BATON ROUGE — State Sen. Rick Edmonds called on congressional rival State Sen. Blake Miguez to clarify his legal domicile Wednesday after saying Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill confirmed her office had received a complaint challenging Miguez’s eligibility to continue representing Senate District 22.
Edmonds discussed the complaint during a press conference at his campaign office in Baton Rouge. He said a New Iberia resident filed the complaint, but he did not know the person’s identity and had not seen the filing.
The Louisiana Illuminator later reported that they obtained the document through a public records request and the complaint was filed by David Levy, a New Iberia resident and former Democratic candidate for the Louisiana House of Representatives.
The complaint alleges that Miguez no longer lives in Senate District 22, which includes portions of Iberia, Lafayette, and St. Martin parishes.
The allegation comes after a Miguez campaign commercial aired Sept. 9. In the commercial, Miguez's daughter says, “That’s my dad, Blake. He moved to Baton Rouge in 1999. Went to LSU, built a business, and married my mom, and now he has four kids.”
An Aug. 7 post from Miguez’s campaign similarly states, “Since I first moved to Baton Rouge in 1999, this district has been special to me.”
Edmonds argued that Miguez should explain the statements and identify his current legal domicile.
“Today, I’m calling on Blake Miguez to give voters a direct and truthful answer,” Edmonds said. “Where do you live, and where is your legal domicile?”
The Louisiana Constitution requires legislators to have their primary legal residence in the districts they represent. It also states that the seat of a legislator who changes his or her domicile from the district “shall be vacated.”
The attorney general has 20 days after receiving a complaint to investigate and issue a written opinion. If the opinion states that the officeholder no longer meets the requirements, state law directs the attorney general to file suit within 10 days seeking a judgment declaring the office vacant.
“My campaign will respect this process and not prejudge its legal outcome,” Edmonds said. “But let me be very clear: My opponent is lying to someone.”
The residency dispute does not affect Miguez's eligibility to run for the 6th Congressional District seat. Members of the U.S. House are required to live in the state they represent, but they do not have to live within their congressional district.
Edmonds said the issue raises questions about Miguez’s credibility with voters.
“If he’s legally domiciled in New Iberia, then he must explain why he presented himself to the 6th District voters as someone who’s lived here for decades,” Edmonds said.
After his statement, reporters asked Edmonds about Miguez’s previous claims that Edmonds lives in Mississippi because he is the pastor of First Baptist Church in McComb.
Edmonds denied owning a home in Mississippi and said his only home is in Baton Rouge. He said he travels to Mississippi to preach on Sundays and returns to Baton Rouge afterward.
“I do not currently own a home anywhere but Louisiana,” Edmonds said.
Miguez did not respond to a request for comment from The News. His spokesman, Chris Pack, issued a statement to the Illuminator saying the campaign had not seen the complaint.
Pack called Edmonds “Mississippi Pastor Rick Edmonds” and suggested he could retrieve a copy of the complaint “the next time he heads home to Mississippi.”
Miguez has previously alleged that Edmonds lives in Mississippi, where Edmonds serves as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of McComb. Edmonds maintains that he lives in Baton Rouge and commutes to Mississippi on Sundays to preach.
Pack also pointed to an unpaid Mississippi income tax lien against Edmonds.
The Illuminator confirmed through the Mississippi Department of Revenue’s website that Edmonds has an outstanding lien totaling $5,243.25. The lien is dated June 22 and is connected to income from his position at the McComb church. The address listed on the lien is in Baton Rouge.
Edmonds' spokesperson, Delia Taylor, told the Illuminator that Edmonds would address the lien. She said he had been unaware of it because the notice was sent to a previous Baton Rouge address.
Taylor also addressed questions about a house Edmonds’ wife, Cindy, previously owned in McComb. She said Cindy Edmonds, a real estate agent who renovates and "flips" houses, briefly owned the property as an investment. Taylor said the couple never lived there.
Both Republicans are running in the Nov. 3 election for Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District.
