Relic, Politics, and Prosecution: The Clay Shaksnyder Case

Attorney Franz Borghardt joins the show for Legally Served to dive into the curious indictment of former Louisiana House Speaker Clay Shaksnyder. Accused of stealing a massive cypress artifact valued at over $25,000, Shaksnyder faces felony theft and malfeasance in office charges. But is this truly about missing state property—or political maneuvering? Borghardt questions the unusual path of prosecution, the artifact’s disputed value, and whether charging both theft and malfeasance “smells dirty.” With sharp legal insight, he explores how state property is handled, the rarity of such prosecutions, and whether this case is more about optics than justice.