James H. "Jim" Brown - Troubles Abound, 1999-2000

Troubles Abound, 1999-2000

Late in 1999, just two weeks before the Louisiana primary election, Brown was indicted for lying to the FBI during a routine investigation. He still won a solid victory despite the indictment, 426,098 ballots (57 percent) to 319,124 for the Republican candidate, Allen I. Boudreaux, Jr., a New Orleans attorney who specialized in insurance law and was the director of the state Motor Vehicle Division under Republican Governor Murphy J. Foster, Jr. Turnout was lighter in the 1999 primary than in earlier ones in which Brown had been a candidate for office because Foster was headed to an easy reelection that year. More than forty newspapers endorsed Brown's reelection.

Many came to Brown's defense. "People who know Brown or know his reputation, including members of the press, know the charges against him are politically motivated hooey," wrote the now defunct Shreveport Journal on its op-ed page in the Shreveport Times on October 15, 1999.

Brown was sworn in for his third term in January 2000. His crackdown on fraud netted the arrest of five insurance agents accused of fraudulent insurance activities.

As his time as commissioner wound down, Brown announced that Allstate Insurance had lifted its freeze on issuing new homeowners insurance policies in Louisiana. Thereafter, Brown declared that State Farm would rebate $31.5 million to auto policyholders in Louisiana, and a few days later, the company pronounced a $19.5 million rate rollback. Brown cited measures that he implemented, such as "no pay, no play", impoundment, and a crackdown on drunk drivers as one of the reasons for the lower automobile rates.

Though he steadfastly denied having lied to an FBI agent during an investigation, Brown was convicted and served six months in federal prison in Oakdale in Allen Parish. He resigned and was succeeded by his first deputy, J. Robert Wooley, a Democrat, who in turn would win the seat in the 2003 general election. Wooley resigned as insurance commissioner on February 15, 2006, and was succeeded by his first deputy, Jim Donelon of Jefferson Parish, a Republican former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. Donelon is pledged to restoring public confidence in the department. He was narrowly elected to the 15-month unexpired term for the position in the special election held on September 30, 2006. Donelon defeated two candidates, principally a Republican state senator from Dry Creek in Beauregard Parish, James David Cain.

Brown writes extensively on Louisiana politics and public affairs through his Internet blog. Though his training is in law, he exudes considerable knowledge of Louisiana history and politics. Brown sometimes teaches classes in Louisiana history at both Tulane and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

In 2008, Brown was invited to his native Ferriday by Secretary of State Jay Dardenne to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the restored Arcade Theatre adjacent to the state-subsidized Delta Music Museum.