Whistleblower Outlines Financial Allegations Against Shreveport Mayor

Former Shreveport Controller Ben Hebert makes some serious charges against current members of the Adrian Perkins team.

Hebert has worked for the city for 9 years.

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Hebert is filing suit against the Mayor and the city of Shreveport for age and race discrimination and he also says he was retaliated against for whistleblowing. The 85-year-old Hebert was fired in December. He says this firing happened after he refused to go along with financial decisions which he says were in violation of the law.

Hebert says he told Mayor Perkins and interim Chief Financial Officer Kasey Brown he found problems with following IRS rules, and alleged violations of state law on travel reporting. Hebert says this administration has not been responsible and many employees don’t feel like they have a voice to express concerns.

What Are Hebert's Allegations?

He claims the city does not follow established accounting practices.

He also alleges the mayor is not properly submitting his travel expenses and when he was asked to sign off on those expenses, he refused claiming some of the actions might have been illegal.

Hebert also claims Shreveport failed to meet IRS deadlines.

He also suggests the city did not pay its credit cards on time.

Hebert says when he pointed out these irregularities to Kasey Brown, he was fired.

Brown is up for appointment as the City’s Chief Financial Officer. His confirmation is before the council on Tuesday. Hebert is calling on the council to delay this appointment. Brown currently makes $139,000, but his salary is expected to go up by $18,000 once the 13% pay raise kicks in next month.

Hebert believes he was passed over because of his age and his race. He is white.

The Mayor's office is not commenting on this pending litigation.