Building on our previous reporting about civil service violations in WBR's fire chief hiring, new evidence reveals the full scope of why parish officials were willing to bypass legal requirements for Butch Browning.

The Bigger Picture

As WBR Independent previously reported, Parish President Riley "Peewee" Berthelot bypassed civil service law by hiring Browning as a "part-time consultant" rather than following proper procedures. Current Parish President Jason Manola now plans to retroactively adjust the rules—raising concerns that this is an effort to legitimize a hire made outside civil service law.

But the civil service violation is only half the story. Browning's documented history as Louisiana State Fire Marshal (2008-2022) raises serious questions about why parish officials wanted someone with this background so badly they bypassed civil service requirements  to get him.

What We Know About His Record

Multiple state investigations during Browning's 14-year tenure as State Fire Marshal documented a consistent pattern of misconduct, cover-ups, and failed leadership—all while he held Louisiana's top fire safety position.

Complete Timeline of Documented Failures (2008-2022)

MARCH 8, 2008 - Appointed Louisiana State Fire Marshal

Browning begins 14-year tenure under Gov. Bobby Jindal

2008-2010 - WORE UNEARNED MILITARY RIBBONS

What Happened: According to multiple news reports, wore military ribbons from WWII, Korea, and other wars on his official uniform.

The Problem: Never served in the military and was born after these wars ended.

Veterans' Response: Veterans called it "disrespectful" and "disgraceful," according to Louisiana Voice reporting.

His Status: Active State Fire Marshal

2010 - WEAPONS PURCHASE IRREGULARITIES

What Happened: According to state investigators, signed forms falsely classifying non-police employees as law enforcement to obtain discounted guns.

Federal Regulations: Firearms regulations require proper background checks and classification, per investigation findings.

His Defense: Told investigators he "didn't remember" signing the documents.

His Status: Active State Fire Marshal

2011 - CARNIVAL RIDE COVER-UP

What Happened: Two teenagers seriously injured on ride his inspector approved despite missing safety equipment.

Browning's Response: Publicly blamed "operator error" despite knowing his inspector failed.

The Truth: State investigation found accident "would not have occurred" with proper inspection.

His Status: Active State Fire Marshal

APRIL 2012 - Briefly Retires Amid Investigation

Questions about office practices lead to temporary departure

MAY 7, 2012 - Reinstated as State Fire Marshal

DPS internal review finds "no factual evidence" of wrongdoing

2012 - GRAND ISLE DEATHS

What Happened: Inspector falsified safety reports for fire-trap motel; two people died in fire.

Browning's Response: Claimed office "properly responded" despite fake inspections.

The Truth: Inspector arrested for filing false records.

His Status: Recently Reinstated State Fire Marshal

2008-2021 - THE MANAGEMENT DISASTERS

Crony Hiring:

• Hired unqualified friend as "Fire Chief" at $85,000/year
• Friend's qualifications: Accidentally shot and paralyzed a prisoner
• Job duties: Watch over boats that didn't exist

Financial Waste:

• $4,900 for website for private company (not state business)
• $4,649 for food trailer unavailable during actual floods
• Deputy with "new uniform every day" - no spending controls

Employee Intimidation:

• Polygraph tests for employees who talked to media
• Forced transfers hundreds of miles away as punishment
• "Witch hunt" atmosphere to find whistleblowers

His Status: Active State Fire Marshal Throughout

AUGUST 2020 - APRIL 2021 - $846,140 HURRICANE RELIEF MISUSE

What Occurred: According to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's investigative report, Lt. Robert McCormick directed $846,140 in disaster relief funds to shell companies tied to his brother Thomas McCormick while Browning served as State Fire Marshal.

