Chester from Exelon. In the last several years weve been investing in energy services companies, heavily on power and environmental and energy service, Jenkins told The Advertiser. (redacted) was very adamant that his name stayed out of this report because he feared team ramifications and repercussions from Jim Bernhard.. Ms (redacted) expressed to Ms. Segar fear over retaliation because Mr. Davis has told her that his legal guardian, Jim Bernhard, would have her deported from the country and kicked out of LSU if she revealed their violent relationship, police recorded from their interview with Segar. Long-time LUS Director Terry Huval, upon his retirement in July, questioned the wisdom of selling, leasing or outsourcing management of the city-owned utility. The Shaw Group, Bernhard said, was an aggressive company and he wouldn't apologize for that. Bernhard and its affiliates donated at least $7,500 to Robideaux's campaign since 2015, according to campaign finance filings with the Louisiana Ethics Administration. Bernhard stepped down as CEO of The Shaw Group in the wake of that companys 2013 acquisition by CB&I. She denied that Bernhard had threatened her, and said her contact with him had been minimal. Gov. BCP will create a new utility management company, NextGen, to oversee their new acquisitions. BERNHARD was also ordered to pay a fine of $10,000. The plant has been operating in Reserve, belching out chloroprene emissions sometimes hundreds of times above the EPAs suggested exposure limit, since 1968, spanning four Democratic presidencies and six Republican. Two cities Lafayette and one from another state are in the running to host NextGen's headquarters where 1,000 people, most local, would be employed. He said the project will not affect tuition and student fees. Jim Bernhardt, a former Texans assistant coach, died Thursday. Bernhard co-chaired Blanco's transition team and, according to a Jan. 24, 2005, Gambit story, "hired her campaign manager and political protg, attorney Jeff Jenkins" to work at Shaw. His second. "It's no secret the governor and I have a relationship," Bernhard told the Advertiser at the time. What began as a small, family-owned company is now one of the countrys largest mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering, construction and service firms that provides Energy-as-a-Service solutions. Bernhard is also the former state Democratic Party chairman, and is a major donor and supporter to an array of Democratic candidates in Louisiana, including Edwards and East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome. by Paulick Report Staff | 11.08.2022 . Former LSU tennis player Jade Lewis is accusing LSU women's tennis coach Julia Sell of looking the other way while multiple people reported in. Rolfes said Richmond could lobby for stricter regulation and enforcement and push federal agencies to conduct more environmental reviews on new polluting projects, but instead hes missing in action.. It is through this work that we will achieve our vision and become the leading Energy-as-a-Service provider in North America. "Over the next four years, regulatory and internal inspections at Lake Charles would reveal a slew of problems associated with the effort to construct modular parts to fit the new Westinghouse design," Reuters wrote. Bernhard was in the running for Energy Secretary under President Barack Obama and has toyed with the idea of running for governor on several occasions. Jim Bernhard Jr. of Bernhard Capital Partners made his pitch to manage Lafayette Utilities System to the Lafayette Rotary Club Aug. 23, 218. Bernhard said BCP is the largest builder of power plants in the world andis the largest maintenance contractor from nuclear to coal plants in the United States. In several reports regarding Davis' abuse of Lewis, who spoke out publicly for the first time over social media on Wednesday, witnesses mentioned being intimidated by Bernhard because of his personal relationship with Davis and his standing in Louisiana politics, the Advocate reported. But Bernhard, a major supporter of the governor and political donor to the Democratic Party, turned down the seat without explanation. Bobby J. Jim played a leading role in every major decision of the company from its founding until its sale. "After Fukushima," he said, "we didn't think nuclear would be acceptable to people in the United States.". During an LSU investigation in 2018 regarding football player Drake Davis' abuse of his then-girlfriend, tennis player Jade Lewis, multiple witnesses informed officers they were afraid of coming forward because of potential repercussions from Baton Rouge businessman Jim Bernhard, according to the Advocate. After posing for a quick photograph, where he smiled and placed his hand on Mary Hamptons left shoulder, Richmond began to exit. LSU's cogeneration power plant at the southeast corner of Tiger Stadium, Tuesday, April 30, 2019, in Baton Rouge, La. Born to German immigrant parents in New Orleans, William Bernhard was a self-made man. Davis was arrested in August 2018 due to his abuse of Lewis. Here's each candidate's top donors, 'Put on a mask!' In Ms.