LaToya Cantrell has been mayor of The Big Easy since 2017, and I don't think there have been five minutes that there hasn't been some sort of controversy or scandal swirling about the pugnacious woman.
She and her husband, who, as an assistant city district attorney, once had a joint fall out of his pocket in court, have provided lots of flash and dash in a city long known for being a big, sleazy place for inherent corruption and under-the-table deals.
The Cantrells, back in 2022, were up to their eyeballs in back tax problems, accusations of a downtown city-owned apartment being used as a love nest by the mayor and one of her security detail, the mayor's excessive, first-class travel bills charged to the city, and a little kerfluffle about the mayor's 'image consultant' using camapign funds to the tune of over $175K to fund such things as a wardrobe for the mayor among the other services she was getting paid $6000 a month for.
There had been an ongoing effort to try to recall her, but she survived it when they finally got enough signatures to hold one.
So much to choose from and then some in the intervening time - there's always something else to graft off of in that city.
But it seems as if the feds have been on the case the whole time, because today?
WOWSAHS
Mayor LaToya Cantrell indicted in historic federal investigation
— WWL-TV (@WWLTV) August 15, 2025
Full Story: pic.twitter.com/efiKpP9zo8
They're already partying in NOLA over the news in some quarters, which is hilarious.
me liking every tweet about LaToya Cantrell getting indicted
— Justin Credible (@GravySauceCream) August 15, 2025
pic.twitter.com/ZMvbvcOvlw
So, fast forward three years since I wrote that post above, and I wonder what they finally got her for?
Ah hah. The boyfriend, among other things.
A superseding federal indictment alleges New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and former NOPD officer Jeffrey Vappie carried out a years‑long fraud scheme that used city funds for personal purposes, including concealing a romantic relationship, while Vappie was on the mayor’s executive protection detail.
Prosecutors say the pair exchanged more than 15,000 WhatsApp messages, photos and audio clips in eight months, arranged at least 14 domestic and international trips and charged over $70,000 in travel to the city as Vappie claimed on‑duty hours. The filing alleges they used WhatsApp to intimidate subordinates, harass a citizen, delete evidence, mislead investigators and give false statements to a federal grand jury.
The indictment also alleges Cantrell pressured then‑Interim Superintendent Michelle Woodfork to halt an internal NOPD probe of Vappie, sought his reassignment to her detail despite findings against him, and concealed responsive records from a grand jury subpoena, including WhatsApp communications. Cantrell has denied wrongdoing. Vappie previously pleaded not guilty in the case.
HOLY SMOKES
What a dummy.
I mean, it has to be so blatantly bad when you think of all the crooks that have run that city in all these years, and she's the one they nail?
Good gravy goodness.
Okay, this goes back to when I first posted about it.
...Prosecutors say both defendants were warned their conduct was illegal as early as April 2022. The indictment claims Cantrell concealed more than 50 records from a grand jury subpoena and falsely claimed she had activated WhatsApp’s disappearing messages feature in 2021, when in fact she turned it on more than a month after news coverage began.
Other allegations include filing a police report and seeking a restraining order against a citizen who photographed them together while Vappie was on duty, and continuing to obstruct investigations through 2024.
I remember it was an absolute hoot when a local TV station caught him entering and exiting that city-owned apartment at all hours of the day and night.
Turns out the mayor was there, too.
...A series of FOX 8 investigations found Mayor Cantrell spending hundreds of hours in the apartment, often for hours at a time during the workday.
Sources say the Inspector General is looking into whether the mayor has been utilizing the apartment for personal use, which would be a violation of a city policy that says city property is for work-related purposes and should not be used for personal benefit.
...However, FOX 8 reviewed 45 days of security camera footage from outside the apartment and found Cantrell staying there for hours at a time, often in the middle of the workday.
Amazingly, it seems everything I covered in that 2022 post is what's in the indictment.
5 Key Takeaways from the Cantrell Superseding Indictment
- Alleged year-long fraud scheme: Prosecutors say Mayor LaToya Cantrell and former NOPD officer Jeffrey Vappie used public funds to cover salary, travel, and expenses for personal activities, often together at the Upper Pontalba apartment or on trips.
- Over 15,000 WhatsApp messages: The indictment alleges Cantrell and Vappie exchanged more than 15,000 messages, pictures, and audio clips in eight months, including instructions to intimidate subordinates, delete evidence, and lie to investigators.
- $70,000 in travel costs: Vappie allegedly accompanied Cantrell on at least 14 domestic and international trips, with city travel costs exceeding $70,000.
- Pressure on NOPD leadership: Prosecutors claim Cantrell pressured then–Interim NOPD Superintendent Michelle Woodfork to halt an internal investigation into Vappie, and later reassigned him to her detail despite findings against him.
- Obstruction and concealment: The indictment says both were warned their conduct was illegal, yet concealed records from a grand jury, falsely claimed use of disappearing messages before news broke, and manually deleted thousands of prior WhatsApp messages.
Oh, my goodness - they have been on to her for so long, and she just kept rolling.
The security detail boyfriend has left the force and is facing his own federal legal jeopardy at the moment.
...Investigators later uncovered that Vappie may have engaged in an inappropriate relationship with the mayor while filing falsified timesheets. Vappie was placed on leave and eventually resigned.
In July 2024, Vappie was indicted on federal charges including wire fraud and falsifying records. Prosecutors allege he lied to cover up a romantic relationship with Cantrell. He has pleaded not guilty.
There are bribery allegations, too. That she accepted Saints tickets, among other things, from an inspector to ignore reports of his misconduct.
BREAKING - Democrat New Orleans DEI Mayor LaToya Cantrell has been indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption probe, accused of repeatedly accepting bribes, including New Orleans Saints tickets from a city inspector in exchange for ignoring misconduct. pic.twitter.com/aW0GRVoVM4
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) August 15, 2025
It is so heartening to know that someone has been on this from the federal side the whole time, in a place with as slimy a reputation as possible for ignoring damn near anything, including murder, if there's something in it for someone.
This has been a great year so far, don't you think?
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Beege ADDS: Writing this is made me sad, because I miss my schweet girlfriend Karen Townshend. When she was still with us, and something about New Orleans would come up, us two girls would spend the next hour or so dissecting it. Karen had actually lived in the city, while major dad and I know it like the back of our hands, having been there at least one weekend a month for years doing art markets.
You left way too soon, and I miss you bunches, girlfriend.
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