BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Three men were arrested after being accused of manipulating solicitation documents in Baton Rouge.

According to an affidavit, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI) and the Louisiana Department of Justice (DOJ) opened an investigation into reports of alleged bid rigging and misconduct involving the Capital Area Groundwater Conservation District (CAGCD).

Investigators learned that Gary Beard and Jason Hewitt were allegedly adjusting documents with the intent to eliminate competition.

Beard is the executive director of CAGCD, while Hewitt is the managing partner at Sustainability Partners, LLC. CAGCD is defined as a political subdivision of the state charged with groundwater management.

The affidavit states that Beard issued a Request for Qualifi

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