(redacted)s own words she described threats from Mr. Davis to her they are as follows: if you come forward we'll never be together and my parents will ruin your life if you do this', the report continued. Ms. He backed legislation that experts said would undermine environment reviews for liquefied natural gas infrastructure. Still, the financial weight of major polluters in Louisiana politics is substantial. During their short interaction, according to Hampton, Taylor and one other present for the meeting, Richmond acknowledged community concerns over emissions from the plant, operated by the Japanese chemicals company Denka, and described them as a worry. But the references to Bernhard in the police reports about Davis do not concern the wide receivers upbringing. ", Police wrote that Davis reportedly told his girlfriend he would "take [her] to court because in Louisiana [she'll] never win and in any other state [she] will.". The LSU Board of Supervisors will determine the fate next week of a lucrative energy contract that multiple board members say is likely to be . They say they can operate LUS more efficiently than the city, invest in improvements and freeze rates until 2021. The driving force behind Shaw Group becoming a Fortune 500 company and the guy launching another upper deck financial grand slam with Bernar Ms. BCP's Energy Services Fund closed its initial equity sale in Spring 2016 having raised more than $750 million in capital commitments, SEC filings show. Jim Bernhard, the grandson of William Bernhard, and his business partner Jeff Jenkins took this Energy-as-a-Service concept and created a new business opportunity. Receive the latest news and updates from Bernhard, directly to your inbox. One of his guys came to our first meeting but he never offered any help. Residents: Don't give up management of LUS. Bernhard was born in Baton Rouge, but his family moved to Lafayette when he was young. Both have voted for the congressman in successive elections. Former LSU football player Drake Davis, who recently pleaded guilty to a series of domestic violence charges, was arrested early Sunday after . Bernhard Capital Partners is a service and infrastructure-focused private equity management firm established in 2013 by Jim Bernhard, Jeff Jenkins and . Our teams continue to design and create hospitals, classrooms, offices, hotels, and more. Nonetheless, Democratic analysts in the region argue Richmond has maintained a strong grassroots base in his district through championing issues in Congress including police violence, investment in housing, infrastructure and education. It was like he was trying to brush us off.. The congressman, who declined interview requests, also declined to provide evidence of correspondence related to the plant. While KPMG consultants have been deeply involved in the process, none spoke or made a public recommendation for the deal on Tuesday. Jim Bernhard, Chief Executive Officer of Bernhard Capital Partners, talks in his office in downtown Baton Rouge,Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. Local na rede Internet. Ive been working in his district every year that hes been a congressman, and Ive never seen his face or any of his staff members in the communities working on these [industrial pollution] issues. Were not making it up. The company at the time of the sale, he added, "was saddled by a portfolio of money-losing nuclear contracts.". Email Andrea Gallo at agallo@theadvocate.com. John Bel Edwards but declined the appointment for reasons not yet available. We are fighting for our childrens lives., 'Were just waiting to die': the black residents living on top of a toxic landfill site, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. BATON ROUGE, LAThe United States Attorney's Office announced that today JAMES M. BERNHARD, III, age 37, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Brian A. Jackson to twenty-seven (27) months of imprisonment. Got a question? The next day, the witness who was worried about her safety told police that Davis had continued to abuse Lewis after he bonded out of jail. University Ridge GC . Bernhard and Jenkins now are turning their attention to the electric power sector, with plans to invest $15 billion in coming years to purchase or manage utility companies such as LUS throughout the Southeast. According to a school spokesperson, the shared goal is to "renew UNO's campus energy infrastructure, reduce emissions . As a result, Shaw a minority owner of Westinghouse won all of Westinghouse's contracts. Bernhard, at a Lafayette Rotary Club presentation Aug. 23, said of the two cities being eyed for Next Gen's headquarters, he prefers Lafayette, where he has personal ties. When LSU Police investigated allegations in 2018 that a football player was abusing the tennis player he was dating, multiple witnesses told officers they were afraid of coming forward because they feared repercussions from influential Baton Rouge businessman and Democratic political donor Jim Bernhard. Shaw entered the nuclear power business in 2000 when it acquired Stone & Webster, an engineering, procurement and construction company. Richmond declined to answer whether he supported the Senate bill. in Construction Management from Louisiana State University. But he has also kept the states Democratic establishment firmly onside. An LSU board of supervisors member asked Friday whether the university could explore severing its relationship with Rouses Supermarkets over c, Its been nine years since the Louisiana Ethics Board first took up what its former chairman called the most egregious case to ever come bef, While LSU poured untold resources into the pursuit of national football championships, campus leaders for years ignored warnings that LSU did , Michael Martin has been in charge of universities across the country, but he says hes only worked in