Leander Perez was a Prosecuting Attorney for Plaquemines Parish Louisiana. He was being investigated concerning his possible violation of the Civil Rights Statute by depriving individuals of Plaquemines Parish, particularly the ones in Belle Chase, Louisiana their rights of freedom of religion. Perez was also enforcing the segregation laws as they applied to the white and black people of school age. On January 30, 1956, Leander Perez was interviewed, and he stated "he has requested the investigation be discontinued at the Washington level and that he expects the FBI investigation be called off." The Assistant United States Attorney for Eastern District of Louisiana wrote the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, and they agreed that no further investigations will be done. This information was received from Assistant Attorney General Warren Olney, III, by memo dated May 4, 1956. In 1965, another Civil Rights investigation was opened on Perez. The complaint was that Perez, who was a long time rabid segregationist harassed Federal Examiners and Observers in Belle Chase, Louisiana, in connection with the November 4, 1967, elections in Louisiana. Perez went into the local voting office and began to go through briefcases and file cabinets. He was escorted from the space. He tried to intimidate the Negroes who showed up to vote by yelling and cursing at them.
|
