>
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has criticized a reporter who followed up on claims that she had an extramarital affair with her bodyguard, claiming it is based on sexism.
The embattled mayor was identified by the media in divorce papers filed with Detective Jeffrey Vappie, 50, who worked as Cantrell’s bodyguard, claiming he cheated on his wife, Danielle, with a ‘Ms. LC’
Cantrell, also 50, denied the accusations to the local media. nola.comtexting a reporter that it was just one of the latest ‘false accusations’ against him.
“By the time I complete my term as mayor, I would have slept with half the city of New Orleans based on the false accusations that come my way sometimes every day,” Cantrell told the local reporter. This is just one of them.
‘If I were a MAN, you would NOT text me about these *** bulls.’
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell (pictured) told a local reporter inquiring about the allegations of an extramarital affair that the claims were based on sexism.
Reports have surfaced that divorce papers filed with New Orleans detective Jeffery Vappie (above) state that he admitted to having a sexual relationship with Ms. LC
Since 2022, Fox New Orleans has aired numerous videos showing Mayor Latoya Cantrell and her bodyguard Jeffrey Vappie entering a city-owned apartment together.
Lawyers for Vappie, who is currently suspended amid an investigation into irregularities in his pay, told NOLA that the detective never admitted to his wife that he had a sexual relationship with the mayor.
Danielle alleges that her husband and Cantrell have been involved in the affair since May 2021, the same month he began working security for the mayor.
He also states that the affair continues and that Vappie told him about it.
Vappie’s lawyer stopped short of denying that there was ever an affair, citing the ongoing investigation into his client.
Vappie is under scrutiny for the hours he was allegedly clocking in. In January 2022, he too was charged with spending $916 for a single night on a Washington DC hotel room.
He eventually became embroiled in the Cantrell’s own hotel controversy. Since October 2021, Cantrell’s decision to provide travel security has cost taxpayers more than $50,000, Fox 8 News estimated.
Vappie also spent 112 hours in her apartment over a 27-day period, and was even seen watering her plants.
Last year, fox new orleans reported that Vappie spent more than five hours of her workday with Cantrell in a publicly owned apartment in the Upper Pontalba section of the city, where they were often seen together.
Jeffrey Vappie’s wife, Danielle, shown here, is a principal at a school in New Orleans. She claims the affair began in May 2021, when Vappie joined Cantrell’s security team.
Mayor Latoya Cantrell pictured with her husband, Jason (left). She has denied the allegations.
The affair impeachment is just the latest problem facing the New Orleans mayor, who is currently fighting an impeachment effort amid numerous financial scandals.
In November 2022, it was reported that Cantrell upgraded hotel reservations to stay in king suites during trips to Washington DC and San Francisco in January and April, which could result in costs of around $2,400.
City policy dictates: ‘No upgrades to hotel accommodations at City expense are permitted unless the hotel is unable to provide permitted accommodations at a time necessary to carry out the purpose of the trip.’
And a month earlier, Cantrell was required to return nearly $30,000 to the city after violating its policy by upgrading its flights to first class and initially claiming that economy flights were not safe for black women.
“My travel accommodations are about security, not luxury,” Cantrell, who earns about $188,000 a year, said at the time.
Hotel Washington in Washington D.C., where Cantrell spent nearly $2,500 on a king suite
The Hyatt Regency SOMA in San Francisco where Cantrell stayed and incurred a cost of almost $2,000. It is currently facing scrutiny after similar upgrade charges for first-class flights.
Cantrell faces questions about money paid to her stylist, Tanya Haynes (pictured)
Cantrell also faces questions about $175,000 in payments made since 2017 from his campaign to his “image consultant,” Tanya Haynes, and her business, Jolie Image Consulting.
Payments to Haynes overall have increased over time, reaching $6,000 per month in 2021, records obtained by 4WWL show.
Two stores where Haynes shopped: Ballin’s Boutique, where she often bought clothes for the mayor, and BC Kitchen and Bath, where Haynes recently ordered a new $17,000 kitchen, were cited.
Amid corruption allegations, Cantrell faces an impeachment effort, but it is unlikely to go through as his opposition has just five weeks to collect more than 20,000 signatures to put the measure on a ballot. foxnews reports.
Cantrell became the first woman elected mayor of New Orleans in 2018. She is married to attorney Jason Cantrell and the couple have a daughter, RayAnn.
The status of their marriage remains unclear as Jason is no longer mentioned on the mayor’s official bio page.
The mayor last mentioned her husband on Twitter in June 2021 when she wished him a happy birthday.