Settlement may be in offing for GEDC lawsuit

A settlement may be in the offing in the year-long legal dispute between the City of Grambling, its city council, and the embattled Grambling Economic Development Corporation.

At the end of the first day of testimony in a trial that began Monday, GEDC attorney Jimbo Yocum said the two sides believe they have an agreement in principle.

Terms of the possible agreement call for GEDC’s board members to resign in exchange for acknowledging no wrongdoing on their part or of GEDC’s president, former Grambling Mayor Edward Jones.

GEDC’s assets would also apparently go to the city.

Todd Benson, one of the attorneys representing the city, said he, Mayor Alvin Bradley and the members of the city council could would confer Monday night and confirm whether a settlement was reached.

The parties will meet in 3rd District Court at 9 a.m. Tuesday to either finalize the settlement or continue the bench trial.

If a settlement is reached, that would presumably end a criminal contempt-of-court motion the city and council had filed against Jones, GEDC board members Phyllis Miller, Linda Butler, and Mary Gibson, and the GEDC over the GEDC’s sale of the Legends Square shopping center in late December 2024.

Court documents discovered Saturday show Jones sold the shopping center and property upon which it sits to a Texas company on Dec. 30, 2024, for $700,000, apparently in violation of a court order issued in December 2023.

The sale was supposedly authorized by GEDC’s board in August.

Jones plead the Fifth Amendment during Monday’s testimony when Benson attempted to ask him more questions about the sale. Jones did so in light of what may – or may not – be a hearing Friday morning on the contempt motion.

At issue in the lawsuit is the city and council’s contention that the economic development group formed in 2014 under former Jones’ mayoral administration is no longer serving Grambling’s best interests, and isn’t cooperating with the city.

The city and council have also accused Jones and his brother, Eddie Milton Jones, a former GEDC employee, of misappropriating GEDC funds.

Edward Jones was the only witness Benson called Monday; he spent about six hours on the stand.

Several times Jones’ testimony appeared to contradict statements he’d made in depositions taken last year.

Under questioning from Benson, Jones repeatedly said he had no documentation backing up what turned out to be almost $10,000 in food and gasoline charges made to his GEDC credit card over a nine-month period in 2023.

Jones said he didn’t know who he treated to meals or what specific GEDC projects the expenses were tied to. He said only that all of the charges – including four restaurant changed on New Year’s Day 2023 in Ruston and Bossier City – were GEDC business.

At one point Benson hinted Jones spent $679.85 of GEDC funds on food for his election night party. Jones sought reelection in 2022 but was defeated by Bradley.

“Isn’t it true you used $679.85 for food for your election night party?” Benson said.

Jones said he didn’t remember. Shortly before, Jones denied a gathering for his supporters.

But Jones said if he had spent money on a party, it would have been proper use of GEDC funds.

“Was there any GEDC initiative on that ballot?” Benson said.

“Yes,” said Jones. “The GEDC and the city of Grambling work together. … Anything that was on the ballot that the citizens of Grambling had to vote for, we considered it to part of the GEDC

The approximately 136 meals charged to Jones’s GEDC card over the nine months show one instance of three charges in the same day to a Ruston barbeque restaurant,  more than $74 to an out-of-town eatery on July 4, 2023, and 2023 New Year’s Day meals.

“Are you telling the court that on a Sunday, New Year’s Day, you were eating all those meals on GEDC (business)?” Benson asked.

“That’s correct,” Jones said.

GEDC financial records compiled by Benson showed that in early November 2023, when word began going around that the city wanted to dismantle the GEDC, charges to the economic development group’s card dropped dramatically.

In December 2023, there were no food charges on Jones’ card, Benson said.

“He let this go until he got his hand caught in the cookie jar then he stopped,” Benson said.
Benson also suggested the GEDC didn’t share bank statements with the city because the Jones brothers were concerned the city would see what was allegedly happening to the economic group’s money.

Several times during his testimony, Jones attempted to make statements and not answer Benson’s questions.

“Mr. Benson is going to ask the questions and you have to answer the questions,” Judge Monique Clement told Jones.