NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A Louisiana Ethics Board has fined a former racing commission official for ethics violations from seven years ago.

  

The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reports a $50,000 penalty was levied against Neal Cormier on Nov. 18.

  

Cormier is accused of leasing stall space to racehorse owners and trainers regulated by the commission. The ethics board charged Cormier and two others with separate violations in 2012 - one member was fined but didn’t admit guilt and the other’s case was dismissed.

  

The board called Cormier’s dealings “illegal gains,” though it reported no evidence was found that Cormier took advantage of his status to achieve them.

  

The newspaper reports the ethics board has been criticized for drawn-out legal processes. He was appointed in 2008 by Gov. Bobby Jindal.