New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell has suggested she faces a federal investigation into $29,000 upgrades to first-class flights because of her race.
Cantrell, 51, was charged by the Louisiana Board of Ethics with using premium upgrades on 15 flights over a two-year period.
The charges came under a state ethics law that bars public officials from receiving anything of value for their public duties.
At a news conference Wednesday, Cantrell spoke about what she called “examinations of targeting,” which she said are “common in relation to Black leadership.”
“When I came in, even as mayor, even before that on the city council, I have been the focus of numerous investigations,” the mayor said.
New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell (pictured) has suggested she could face a federal investigation into $29,000 in first-class flight upgrades because of her race
The charges came under a state law that prohibits public officials from receiving anything of value for their public duties
Her flight upgrade for a trip to Nice, France – where she attended a jazz festival and a French National Day celebration – cost a whopping $12,988 on top of the base fare of $4,666
‘I have always complied with this and I will continue to do so. I do notice that this seems to be quite prevalent in relation to black leadership, and I don’t think I’m exempt from that.
“But as far as the investigations go, I’ve been involved in them, I’ve lived through them and I’ll continue to comply with them when they come, that’s all I can say about that.”
Cantrell added that she has “no idea what is going on” regarding the investigation and is “absolutely not in favor” of the charges filed against her.
The politician also previously claimed her upgrades weren’t for luxury, but for her health and safety — citing the threat of COVID and “the world Black women are walking into.”
She ended up reimbursing the city $28,856 for the 13 domestic flights and two international trips to Europe she upgraded last October.
“Anyone who asks how I protect myself simply does not understand the world Black women walk in,” Mayor Cantrell previously said in a statement.
Cantrell said she stands by her claims “all day long” — despite ultimately paying back the $29,000.
“As all women know, our health and safety are often ignored and we are left to navigate on our own,” Cantrell said.
“As the mother of a young child for whom I live, I am going to protect myself by all reasonable means to ensure that I am there to see her grow into the strong woman I am raising her to be.”
LaToya Cantrell, 51, was charged by the Louisiana Board of Ethics with receiving nearly $29,000 in upgrades for 15 flights over a two-year span
The 51-year-old politician claimed her upgrades weren’t for luxury, but for her health and safety – citing the threat of COVID and ‘the world that black women walk into’
“Anyone who wants to question how I protect myself simply does not understand the world Black women walk in,” Mayor Cantrell previously said in a statement
But councilors did not believe these excuses and had threatened to include her salary in the 2023 budget to get the money back.
Her flight upgrade for a trip to Nice, France — where she attended a jazz festival and a celebration of the French National Day — cost a whopping $12,988 on top of the base fare of $4,666, according to court documents.
Cantrell spent $2,352 in government money on a first-class upgrade for her domestic flight from New Orleans to San Francisco — a five-hour trip.
The under-fire mayor was already in hot water after admitting he was living in a rent-free apartment in the city’s French Quarter, which is just three miles from her $500,000 Broadmoor home.
The refund — which was paid by the Democratic mayor about a year ago — came after weeks of controversy and the case will likely go before the Ethics Adjudicatory Board.
Cantrell could face a $10,000 fine for using state money for her luxury travel arrangements.
Government officials are required to seek out the cheapest possible travel options – and pay the difference from their personal finances if they opt for more expensive choices.
“We believe that both the mayor and the administration have appropriately addressed the travel issue and will respond to the ethics complaint in due course,” Cantrell’s spokesman John Lawson previously said.
Cantrell could face a $10,000 fine for using state money for her luxury travel arrangements (Photo: Latoya Cantrell and a friend at the mayor’s Mardi Gras ball)
This isn’t the first time the Democratic lawmaker has come under fire for her behavior. She was exposed for forcing her bodyguards to hold her bag, go shopping and take her daughter to the hairdresser in March this year.
Cantrell’s behavior was exposed after police launched an internal investigation into officer Jeffrey Vappie after it emerged he was spending time with the married mother of one at her grace and favor apartment in the exclusive French Quarter.
Bodyguards who spoke to New Orleans police as part of the Vappie investigation described Cantrell as a fiery, demanding boss who was overly familiar with her security details and expected them to act as her servants.
Kristy Johnson-Stokes, an officer who worked with Cantrell, told investigators that they would be asked to pick up her daughter from school, take her credit card to buy gifts at the department store and water her plants.
Cantrell was filmed earlier this year screaming and throwing the bird at riders on a Mardi Gras parade float.
“As the mother of a young child for whom I live, I am going to protect myself by all reasonable means to ensure that I am there to see her grow into the strong woman I am raising her to be,” Cantrell said. : The mayor’s daughter and her late husband)
In the short clip, the Democratic leader can be seen cheering from the stands in the center of Gallier Hall, as she appears to cheer in support of the Krewe of Tucks parade before raising her middle finger to the crowd.
The mayor appears to shout to the passing floats: ‘I love you. God bless you. I will see you. Happy Mardi Gras. Enjoy your ride. Glad your ride was good. Love you.’
It’s unclear what exactly prompted Cantrell’s rude response, and a statement from the mayor’s office said: “Mardi Gras is a time when satire and joke abound. The city enjoyed a safe and healthy Carnival and looks forward to continuing the celebrations on Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras.”