Treasurer John Fleming Threatens Senate President in Embarrassing Late-Night Text Rant

Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming crossed a serious line last week when he fired off a barrage of angry, late-night text messages to Senate President Cameron Henry — accusing him of political scheming and warning,

“The knives are coming out, as you will see.”

That kind of language isn’t just inappropriate. It’s reckless, unprofessional, and embarrassing for a statewide elected official.

At the heart of Fleming’s meltdown is House Bill 592, a bill dealing with primary election reform. Fleming claims it’s a “gambit” to protect Senator Bill Cassidy. Even if he disagrees with the bill — and many conservatives do — Fleming’s unhinged messages didn’t advance the cause. They undermined it.

Cameron Henry, meanwhile, handled the situation exactly how a serious leader should: with calm, class, and control. While Fleming was ranting about “puppeteers” and “brutal” political fights, Henry kept his cool. At one point, he simply replied: “You need to stop texting.”

That’s leadership.

What’s not leadership is turning a policy disagreement into a personal threat. Fleming’s behavior was so erratic that Henry felt compelled to alert Louisiana State Police. No charges were filed, but the fact that it reached that point speaks volumes.

Fleming may think he’s speaking for the grassroots, but all he did was embarrass himself and distract from real conservative priorities. Conservatives deserve better than backroom tantrums and veiled threats.

Louisiana has big problems to solve — and we need adults in the room to solve them. Thankfully, Cameron Henry proved he is one. Treasurer Fleming should take notes.