(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, a Democrat, faces an FBI investigation after reportedly having an affair with a married police officer who billed taxpayers $14,000 for a Dubai trip he took with Cantrell.
As reported by Fox 8 on Tuesday, investigators are also specifically probing Cantrell’s ties to NOPD Officer Jeffrey Vappie, after the duo spent time together at a taxpayer-funded apartment in New Orleans and took a trip to Dubai for a United Nations Climate Change Conference.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell probed for affair with married cop behind $14k Dubai junket https://t.co/ngYi3oPE4L pic.twitter.com/FCVLsepkX1
— New York Post (@nypost) January 22, 2024
Vappie, Cantrell’s security detail, flew with the mayor, billing the city a whopping $14,000 for the expense. Cantrell’s expenses, totaling $24,000, were covered by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which hosted the conference. New Orleans taxpayers covered the per diem pay and other expenditures for the mayor, Fox 8 and the New York Post reported.
In addition to the Dubai trip, Vappie and Cantrell reportedly spent time together at a New Orleans apartment (owned by the city), particularly during and off work hours.
As reported by the Associated Press, the New Orleans City Council passed legislation to block Cantrell and other mayors from using the apartment, usually kept for visitors or official meetings.
Instead, video footage reportedly caught Vappie and Cantrell entering the apartment during non-official gatherings. Cantrell has reportedly stayed at the apartment overnight, potentially violating the state’s constitution, according to the city’s inspector.
Fox 8 reported that the scandal prompted Vappie’s wife to file for divorce. In court filings, the estranged wife declared Vappie admitted to holding an extramarital affair with somebody called “Mrs. L.C.” In contrast, both Cantrell and Vappie have publicly denied the relationship, calling it “professional.”
Cantrell’s husband, Jason Cantrell, passed away in August 2023 following a heart attack.
The affair scandal comes against the backdrop of similar allegations rocking Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade, both leading the Georgia criminal election case against former President Donald Trump and 18 other co-defendants.
According to scathing court filings by Michael Roman, one of Trump’s co-defendants, Willis and Wade held an affair and took several flights and vacations paid for by Wade’s income through his contract with the district attorney’s office in Fulton County.
Roman raised the alarm that Willis directly benefited from Wade’s contract, which she approved, amounting to nearly $700,000. Notably, Nathan Wade’s wife, Joycelyn Wade, is seeking to subpoena Willis in the couple’s divorce hearings, centered around financial support requests. Joycelyn Wade alleged that her husband hid his Fulton County income from her.
Willis is facing an investigation from a Fulton County commissioner, along with demands for an ethics investigation with the State Bar Of Georgia. Willis has not denied the allegations but has instead filed a motion seeking to thwart Joycelyn Wade’s subpoena request.
