Suspicions proceed to swirl round New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who faces accusations of not solely misusing taxpayer funds but in addition having an extramarital affair with a not too long ago divorced NOPD Officer Jeffrey Vappie, a cop usually tasked with offering safety for the politician.
The FBI has been investigating Cantrell, and on the heart of its probe is the city-owned Higher Pontalba residence the place the 2 have been seen collectively whereas Vappie was off responsibility.
Native information outlet Fox 8 Reside stories it has been instructed by sources with information of interviews performed by federal investigators that FBI brokers have not too long ago been asking questions on Cantrell and Vappie’s relationship and the time they spent collectively within the residence.
The New Orleans Metropolis Council has subsequently prohibited Cantrell and any future mayors from using the residence.
Vappie’s spouse filed for divorce after information stories implying her husband’s potential infidelity with the mayor began to emerge. Some stories say that the 2 had been seen partying collectively in Los Angeles and as far-off as Scotland.
In court docket paperwork, Vappie’s spouse mentioned he admitted he was having an affair with a “Mrs. L.C.,” which many imagine is Cantrell. Nonetheless, each the officer and the mayor have denied the allegations, insisting their relationship is “skilled.”
The newest assessment was launched by Fox 8, which requested all invoices, receipts, and journey reimbursements for Cantrell and all members of her touring get together to Dubai. The paperwork had been launched by town on Jan. 18, displaying the expenditure amounting to $15,000, with the vast majority of these sources going to Vappie’s journey.
The aim of Cantrell’s December 2023 journey was to attend a local weather motion convention organized by the U.S. Convention of Mayors. Throughout the convention, Cantrell, the primary lady elected mayor of New Orleans, addressed Louisiana’s coastal restoration initiatives and proposed enhancements to town’s drainage system.
Cantrell’s first-class roundtrip and lodge keep value over $24,000, however the Convention of Mayors lined these. Town lined $1,300 of Cantrell’s spending cash, whereas $14,000 for Vappie’s journey bills (financial system airfare, lodge charges, and per diem) was additionally paid by New Orleans taxpayers, per Fox 8.
Cantrell has beforehand made headlines for her expenditures on safety and maintains that the funds allotted to safeguard her are indispensable bills for her administration.
In late 2022, after town lawyer and chief administrative officer found that she had breached a coverage prohibiting the usage of first-class flights at public expense in most conditions.
Cantrell confronted criticism for expending tens of 1000’s of {dollars} from town’s funds on first-class journey to France and Switzerland.
Throughout a September 2022 press convention, she defended her selection by asserting that she couldn’t go for financial system class, citing considerations in regards to the security of Black ladies on sure business flights.
“All bills incurred doing enterprise on behalf of town of New Orleans is not going to be reimbursed to town of New Orleans. One factor is evident: I do my job,” she mentioned.
The next month, Cantrell repaid town for the $29,000 she spent on her travels to the European international locations.
