The vice chairman of the Southern University System Board ofย Supervisors was charged Monday with filing a false public record after investigators found his voter registration and homestead exemption were for two different Ascension Parish addresses.

The Rev. Donald Ray Henry is accused of maintaining his voter registration at 1208 St. Vincent St., Donaldsonville, so he could remain on the Southern board, said Tyler Cavalier, spokesman for District Attorney Ricky Babin.

At the same time, Henry claimed homestead exemption on his home atย 1136 E. Tiffani St., Gonzales,ย Cavalier said. In ถถา๕h, homeowners can claim the exemption only on the property at which they reside.ย 

In January 2015, then-Gov. Bobby Jindal appointed Henry, a technical specialist at Noranda Alumina in Gramercy, to a six-year term as a 2nd Congressional District representative to the Southern board.

A news accountย from the time that cited a news release from Jindal's office describes Henry as a Donaldsonville resident. Henry's term doesn't end until Dec. 31, 2020, the Southern website says.ย  ย  ย 

The 16-member board appointed by the governor has two members from each of the state's six congressional districts, three at large seats and one student member.

Though both of Henry's listed addresses are in Ascension Parish, Donaldsonville and Gonzales are on opposite sides of the Mississippi River and mostly in different Congressional districts.

Henry was appointed as a representative of the 2nd Congressional District, which includes Donaldsonville and western Ascension and some parts of Gonzales but does not include Henry's East Tiffani address, district maps show. U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, represents the 2ndย District.ย 

Henry's Gonzales address is in the 6th Congressional District held by U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge.ย ย 

A unanimous 12-person grand jury handed up the single-count indictment against Henry around lunchtime Monday.

Shauna Sanford, communications director for Gov. John Bel Edwards, noted in a statement that Henry is a Jindal appointee but said Henry "can only be removed for cause."

"The governor will review the facts that emerge as part of the investigation before making any decision,โ€ she said.

Janene Tate, Southern University spokeswoman, declined to comment Monday on the charge. A message left at Henry's Gonzales home number wasn't returned as of Monday afternoon.

The charging document accuses Henry, 53, of filing the false records in 2017 and 2018 but does not specify which document was allegedly false โ€” the voter registration form or the homestead exemption.

Cavalier said in an interview that Henry is accused of filing a false voter registration form.

Online tax records show Henry no longer claims homestead exemption on his East Tiffani address, though it is still listed as the primary address to receive his property tax bill. The indictment also lists the East Tiffani address as Henry's home address.ย 

Justin Champlin, chief deputy assessor in Ascension, said Henry requested by telephone on May 2 that the tax exemption be removed. Online records show Henry has owned the Gonzales property since 2002.

Cavalier said prosecutors began investigating the allegations surrounding Henry after a WBRZ-TV report earlier this year.

Advocate reporters Ellyn Couvillion and Will Sentell contributed to this story.ย 

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

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