one state where the governor has called . Baton Rouge leaders urge caution about coronavirus as city reopens, Bernhard Capital Partners acquires Ascension Wastewater; providing $1.5M rebate to customers, Louisiana's new deal with Bernhard, Johnson Controls could lead to widespread energy privatization, Joint venture including Baton Rouge's Jim Bernhard strikes energy privatization deal with Louisiana, 'We are here for you': Hundreds of LSU students protest in wake of sexual assault scandals, Former student who accused Derrius Guice of misconduct to take on LSU in records lawsuit, Should ex-LSU star Derrius Guice's name be redacted from police report? Jim has served on numerous boards of trade and civic organizations and is very active in his community. The projects encountered many problems, including Westinghouse's design, Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations and required design changes, even with the soil at the Georgia site. In 2019, Bernhard achieved a major milestone with the passing of its 100th year in the engineering and contracting business. Bernhard is mentioned by name in seven separate instances in police reports about former LSU wide receiver Drake Davis abuse of LSU tennis player Jade Lewis, who has recently spoken out publicly for the first time. He also declined to answer a list of detailed questions despite multiple requested deadline extensions. In 1984, Bernhard Brothers Mechanical Contractors was established in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by William Bernhard Jr.s sons: Bill, Barry, and Jude. BCP recently raised more than $1 billion in investments after an initial $750 million offering in 2015-16. Bernhard departed the companywith more than $20 million in cash,$15 million in equity, more than $18 million from a senior executive retirement plan and, according to several sources, use of a private plane for 10 years. In 2000, Shaw ventured into the utility industry, partnering with Entergy to createEntergyShaw to build power plants. His full brother Air Force Blue was a superstar juvenile overseas, wining the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (G1), Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes (G1), and Dubai Dewhurst Stakes (G1). He serves as Chairman of the Investment Committee, serves on the Portfolio Committee and is involved in all areas of the Firm's investment activities. The Bernhard players agreed not to use the Shaw name. Reserve, a majority African American working-class neighbourhood, is the centre of a year-long Guardian series, Cancer Town, examining local residents fight for environmental justice in an area where the risk of cancer is 50 times the national average, according to the EPA. Since then its been zero.. As the region was experiencing an economic downturn, the company sought new opportunities for growth. The Bernhards live on a sprawling setup behind gates near the Country Club of Louisiana. In 2019, he voted to allow oil drillers to explore the Atlantic coast including by using seismic airgun blasting. Overall, the project was a success and significantly reduced the LSUs energy footprint. Segar showed them pictures of bruises around her neck. He had previously settled a civil lawsuit that alleged he sold invalid movie tax credits and used the proceeds for his personal gain. In 2015, he founded Bernhard Capital Partners, a private equity firm that acquires. The project was designed to greatly reduce operating energy costs and provide LSU an opportunity to upgrade its infrastructure. Our Views: LSU scandal is about more than legal or policy violations. In 2015, according to records on social media, Richmond hired James M Tres Bernhard III, son of Jim Bernhard, the founder of Louisianas influential Shaw Group and the former chair of the Louisiana Democratic party, who has reportedly considered a bid for governor. There have been signs of tentative progress in Reserve in the past six months. Hampton and Taylor say they were told that Richmond would sit down with them and hear about the years-long fight for clean air in their hometown. Kathleen Blanco's transition team, Bernhardbuilt a pipe fabrication business intoa $3 billioncompany awarded hundreds of millions in Defense Department contracts and no-bid contracts after Hurricane Katrina. Police documents refer to Bernhard as a "legal guardian" and "dad" to Davis, although there is no official documentation of adoption. Westinghouse, a subsidiary of Toshiba, selected The Shaw Group in 2008 to build nuclear reactors in Georgia andSouth Carolina. Representative Cedric Richmond is the sole Democrat in Louisianas congressional delegation. 39 11 & family. LUS is not regulated by the Public Service Commission because it is owned by the city. Any promise made to LSU is a promise made to our own family., Perhaps the highest-profile ethics case in Louisiana one the former chairman of the state's Ethics Board called the most egregious case he. There have been letters, he said, according to one of those in the room. What should we know about LSU's handling of sexual misconduct cases? The company continued to expand in the 1990s, acquiring fabrication and pipe companies, including companies in The Netherlands, Venezuela, the U.K. and Australia, and grew into the construction and engineering areas. Law firm Husch Blackwell will meet with LSU leadership Wednesday to begin its investigation into the school's handlings of sexual and domestic, LSU has been ordered to make public unredacted police records