The Board of Directors of St. Tammany CHAMBERPAC has officially voted to support the Recall Petition requiring St. Tammany Parish Coroner Dr. Christopher Tape to stand for a parish-wide election now that citizens know more about him.
The St. Tammany CHAMBERPAC is the only business political action committee in St. Tammany Parish that endorses candidates and advocates for positions impacting the mission of the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce.
As of September 17, 2024, 21,000 signatures have been collected towards the 35,057 needed for submission to the Registrar’s Office. This figure includes 5,000 signatures collected after mailing 35,000 signature requests to registered St. Tammany voters. With the October 13, 2024, deadline approaching and 14,000 signatures still needed, the CHAMBERPAC Board, during its September 18, 2024, meeting, decided to issue this release strongly supporting the Chamber’s endorsement of the Recall effort.
The CHAMBERPAC does not take lightly the call for parish-wide support of this Recall; however, disturbing facts surrounding Dr. Tape that were previously not known or disclosed simply cannot and should not be ignored by our fellow parish citizens. After assuming office in an unopposed election, Dr. Tape eliminated the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program in his office and released the nurses responsible for conducting important forensic rape kits for traumatized survivors in our parish. Dr. Tape claimed it was a “business decision.” Compounding this issue are prior allegations of sexual misconduct against Dr. Tape. These events have significantly eroded public trust in the coroner and potentially impact the safety of the community.