Month-by-Month Leadership Oversight:

Aug 21, 2020: Gov. Edwards declares emergency for Hurricanes Laura & Marco

Aug 27, 2020: Hurricane Laura makes landfall

Aug 30, 2020: Questionable payments begin - $182,740 in inflated water purchases (13¢ bottles billed at $1.50 each)

Sept 2020: Lt. McCormick pressures staff to process invoices near $25k limits, per audit findings

Oct 9, 2020: STAFF WARNINGS DOCUMENTED - OSFM employees raise conflict-of-interest concerns about Westside Services directly to Browning's office, according to Legislative Auditor

Oct 2020: Staff physically observe Thomas McCormick working at OSFM base camp, escalate concerns again to Browning

Oct 2020: Hurricane Delta - $145,280 in questionable charges processed while Browning's office was aware of staff concerns

Browning's Response: Legislative Auditor found he instructed Deputy Chief to "look into it" but audit shows misuse continued

Nov 2020: Additional inflated charges for event halls and catering processed under OSFM authority

Feb 2021: Winter storm response - audit shows $54,179 more in questionable transactions six months after staff warnings

Apr 29, 2021: Audit period ends after $846,140 total misuse, with $397,546 diverted to McCormick Law Firm

The Evidence: Legislative Auditor found lease documents were "created minutes before Lt. McCormick emailed them" and invoices were altered by McCormick family members—all processed under Browning's watch after staff raised concerns.

His Status: Active State Fire Marshal Who Was Directly Warned But Failed to Stop the Misuse

JULY 9, 2021 - McCormick Brothers Indicted

Criminal charges filed while Browning still in office

NOVEMBER 17, 2021 - Legislative Auditor Report Released

Confirms $846,140 misuse occurred under Browning's tenure, staff concerns were valid but ignored

MAY 4, 2022 - Announces Retirement

Gov. Edwards announces Browning stepping down effective May 15

MAY 15, 2022 - Steps Down as State Fire Marshal

Ends 14-year tenure amid ongoing fraud investigations

2022-PRESENT - IRREGULAR WBR HIRING

What Happened: While McCormick fraud case ongoing, Parish President Riley "Peewee" Berthelot hires Browning as WBR "fire superintendent"

The Problem: Browning's name never appeared on required civil service eligibility list

The Loophole: Called him "part-time consultant" to avoid civil service law

When Caught: Current Parish President Jason Manola plans to retroactively change the rules in an effort to legitimize the irregular hire.

His Status: Currently Leading WBR Emergency Services Despite Irregular Hiring Process

The Pattern Across 14 Years:

1. Problem occurs under his leadership
2. Make false public statements to minimize/deny
3. Investigations reveal he knew the truth
4. Take no personal accountability
5. Retaliate against whistleblowers
6. Repeat with next incident

Every single incident followed this exact cycle from 2008-2022. Now he's been hired to run WBR emergency services.

The Management Disasters

CRONY HIRING

• Hired unqualified friend as "Fire Chief" at $85,000/year
• Friend's qualifications: Accidentally shot and paralyzed a prisoner
• Job duties: Watch over boats that didn't exist
• Had no phone at headquarters despite full salary

FINANCIAL WASTE

• $4,900 for website for private company (not state business)
• $4,649 for food trailer that wasn't available during actual floods
• Missing equipment worth thousands with no records
• Deputy with "new uniform every day" - no spending controls

EMPLOYEE INTIMIDATION

• Polygraph tests for employees who talked to media
• Forced transfers hundreds of miles away as punishment
• "Witch hunt" atmosphere to find whistleblowers
• Focus on silencing critics instead of fixing problems

What This Means for WBR Right Now

YOUR EMERGENCY SERVICES

• Parish bypassed civil service law to install this specific person
• Same person who covered up safety failures now runs YOUR fire/EMS
• History of false public statements when things go wrong
• Pattern of blaming others instead of taking responsibility

YOUR TAX MONEY

• Irregular hiring process bypassed qualified candidates
• Track record of questionable spending and poor oversight
• History of subordinates committing fraud under his watch

YOUR LAWS

• If officials circumvent laws to hire who they want, what other rules don't matter?
• Civil service exists to ensure qualified, merit-based hiring
• "Part-time consultant" loophole shows deliberate attempt to avoid oversight
• Retroactive rule changes set dangerous precedent

YOUR TRUST

• When you call 911, do you trust leadership hired through irregular process?
• Will you get honest answers if response times are poor?
• Can you believe budget projections from someone with this history?

