The Failure of Louisiana Campaign Finance Law: A Case Study of BRNext and the 2004 Mayoral Election

This thesis is a case study in how weak campaign finance laws and government oversight can undermine democracy in a local election. It does so by demonstrating how Louisiana campaign finance law enabled one wealthy businessman to play a major role in a mayoral election under the auspices of an issue-based political action committee. Through the examination of the Louisiana PAC BRNext, its financial activities, and its relationships, this study suggests that BRNext and its founder Lane Grigsby were able to violate the spirit of the law in each of these areas. BRNext was able to take advantage of the loophole-ridden and vague Louisiana campaign finance law, opening the electoral process up to the possibility for corruption. After discussing how this mayoral election illustrates the failure of Louisiana's legal frameworks to achieve core goals of campaign finance law, this study makes suggestions for adapting policy by taking into account new political actors and new routes for spending.