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Verite News and Type Investigations revealed Louisiana Gov. Landry required 100+ state employees to sign NDAs blocking disclosures

On July 24, 2026, Verite News and Type Investigations published an investigation revealing that Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry required more than 100 state employees to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) prohibiting them from publicly disclosing information about their government work. The agreements, characterized by reporters as a "gag order," preemptively bar state employees from speaking publicly about their official duties, suppressing potential whistleblowing and public accountability. At least 100 Louisiana state employees had signed the agreements as of the investigation's publication.

Jurisdiction
Louisiana
Location
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Abuses documented

Actors

On July 24, 2026, an investigation by Verite News and Type Investigations revealed that Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry required more than 100 state employees to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), which reporters characterized as a "gag order." The agreements prohibit state employees from publicly disclosing information about their government work, functioning as a preemptive barrier to whistleblowing and public accountability.

The NDAs impose contractual silence on state workers, barring them from speaking publicly about their official duties—a class of restriction that conflicts with First Amendment protections for government employees speaking on matters of public concern. At least 100 Louisiana state employees signed the agreements, according to the investigation by Verite News, which partnered with Type Investigations on the reporting.

The NDA policy gives the Landry administration a legal mechanism to discourage employees who might otherwise report government misconduct or policy violations through public disclosure or media contact. By requiring employees to sign silence agreements as a condition of state employment, the governor's office preemptively suppressed the speech of a broad segment of the state workforce before any disclosure or complaint could be made.

Why we recorded this

Freedom of expression: state employees retain constitutional speech rights about matters of public concern, including government conduct. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry required more than 100 state employees to sign NDAs barring public disclosure of their government work, functioning as a preemptive gag order on state workers. Requiring employees to contractually forfeit their speech rights as a condition of public employment erodes the accountability that depends on government workers being able to report misconduct and speak about their official duties.

Sources

  1. 'Gag order': More than 100 Louisiana state employees signed NDAs with Jeff Landry — Verite News investigative accessed July 25, 2026
  2. 'Gag order': More than 100 Louisiana state employees signed NDAs — Type Investigations investigative accessed July 25, 2026

See also