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T h u r s d ay, J u ly 9, 2026
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DA investigating UL credit card use Auditor’s Office tagged possible misuse by athletic recruiter
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
The Lafayette District Attorney’s Office is investigating possible misuse of a university credit card in the athletics department at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette as reported by a state auditor. Assistant District Attorney Frederick “Fritz” Welter confirmed
Wednesday that the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office has launched an investigation. “I can confirm that I have been assigned LLA case involving UL Lafayette Athletics and am handling it, but it is under investigation so I cannot comment on it,” he wrote via email. In a report issued in June, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office noted possibly erroneous
charges by a football recruiter who resigned in January and who allegedly submitted false documents to get paid for unallowed alcohol and food costs. The employee’s action may violate the state’s LaCarte credit card and travel policy, as well as state law. Troy Wingerter, former associate athletic director who oversaw recruiter spending, was forced to
retire after more than 40 years with the UL Ragin’ Cajuns. In a statement, Wingerter said no one personally benefited from the Wingerter questioned expenditures. He attributed the issues to shortcomings in training, communication and oversight, telling
one news organization the charges should have been to the UL Foundation instead of the department’s LaCarte card. Wingerter, while disputing aspects of the audit’s conclusions, said he accepts responsibility as a senior administrator for the oversight that occurred. The university’s purchasing department, through its routine internal controls, found that the recruiter, from November 2024
ä See CARD, page 3A
Landry’s pardon promise not so simple Clemency application rules tightened in 2024 by legislators
BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EMRAH GUREL
President Donald Trump speaks Wednesday during a news conference, flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
U.S. carries out another round of strikes on Iran Attacks come hours after Trump says ceasefire is over
in Iran could reignite, coming just a day after the U.S. military hit a variety of military sites and port facilities following Iran’s CO ONFLICT targeting of several merchant vessels off IN THE T coast of Oman. BY JON GAMBRELL, SEUNG MIN KIM MIIDDLE theMilitary officials and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN EAST AST said in a social meAssociated Press dia post Wednesday that the latest strikes DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. carried out another round of strikes on were intended to “further degrade” Iran on Wednesday, hours after Presi- Iran’s ability “to threaten freedom dent Donald Trump said that recent of navigation” in the strait, through Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait which a fifth of the world’s traded oil of Hormuz signaled the end of the and natural gas passed before the war began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on fragile ceasefire. The action raised fears that the war Feb. 28.
ä U.S. to license Ukraine to produce
Patriot systems. PAGE 5A
Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including the southern port cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, as well as Bushehr, home to Iran’s nuclear power plant complex. After leaving a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump posted several videos on his social media site of what he said were explosions in Iran and issued another warning to the Islamic Republic.
ä See STRIKES, page 3A
As soon as news broke last week that a New Orleans grand jury had indicted Attorney General Liz Murrill, Gov. Jeff Landry took to social media, promising to pardon her. Murrill “will not have to worry about having her reputation tarnished by this ä All 12 N.O. kangaroo grand judges recuse jury or the Orfrom Murrill’s leans Kangaroo as I will intimidation court pardon her as case. PAGE 3A fast as the law allows,” Landry wrote in a July 2 post on X. “The criminal justice system is a circus at its finest in Orleans and we will not have any of that!” But pardoning Murrill — who faces eight counts of intimidation and eight more of malfeasance, but whose indictment has been stayed by the Louisiana Supreme Court — may not be as simple as it sounds. The Louisiana Constitution requires the governor to get a recommendation from the Board of Pardons before he can grant clemency to an inmate — and preemptive pardons do not exist in Louisiana, like they do on the federal level, according to multiple attorneys and people familiar with the clemency process.
ä See PARDON, page 3A
City Council grants permit to cigar lounge Ashes II Ashes bar previously denied by zoning commission
unanimously voted down by the city zoning commission. The City Council voted 3-2 on Tuesday to approve the permit for Ashes II Ashes, 403-B S. Buchanan St., to legally operate as a bar, a reBY STEPHEN MARCANTEL quirement for anyone looking to do so in Lafayette’s downtown area. Staff writer The bar would be separate from The Lafayette City Council ap- the cigar lounge since smoking in proved a conditional use permit bars is not allowed in Lafayette. Council members Kenneth for a downtown cigar lounge to sell alcohol that earlier had been Boudreaux, Elroy Broussard and
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Andy Naquin voted to approve the permit. Liz Hebert and Thomas Hooks voted against. The vote came after a May meeting of the zoning commission in which residents who live above the business complained of loud noise and other issues. Kevin Blanchard, CEO of the Downtown Development Authority, described the vote then as a “slowmoving car crash” because of the expected result if the permit was
approved. The business has been operating as a bar since November when Lafayette Consolidated Government issued a Class A alcohol permit for the property but did not issue the necessary use permit. That was an oversight by LCG, Sally Leger, manager of the alcohol and noise control division, told the commission in May.
ä See BAR, page 3A
Business ...................10C Commentary ................3B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................4A Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Living............................5C Sports ..........................1C
STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER
Gov. Jeff Landry, right, stands next to Attorney General Liz Murrill outside the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans in January.
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