The mayor of New Orleans is accused of an affair and misusing $70,000 of public funds
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has found herself at the center of a scandal after a federal grand jury indicted her for alleged misuse of public funds and a concealed romantic relationship with her bodyguard, Jeffrey Paul Vappie II.
According to the prosecution, from 2021 to 2022, Cantrell used her position to maximize time spent with Vappie, funding 14 joint trips abroad and across the US, valued at over $70,000.
The list of destinations included the United Arab Emirates, Scotland, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.. According to evidence, during an official meeting that lasted only an hour, $3,000 was spent, while Vappie pocketed an additional $1,120 through overtime. During the trip to California, expenses for luxury accommodation and hotel bar drinks were also recorded.
The prosecution states that Cantrell and Vappie took numerous steps to cover up the affair—ranging from deleting messages and intimidating subordinates to filing false reports against citizens who photographed them together. Vappie was previously charged with falsifying work hours, including those he spent in Cantrell's French Quarter apartment.
The charges against Cantrell include conspiracy, fraud, making false statements, and obstruction of justice, and if found guilty, she faces a multi-decade prison sentence.
Ironically, Cantrell is the first woman to lead New Orleans in its 300-year history, but a scandal similar to the one that ruined the career of former Nashville mayor Megan Barry in 2018 could spell the end of her political career.