The Accountability Questions

FOR PARISH OFFICIALS:

• Why circumvent civil service law to hire this specific person?
• Did you know his documented history before hiring?
• Does rewriting rules after the fact to validate a contested hiring meet the standard of accountability residents expect?
• What oversight exists to prevent similar problems?
• Why not follow proper procedures and hire from the eligibility list?

FOR RESIDENTS:

• Why bypass civil service law? What made this specific person worth taking that step?
• Is this the leadership standard you expect for emergency services?
• Why did they want someone with this background so badly?
• What happens when problems arise - honest answers or cover-ups?

The Leadership Accountability Standard

As Louisiana State Fire Marshal from 2008-2022, Browning held a top authority in a law enforcement agency responsible for public safety. In this position, he owned responsibility for his agency's actions - and failures.

The "Knew or Should Have Known" Standard: State investigations documented multiple incidents where Browning was directly warned of problems but failed to act. In the McCormick fraud case, Legislative Auditor findings show OSFM employees raised conflict-of-interest concerns directly to Browning's office in October 2020, yet the fraud continued for six more months under his watch.

Public Accountability vs. Private Knowledge: Even when Browning claimed ignorance, his public statements repeatedly contradicted what his own staff and investigators had documented. When the Grand Isle motel fire killed two people after his inspector falsified safety reports, Browning claimed his office "properly responded" - despite knowing the inspector had never actually conducted the required inspection.

The Pattern Across 14 Years: State investigations found this same cycle repeatedly: problems occurred under his leadership, he made public statements minimizing or denying issues, investigations revealed he knew more than he publicly admitted, yet he took no personal accountability and often retaliated against those who raised concerns.

The Real Questions Everyone Should Be Asking

THE IRREGULAR HIRING:

• Why circumvent the law? What made this specific person worth bypassing civil service requirements?
• Who knew what when? What did officials know about his background before bypassing normal hiring procedures?
• What about other candidates? Were qualified people on the eligibility list bypassed?
• Retroactive rule changes? Is changing laws after getting caught acceptable governance?

THE DOCUMENTED PATTERN:

• Multiple investigations by different agencies
• Criminal charges against subordinates under his leadership
• False statements to the public repeatedly
• Financial irregularities and questionable spending
• Ethics violations and conflicts of interest
• Cover-ups of safety failures that led to deaths
• Retaliation against whistleblowers
• Now: Irregular hiring process used to secure his current position

The Bottom Line Question

Should someone who obtained their position through an irregular hiring process and has a documented pattern of misconduct be in charge of your emergency services?

This isn't just about his past anymore. This is about parish officials circumventing civil service law to install this specific person, then trying to change the rules retroactively when they got caught.

Two separate problems:

1. The irregular hiring process – Why bend the rules for this person?
2. The documented history - Why want someone with this background so badly?

When you or your family needs emergency help:

• Do you want leadership hired through an irregular process?
• Can you trust someone with a documented history of cover-ups?
• Will you get honest answers about service problems?
• Should rule of law matter in your parish government?

An irregular appointment combined with a pattern of misconduct should give every resident pause. The real question is whether accountability will be demanded or complacency allowed.

Sources: Louisiana Legislative Auditor Investigative Audit Report (Nov. 17, 2021, Report ID: 50200028); Louisiana Office of State Inspector General Report CID-12-035; Criminal Investigative Division Report on Butch Browning; Louisiana Voice investigations (2014-2021); Federal court records; State Police investigations; West Baton Rouge Civil Service Board complaint; WBRZ and The Advocate reporting on civil service violation; Multiple news outlets including WAFB, WDSU, Louisiana Illuminator, AP News, KATC, and WWL-TV. All facts documented in official government records.

