Police: No evidence yet that beating of Jindal aide was political

A police report issued Friday says a beating this month of an aide to Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) and her boyfriend does not appear to be politically motivated. 

The New Orleans Police Department report, first obtained by the New Orleans Times-Picayune, says that obscenities were shouted at Jindal's campaign finance director Allee Bautsch and her boyfriend Joe Brown after a Louisiana Republican Party fundraiser held last Friday during the Southern Republican Leadership Conference. 

Here are the details:

Shortly before 10:30 p.m., Mr. Brown and Ms. Bautsch left the restaurant and began walking towards St. Louis Street. Mr. Brown noted there were several protestors loitering in the area, but not nearly the number which had been present earlier. Soon after leaving the restaurant he heard "cat calls." At an unknown point within the 400 block of Royal Street, both Mr. Brown and Ms. Bautsch then crossed from the Brennan's side of the street to the Supreme Court side of the street.

They continued to walk towards St. Louis when Mr. Brown began to hear people behind him scream obscenities. Initially he was not sure if they were being directed at him and his girlfriend, of if they were simply the outbursts of drunken revelers.

As they neared the intersection, Mr. Brown state he heard subjects state things such as "Little blonde b---h," "You're a f------- faggot," and "You think you're f------ special."

At this point, Mr. Brown realized these derogatory terms were being directed at Ms. Bautsch and him. He then requested she begin to walk faster toward the Omni-Royal hotel located at the intersection of St. Louis and Royal.

Mr. Brown also recalled the farther they got from the restaurant, the closer these subjects got to them. When they reached the corner of St. Louis and Royal, Mr. Brown and his date turned south on St. Louis.

It was at this time that one of the subjects pushed him into the iron gate that surround the State Supreme Court (building). He then fell to the ground, and one of the attackers got on top of him and began to attack him. Mr. Brown stated as he was pushed to the ground, Ms. Bautsch was also either pushed down or fell down near where he was. As he fought to get his attacker off of him, he heard his girlfriend cry out in pain. She then repeatedly stated, "Oh my god, my leg is broken."

All of the attackers then ran away in an unknown direction.

It was rumored that the attackers were part of a group of protesters outside the event in the French Quarter, leading some to question whether or not the beating was politically motivated. Both Bautsch and Brown were seriously injured in the incident.

The beating came at a time when several lawmakers on Capitol Hill reported that they received threats after the vote on healthcare reform.

The investigation is still pending and the police report does not represent a definitive conclusion that there was no political reason for the beating.