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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A lawsuit has been filed by the St. Tammany Parish district attorney against his own parish.

“Ultimately if I don’t get the money I’ll have to shut the office down,” said District Attorney of St. Tammany Parish Warren Montgomery.

That’s a move he said she doesn’t want to make.

“I didn’t want to file a lawsuit it was kind of my last option. The lawsuit is about getting the money that I’m obligated by law to receive,” said D.A. Montgomery.

He said he requested $6.4 million to fund the D.A’s office and was given just over $3 million.

The D.A. says that’s not enough to keep his office running.

“I have less than half the resources that I should have,” he said.

Montgomery cited Louisiana law which says the parish must pay the reasonable and necessary expenses of the D.A.’s office.

The lawsuit, which he filed on Monday against St. Tammany Parish, would settle at just over $8 million.

“My budget was actually $6.4 million for 2022 but I’m entitled to more than that,” he said. “They actually owe me more than that so I said if I have to sue if they’re not going to pay me I’m going to sue for the full price amount that’s why I’m suing for $8.5 million.”

The defendants in the lawsuit are Parish President Mike Cooper and all council members.

“There’s no efficacy in suing one another – litigation inside the family is not productive,” said St. Tammany Councilmember David Fitzgerald.

He calls the lawsuit unnecessary and costly, adding it’s a bad look on the parish.

“We are at a point here in the parish where we have a lot of pressing problems and the confidence in our government is somewhat limited and a situation like this does not help,” said the council member.

He says he believes the parish leaders can come up with a solution without a lawsuit in front of them. 

“Come together, get a solution a cost-free solution and figure this thing out,” said Fitzgerald. “Try to get some system of money not just a one-time payment but the sustainable  approach to funding the D.A.”

There is no hearing date set yet for the lawsuit.

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