Crusader 55, LLC (Mandeville) and Chris Stant, who has over a dozen registered LLCs, including three bail bond companies
$7,000 Angela and William “Bill” Hattier (Folsom), head of Sonitrol New Orleans (electronic security systems)
$6,000 Robin Carubba (Metairie) Carubba Engineering

Woodfork’s other major donors (reported, as of 9/31):

$6,000 Tony Clayton (Port Allen)

$5,000 In-Telecom Consulting (Slidell) surveillance
$5,000 (Combined) Linda and Gerald Hebert, of Grace Hebert Architects who won the design and build contract for Phase 1, 2, and 3 of the Orleans Justice Center that is subject to intense criticism due to broken locks, bad piping, and other flimsy elements. He was a major donor of former Sheriff Gusman.
$5,000 (combined) Karen and Bobby Major, who had a $1 million annual contract from his close friend, former Sheriff Gusman. The contract was reportedly for IT services, yet OPSO was notoriously trapped in low tech
$5,000 Jared Caruso Riecke (Covington) Co-owner of GDH International with Dudley Geigerman III and Bruce Cucchiara until the latter was murdered in 2012; named to LA State Police Commission in 2019 and then resigning in turmoil (details are worthy of a series)

$5,000 Obsidian Select,
$5,000 Cleveland Kimbrough, Jr.

$5,000 Frank Desalvo, an attorney recently suspended for mishandling client funds

$5,000 Aaron Greenstone, McLean, VA, a retired CIA agent, now senior advisor for Bancroft Global Development. They made news last year by receiving a contract (with Tranquility AI) to search social media as part of investigations for AG Liz Murill and several district attorneys, including Jason Williams.

$5,000 Lacy Johnson, Indianapolis, IN

$5,000 Tameka Bowles, wife of Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles

$5,000 Barowka and Bonura Engineers (Metairie), previously made news in contributing to Jefferson Parish officials prior to seeking a contract.
$5,000 (combined) The Solutient Corp. and board chair Robert Sternhell (evaluator of programs in criminal justice system)
$5,000 Cecile Villere (co-owner of Flightline First)
$4000 Kevin and Laura Johnson (Richmond, TX) with “Sheriff App,” law enforcement app service
$3500 Forecomm Solutions (Prairieville) a jail phone/tablet contractor
$3000 CDW Services (Metairie) Building contractor

$3000 Roy Investment Group, LLC (Madisonville)

$3,000 Sean Laughlin (New Orleans) managing director of Stratos (investment firm)

$3,000 Lee Harry

$3,000 Iam Tucker, ILSI Engineering
$2500 Badine Land Limited (partner Wayne Ducote also owns Park First, a parking lot empire in the South, including 2726 Perdido St.
$2500 Keystone Partners (Lafayette) Nutritionist Jennifer Jackson consults for seven local jails
$2500 Little Deuces, Inc. (Hammond) Gambling management company owned by Salvador Tintillo Jr.
$2500 Cynthia Molyneaux

$2500 Sternhell Group (D.C.) lobbyist
$2500 LA Contracting Enterprise (Thibodeaux) construction company
$2,500 Richard Tchoupitoulas LLC, owned by Barry Kern

$2,000 Kathleen Addison (Diamondhead, MS)

$2,000 Meyer Engineers (Metairie)

$2,000 Rollos Security Services (Laplace)

$2,000 Roussel Land Care (Paulina)

$2,000 Jim Kibble (Leesburg, VA) Partner with Professional Risk Management, Inc.
$2,000 VPG Construction / VPG Holdings
$2,000 Tracy Aucoin (Lafayette)

$1,500 Eric Malawer (MacLean, VA) co-founder of Skyfire AI (drone systems)
$2,000 Gulf Coast Spirits, LLC (Mandeville)
$1,000 Jim Penrose (Laurel, MD) Tranquility AI (surveillance)

$1,000 Jim Nickel (Baton Rouge) lobbyist Courson Nickel
$1,000 Louisiana 360 PAC

$1,000 Magnolia Technology (Gonzales) IT management
$1,000 Willie Jefferson (hopefully not the corrupt Congressman…)

$1,000 Burk Brokerage LLC

$1,000 SRC PAC (Ohio)

$1,000 Brian Moreau (Austin, TX) B Mo Ventures (jail jumpsuits, sheets, towels, etc)
$1,000 All South Consulting Engineers
$1,000 Hartman Engineering, Inc.
$500 Madison Group, LLC (Washington, DC) lobbyist
$500 Daryl Albert (Slidell) Left NOPD while under sexual harassment investigation (2022); Left the Montgomery, AL police for allegations of sexual misconduct (2024); applied to be Austin, TX police chief
$500 Belle Chasse Marine Transportation, LLC
$500 Murphy Paul (Gonzales) Former BR Police Chief facing serious misconduct allegations

$500 CM Combs Construction (Covington)
$500 Perez a Professional Corporation (previously consistent donors of Sheriff Gusman and contractor on the jail construction)
$500 Principal Infrastructure (Covington) Engineering and construction
There will be more donors giving up until the end, so check back for updates.