involving a former student's allegation of video voyeurism against former star r, Two years ago, the NCAA, SEC and LSUs president and top legal counsel were all warned that LSUs athletics department had potentially run afo, LSU has agreed to pay Husch Blackwell up to $100,000 for the law firms review of how the university has handled past sexual violence and assa, Nearly two hours passed in the LSU Board Supervisors' meeting Friday before the first mention was made of the sexual assault scandal on the LS, LSU Interim President Tom Galligan said Monday that the university has sent more than 60 files relating to a smaller number of sexual miscondu, LSU officials investigated in 2018 whether employees of the Athletic Department had properly handled a student's earlier complaint that a foot, LSU executive deputy athletic director Verge Ausberry has stepped down from LSU's presidential search committee amid allegations that he did n. If more upgrades and infrastructure are needed in the future, Enwave will have the chance to finance them. Shawcashed in. ATC Associates isan environmental consulting and engineering firm whose national business headquarters is in Lafayette, Jenkins said. "Notwithstanding what the police reports indicate these, may have said, I did not discourage Jade Lewis from reporting nor threaten retaliation against anyone. A charismatic and chisel-jawed politician, he has seen his congressional seat in Washington turn into a Democratic stronghold in the deeply Republican south. The agreement calls for the university to pay Enwave $27 million per year over the next three decades. RELATED: What would Lafayette get for LUS? Reached by The Advocate, Bernhard denied that he ever threatened Lewis. Mobility remains a distinct advantage of our firm today. An examination of congressional records, suggests he has not spoken about the issue in Congress. Established by Fred Estopinal, MCC provided engineered mechanical and plumbing construction services. Breaux, and MCC helped to grow Louisiana: building the Louisiana Governors Mansion in 1963, opening an office in Lafayette in 1965, and constructing Lafayette General Hospital that same year. 2023 Brown & Root. The consultants said they had already reached out to several companies that expressed interest in bidding on the project. In 2018, Bernhards innovative work saved clients more than $14 million in energy costs. Privacy Policy Disclaimer. And that Mr. Davis will take me to court for ruining his reputation, deport me from the country, my dad is the king of Louisiana, according to Ms.(redacted) he further said., A nonprofit foundation founded by Jim Bernhard and his wife, Dana, is donating $60,000 to pay for home internet for six months for 1,000 stude, Police also wrote that Davis told his girlfriend he would take you to court because in Louisiana you'll never win and in any other state you will.. Jim Bernhard. He serves as Chairman of the Investment Committee, serves on the Portfolio Committee and is involved in all areas of the Firms investment activities. He had never held an elected office or Democratic party position, The Advertiser reported at the time. Mr. James Michell "Jimmy" Bernhard, age 94, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 25, 2020, at his home in Lafayette, Louisiana. James Bernhard. While BCP does not manage any city-owned electric systems, itsmanagement team is experienced in the regulated utility sector, including Cleco and Exelon, Jenkinssaid. Find your friends on Facebook. "Notwithstanding what the police reports indicate thesewitnessesmay have said, I did not discourage Jade Lewis from reporting nor threaten retaliation against anyone. He has taken $128,750 from chemical manufacturers, placing him sixth in career donations among current House Democrats. Bernhard Capital Partners is a service and infrastructure-focused private equity management firm established in 2013 by Jim Bernhard, Jeff Jenkins and a team of experienced private-equity . The second generation of leadership included William Bernhards sons: William Jr., Charlie, and Jimmy. Jim Bernhard is a Founder and Partner of Bernhard Capital Partners. The cogeneration plant led to a major lawsuit between LSU and Bernhard Mechanical Contractors, Inc. Jun 9 - 11, 2023. Under Blanco's administration in 2004, Louisiana lured a Union Tank Car manufacturing facility away from Texas with a $30 million state subsidy. Although Bernhard lives in Baton Rouge, his parents and siblings call Lafayette home. They included Epic Piping, ATC Associates headquartered in Lafayette, Bernhard LLC and Brown and Root. James M. "Tres" Bernhard III pleaded guilty Wednesday in Baton Rouge federal court to one count of wire fraud and admitted that he schemed to divert $453,123 of his former law firm's money to. Staff Writer Sam Karlin contributed to this report. In 1993,the company's common stock was first listed on the NASDAQ national market. But he voted to block them from drilling on the outer continental shelf of Florida. In This Article. JAMES BERNHARD OBITUARY. A former chairman of the Louisiana Democratic State Central Committee who served on Gov. The process for awarding the contract has been steeped in both secrecy and controversy for several months. (2014), co-authored with her husband, Jim Bernhard; JAMESTOWN: THE NOVEL (2014), THE HOGGS OF TEXAS: LETTERS AND MEMOIRS OF AN EXTRAORDINARY FAMILY, 1887-1906, (2013), A TALE OF TWO COLONIES: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN VIRGINIA AND BERMUDA?