Havard Weighs Ethics Board Settlement Offer
West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard is considering a no contest plea and $2,500 fine to resolve an alleged state ethics violation.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Corruption
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The Louisiana Board of Ethics has offered to settle its case against West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard if he pleads no contest and pays a $2,500 fine. The board alleges Havard took part in ground lease negotiations between a riverboat cruise line and the parish while his son's catering company had an economic interest in ships docking in St. Francisville.
Why it matters
The allegations center on whether a public official participated in a transaction in which an immediate family member had a substantial economic interest, a restriction that applies under state ethics law. The outcome could set a precedent for how local officials handle conflicts involving relatives' businesses in Louisiana parishes.
The Louisiana Board of Ethics filed formal charges against Havard on October 13, 2025, and has offered to settle by a no contest plea and a $2,500 fine, which Havard has not yet accepted. The board's next meeting on December 3 and 4 is when the matter could move forward.
The players
Kenny Havard
Kenny Havard is the president of West Feliciana Parish in Louisiana, a parish government official whose participation in cruise lease negotiations is at the center of the ethics case.
Louisiana Board of Ethics
The Louisiana Board of Ethics is the state body that enforces the ethics code for public officials and brought the formal charges and settlement offer against Havard.
American Cruise Lines
American Cruise Lines is a U.S. riverboat cruise company that signed a 10-year docking lease with West Feliciana Parish and paid the catering company tied to Havard's son.
The details
A complaint filed by Chuck Spillman in fall 2023 led to allegations that Havard participated in negotiations for a new ground lease between American Cruise Lines and the parish while his son Davis Havard's Ferdinand Catering received $254,348 from the cruise line between September 2023 and May 2024. The cruise line also paid for a "Cochon de Lait" experience at The Oyster Bar, with all payments routed to Ferdinand Catering.
Timeline
September 2020: American Cruise Lines and West Feliciana Parish signed a 10-year docking lease that Havard signed.
Fall 2023: Spillman filed the ethics complaint against Havard.
September 29, 2023 to May 31, 2024: The cruise line paid Ferdinand Catering $254,348.
October 13, 2025: Formal ethics charges were filed against Havard.
December 3-4: The Board of Ethics is scheduled to meet next.
Legal Context
Louisiana's ethics code prohibits public servants from participating in transactions with their government entity when an immediate family member holds a substantial economic interest, and violations can draw censure or fines of up to $10,000. This case tests how that provision applies when a parish official's relative benefits from a lease tied to the same local government.
Residents of West Feliciana Parish and nearby St. Francisville may see how local leaders handle conflicts involving family-owned businesses that contract with the parish. The outcome may also affect how the parish's riverboat docking revenue and lease decisions are overseen going forward.
The takeaway
Public officials are barred from acting on matters where an immediate family member has a substantial financial stake, so disclosure and recusal are central safeguards in local government. The case shows how ethics complaints can surface when a family business benefits from a public contract.
What happens next
The Louisiana Board of Ethics is scheduled to meet December 3 and 4, when it may take up the proposed settlement with Havard.
Further reading
For related coverage of official misconduct cases across the state, see Corruption reporting.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Advocate.
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