New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell Indicted on Federal Charges over Alleged Romantic Relationship Scandal

Federal authorities have indicted New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell on charges of conspiracy, fraud, and obstruction, alleging she attempted to conceal a romantic relationship with her bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie. The indictment follows an extensive investigation into the city’s first female mayor in its 300-year history.

Vappie, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and making false statements, is accused of concealing his romantic involvement with Cantrell and submitting fraudulent payroll records indicating he was on duty during personal meetings. He is set to stand trial in January.

Federal prosecutors claim Vappie and Cantrell communicated through an encrypted app to avoid detection and subsequently deleted their conversations. Both parties maintain that their relationship was professional in nature.

Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Simpson described the alleged scheme as a three-year fraud that exploited their public positions for personal gain. The pair reportedly met in an apartment while Vappie claimed to be on duty, and Cantrell arranged for Vappie’s attendance on 14 trips, according to Simpson.

The indictment states that in 2021, the relationship between Cantrell and Vappie became personal and intimate, prompting them to hide their connection and misuse their public roles to defraud the city. Simpson also mentioned that Cantrell lied about activating a self-destruct feature on her phone in 2021 when she actually did so only in December 2022, a month after media began speculating about their conduct.

When a private citizen photographed them dining together and drinking wine, Cantrell reportedly filed a police report and sought a restraining order. The mayor’s office has yet to respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press.

Cantrell, who is term-limited and will leave office in January, has had a tumultuous second term marked by clashes with city council members and a successful recall effort in 2022.

City Council President JP Morrell’s spokesperson, Monet Brignac, expressed sympathy for Cantrell and her family as they navigate this challenging time. Cantrell has not posted on her official social media account since July 15, when she announced a decline in the city’s crime rate.

As Cantrell enters her final months in office, she has faced criticism from former allies and a weakening of her civic profile due to self-inflicted wounds and bitter feuds with a hostile city council, according to political observers. The mayor’s role has been diminished following voter-approved changes to the city’s charter aimed at limiting her authority.

Cantrell and her supporters argue that she has been unfairly targeted as a Black woman and subjected to a different standard than male officials, with her executive powers allegedly undermined. Earlier this year, Cantrell claimed she had experienced “very disrespectful, insulting, in some cases unimaginable” treatment.