Camille Gravel - Advisor To Three Governors

Advisor To Three Governors

Gravel worked in the national Democratic organization on behalf of Stevenson in both 1952and 1956. He was a confidant and adviser to Governors Earl Kemp Long, John McKeithen, and Edwin Washington Edwards.

Earl Long had selected Gravel to run for state attorney general in 1956, but the job paid little, and Gravel, who was rearing a large family, turned down the offer, and position went to the Democrat Jack P.F. Gremillion.

In Edwards' first two terms as governor most of his proposed legislation was drafted by Gravel. Gravel returned as Edwards' counsel for his third term starting in 1984, but when Edwards was indicted for the first time on federal racketeering charges in 1985, Gravel left the governor's staff to work as his co-defense counsel. Gravel also served on Edwards' defense teams when he was convicted of racketeering in 2000.

In 1979, Gravel succeeded in obtaining the acquittal of former Congressman Otto E. Passman of Monroe from charges of fraud, conspiracy, accepting an illegal gratuity, and tax evasion associated with the allegation that he had received $213,000 in illegal gifts from the South Korean lobbyist Tongsun Park in a scandal called Koreagate.