Complete Source References:

Criminal Investigation Reports:

• OFFICE OF STATE INSPECTOR GENERAL Criminal Investigative Division Report on Butch Browning: Butch Browning cid-12-035.pdf

Investigative Journalism:

• Louisiana Voice – Butch Browning leads charmed life despite repeated scandals (Oct. 31, 2014): https://louisianavoice.com/2014/10/31/butch-browning-leads-charmed-life-as-jindal-appointee-despite-repeated-scandals-in-state-fire-marshals-office/
• Louisiana Voice – Fire Marshal supervisors, Edmonson may have violated state ethics (Oct. 11, 2017): https://louisianavoice.com/category/state-fire-marshal/page/2/
• Louisiana Voice – Fire Marshal's management grills field personnel (July 21, 2017): https://louisianavoice.com/category/state-fire-marshal/page/4/
• Louisiana Voice – A witch hunt and a psychic arson investigator (Sept. 28, 2017): https://louisianavoice.com/2017/09/28/a-witch-hunt-and-a-psychic-arson-investigator-at-the-fire-marshals-office-it-just-doesnt-get-any-better-than-this/
• Louisiana Voice – Old news or not, events demonstrate administration meddling (Nov. 3, 2014): https://louisianavoice.com/2014/11/03/old-news-or-not-events-in-fire-marshal-office-demonstrate-how-administration-meddles-improperly-in-investigations/
• Louisiana Voice – Fire Marshal unwilling to produce records (Aug. 18, 2017): https://louisianavoice.com/2017/08/18/fire-marshal-unable-to-produce-appliances-wont-explain-payment-for-private-entitys-web-page-dep-training-spotty/
• Louisiana Voice – $800k hurricane relief fraud scheme (July 19, 2021): https://louisianavoice.com/2021/07/19/louisianavoice-examines-background-of-one-of-fire-marshal-employees-caught-up-in-800k-hurricane-relief-fraud-scheme/

Archived Copies of Additional Articles: allarticles.pdf

News Reports:

• NOLA.com/Times-Picayune – Former state fire inspector arrested for allegedly falsifying inspection (Apr. 24, 2013): https://www.nola.com/news/crime_police/former-state-fire-inspector-arrested-for-allegedly-falsifying-inspection-of-grand-isle-motel-where-fatal/article_0a323059-21c2-585f-a378-53c6230d8a69.html

Legislative Audit & McCormick Brothers:

• Louisiana Legislative Auditor – Investigative Audit (Nov. 17, 2021): https://www.lla.la.gov

Browning's Reinstatement (2012):

• WAFB – Butch Browning reinstated as State Fire Marshal (May 2012): https://www.wafb.com/story/18149960/butch-browning-reinstated-as-state-fire-marshal/

Browning's Retirement (2022):

• WDSU – Louisiana State Fire Marshal Butch Browning retires (May 4, 2022): https://www.wdsu.com/article/louisiana-state-fire-marshal-butch-browning-retires/39908999
• Louisiana Illuminator – Louisiana fire marshal Butch Browning to retire May 15 (May 4, 2022): https://lailluminator.com/briefs/louisiana-fire-marshal-butch-browning-to-retire-may-15/
• WAFB – State Fire Marshal Butch Browning retiring, successor named (May 4, 2022): https://www.wafb.com/2022/05/04/state-fire-marshal-butch-browning-retiring-accept-new-national-position/
• AP News – Louisiana fire marshal Butch Browning to retire (May 4, 2022): https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-john-bel-edwards-8ad612aa9ed124234dc5019b6b97f462

Legislative Recognition:

• Louisiana Legislature – Resolution honoring Browning's service: https://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1281522

Disclosure: John Summers initially reported the civil service violation at WBRZ. This investigation builds on that reporting with additional documented evidence from state investigations spanning over a decade.

UPDATE: John Summers, who filed the civil service complaint, was terminated as a volunteer firefighter by Browning after raising concerns. Another example of the retaliation pattern documented throughout Browning's career.

Want the full details? All source documents are public records available for review. The civil service complaint and parish response are also public record.

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