Posted on 11/09/2014 5:54:27 PM PST by Alter Kaker
NEW ORLEANS – A joint federal-state investigation continued Friday into the shocking firebombing Thursday at the Uptown home of a well-known political strategist.
On Wednesday, we told you about the surprising results in the Public Service Commission race and how the high-stakes, expensive runoff between incumbent Eric Skrmetta and alternative energy advocate Forest Bradley-Wright could affect the future of energy regulation in Louisiana.
Just a few short hours later, everything changed. Bradley-Wright's finance director and chief fundraiser, Mario Zervigon, had his two cars and Uptown home destroyed in a shocking firebombing.
Investigators are checking with ProjectNOLA for crime camera footage and canvassing some of the local stores to see if there were sales of gasoline or accelerant shortly before the 2:30 a.m. attack.
Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives Agent Kevin Moran said investigators will be interviewing members of both the Bradley-Wright and Skremtta campaigns to try to establish possible motives.
Still, investigators have not made any connection between the arson and Zervigon's work for any campaign, and law enforcement sources have cautioned against any rush to judgment.
But, Bradley-Wright's campaign has been shaken by the crime.
"It's going to be different, at least for the time-being because Mario was such an important part of our team," Bradley-Wright said as he returned to campaigning for the runoff Dec. 6.
Zervigon helped Wright raise $210,000 during the primary, including $100,000 in the last 10 days alone, according to campaign finance reports. That nearly equaled Skrmetta's total contributions of $215,000 reported in filings, and allowed Bradley-Wright to run aggressive attack ads against Skrmetta.
Wright says he has to get back to the campaign trail for the December 6th runoff, but it's hard to press on like normal when one of his top advisers seems to have been the target of violence. He says he and his staff are being extra vigilant.
"I feel that additional precautions have been important, sensible precautions to realize that clearly there is someone out there that is willing to do absolutely terrible act of violence in this case," Bradley-Wright said.
Skrmetta issued a statement Thursday sending his thoughts and prayers to the Zervigon family and other families in the apartment building who also lost their homes. And Skrmetta said he hoped that the culprits are brought to justice quickly.
Ahh .. .. .. .. is this yet another case of a deranged lefty doing the act himself in an effort to be identified as a “victim”. At least that’s my first suspicion regarding this.
Typical leftist “action”.
False-flag operation to gain sympathy for the Commie.
Back in the 1980s here in Seattle we had a series of abortion clinics firebombed.
I was active in the pro life state group and we all said in our news letter that it must be the pro-choicers setting the place on fire just to win sympathy.
We couldn’t imagine committing arson to promote the pro life cause.
Then it turned out it was a crazy anti- abortion guy who did it.
He got ten years in prison.
New Orleans and politics equal the Mob.
This is a level beyond spray-painting a swastika on your own garage door. I say this is a crime done by a real criminal — somebody in the gas/oil industry who doesn’t want alternative energy to get a toehold, not the other candidate who simply wants to get elected. The stakes are much higher for somebody in the oil & gas industry.
No party labels in evidence
Your theory isn’t believable.
“Alternate energy” can only gain a toehold through legislative action, which, in time, will be trampled to death by economic reality.
People in oil and gas energy know that, as do most of the American people. AND any thinking people in the “alternate energy” field.
Translation: You can rule out any Tea Party involvement. If there was even the slightest connection to a Tea Partier the rush to judgement would rival the speed of light.
“At least that’s my first suspicion regarding this.”
Yep, mine too.
“This is a level beyond spray-painting a swastika on your own garage door. I say this is a crime done by a real criminal — somebody in the gas/oil industry who doesn’t want alternative energy to get a toehold, not the other candidate who simply wants to get elected. The stakes are much higher for somebody in the oil & gas industry.”
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You’ve GOT to be kidding me. This is Louisiana in which oil & gas and related industries is a HUGE part of the economy. This guy’s candidate is going to be CRUSHED in the December runoff election. There’s absolutely ZERO need for anyone in the oil and gas industry to do this.
It’s a false flag operation in my book. A false flag operation by someone delusional and stupid enough to think it will help his/her cause.
another leftist liberal troll.
Your ignorance is beyond measure.
See you in two weeks when the police report comes out, Shakespeare.
Alternative energy is a con. Maybe people are sick of being looted by alternative energy proponents.
Christopher Columbus discovered the New World with "alternative energy." No energy source has a monopoly on virtue - and we're best off with a broad energy mix to play off against one another.
There is no virtue here. It is a con. Always has been. The only way alternative energy is competitive is to steal money from citizens to give to alternative energy sources and artificially raise the cost of real energy sources to make the sky high cost of alternative energy competitive. And the people at the top get rich but they didn’t earn it.
I will buy your argument as long as the alternative energy does not need a subsidy or regulations against either form of energy production.
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Yes, and since Columbus’ mode of sea travel is not subsidized by taxpayers money it's not used to transport goods where it is less efficient than other forms of energy. The MARKET, and commonsense, makes those decisions as to how to power sea transport — and that's the way it should be.
And that's also how decisions should be made regarding power generation; anything else results in misallocation of scarce resources and economic inefficiencies.
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