logo
Mayor LaToya Cantrell to attend African American Mayors Association conference in DC

Mayor LaToya Cantrell to attend African American Mayors Association conference in DC

Yahoo16-04-2025
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — For the third time this year, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is headed to Washington DC.
From April 16 to April 18, Cantrell will attend the African American Mayor's Association (AAMA) Conference.
Pelicans name Joe Dumars Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations
City officials say the conference is a national gathering of United States mayors and civic leaders committed to addressing health disparities and promoting equity in communities across the country.
The annual conference is said to provide a critical platform for mayors to share best practices, influence national policy and strengthen initiatives at the local level.
The focus of the 2025 conference will be the nutrition access, affordability and the education grant program which is an AAMA and American Black Families for Healthy Access (ABFHA) strategic initiative.
The initiative will support community efforts to expand access to affordable, nutritious food and provide comprehensive nutrition education which are 'key pillars in reducing health disparities and empowering families to make informed dietary choices.'
Chris Brown adds New Orleans to 'Breezy Bowl XX' tour
City officials say while in DC, Cantrell will participate in panels and discussions focused on urban public health, food justice, and long-term community well-being.
She has also been named as a grant recipient, securing $125,000 for the city through the Nutrition Access, Affordability, and Education Grant, making New Orleans one of two midsize cities selected for the award.Md. senator seeks return of wrongly deported man
Syphilis cases drop statewide but rise in Baton Rouge, LDH says
Is Zoom down? Thousands report issues accessing software
Mayor LaToya Cantrell to attend African American Mayors Association conference in DC
Van Hollen denied meeting, phone call with Abrego Garcia during El Salvador visit
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Things to know about the indictment against the New Orleans mayor
Things to know about the indictment against the New Orleans mayor

American Press

time10 hours ago

  • American Press

Things to know about the indictment against the New Orleans mayor

Months before New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was set to leave office because of term limits, she has been indicted in what prosecutors allege was a yearslong scheme to conceal a romantic relationship with her bodyguard. Prosecutors say bodyguard Jeffrey Vappie was being paid as if he was working when he and Cantrell were really alone in apartments and visiting vineyards, hiding their communication by sending encrypted messages through WhatsApp and then deleting them. Although the pair have said their relationship was strictly professional, the indictment described it as 'personal and intimate.' The first female mayor in New Orleans' 300-year history has been charged with conspiracy, fraud and obstruction. Vappie was already facing charges of wire fraud and making false statements. He has pleaded not guilty. A grand jury returned an 18-count indictment Friday that added Cantrell to the case. The City of New Orleans said in a statement that it was aware of the indictment and that the mayor's attorney was reviewing it. Cantrell hasn't sent out a message on her official social media feed on X since July 15, when she said the city was experiencing historic declines in crime. She and her remaining allies have said that she has been unfairly targeted as a Black woman and held to a different standard than male officials. Here are things to know about the mayor and the indictment: Vineyard trips and alone time with bodyguard The indictment paints a detailed picture of Cantrell and her bodyguard traveling to vineyards and spending time alone in apartments at the same time it says Vappie was being paid as if he was working. Vappie reminisced in a WhatsApp exchange cited in the indictment about joining Cantrell in Scotland in October 2021, saying that was 'where it all started.' Cantrell had told local reporters she needed a security detail 'due to COVID,' saying her travel accommodations were 'a matter of safety, not of luxury.' The following year, instead of Cantrell attending a conference in Miami, authorities said the pair rendezvoused on Martha's Vineyard. Vappie's travel to the island was covered by the city to attend a separate conference. 'The times when we are truly (traveling) is what spoils me the most,' the mayor wrote to him that month. That same year, they also visited several California wineries, according to the indictment. After a 'trusted staff member' posted a photo of the three of them on social media, one of Cantrell's associates asked them to remove it. They met in an apartment while Vappie claimed to be on duty, and Cantrell arranged for him to attend 14 trips, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Simpson said. The trips, he added, were described by her as times 'when they were truly alone.' In all, New Orleans taxpayers paid more than $70,000 for Vappie's travel, Simpson said. The pair used WhatsApp for more than 15,000 messages, including efforts to delete evidence, make false statements to FBI agents, 'and ultimately to commit perjury before a federal grand jury,' he said. A turbulent second term as mayor Cantrell, a Democrat, won a historic election in 2017 by portraying herself as a candidate for the people and not of the city's political class. Her mayoral tenure started strong with her securing tens of millions of dollars for city infrastructure improvements and taking decisive steps during the pandemic. There wasn't strong opposition to her 2021 election for a second term. But it was around that time that the wheels started to come off her administration. After Hurricane Ida pounded south Louisiana in 2021, residents were left without trash collection for weeks, while crime rates were surging.

New Orleans Mayor Joins Long Line of Louisiana Politicians Accused of Corruption
New Orleans Mayor Joins Long Line of Louisiana Politicians Accused of Corruption

New York Times

time14 hours ago

  • New York Times

New Orleans Mayor Joins Long Line of Louisiana Politicians Accused of Corruption

Hundred-dollar bills stashed in a freezer. Riverboat casino licenses sold to the highest bidder. Truckloads of granite traded in a quid pro quo. Louisiana has a long and colorful history of political corruption allegations, which for decades have ensnared lawmakers at many levels of government. The most recent was Mayor LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans, who was indicted on Friday after a lengthy federal investigation. According to the charges laid out in the indictment, Ms. Cantrell abused public funds to facilitate a romantic relationship with her bodyguard, a city police officer, and then sought to cover up the personal time they spent together in New Orleans and on out-of-state trips while he claimed to be on duty. Ms. Cantrell's lawyer said on Friday that he needed to review the indictment before commenting; he declined to comment again on Saturday. Here's a look back at some of the most significant corruption scandals in Louisiana history: Richard Leche After the assassination of Huey Long, a popular Louisiana governor turned United States senator, in 1935, Richard Leche emerged as his successor. But Mr. Leche's single term as governor came to an early end when he resigned in 1939 amid corruption allegations. His resignation failed to stave off charges, and in 1940, he was convicted of mail fraud in a plot that prosecutors said involved a dealer selling trucks to the state's Highway Department at excessively high prices, and then giving Mr. Leche a kickback. He served five years in prison before President Harry S. Truman pardoned him in 1953. Huey and Earl Long Earl Long, the lieutenant governor under Leche in 1939, was swept into the state's highest office when his predecessor resigned. Mr. Leche's scandals loomed over Mr. Long's first term, and in 1940, Long was himself charged with embezzlement. The charges didn't stick, however, and Mr. Long would go on to win the governorship in two elections, holding office from 1948 to 1952 and from 1956 to 1960, in a career defined by personal excess and eccentric behavior. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

New Orleans mayor indicted for fraud over police relationship
New Orleans mayor indicted for fraud over police relationship

UPI

time16 hours ago

  • UPI

New Orleans mayor indicted for fraud over police relationship

New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell is facing federal wire fraud and conspiracy charges after being indicted this week along with a former member of her security detail for an alleged relationship. File Photo by Shawn Fink/EPA-EFE Aug. 16 (UPI) -- New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell is facing federal wire fraud and conspiracy charges after being indicted this week along with a former member of her security detail. Cantrell and retired New Orleans Police Department officer Jeffrey Vappie were both indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and other charges after Vappie was allegedly paid for official duty while the two were engaged in "personal activities," according to a statement issued by the Justice Department. Authorities contend the two began a relationship in 2021, during which time Vappie was paid as an on-duty member of Cantrell's personal security team. Vappie retired in 2004. "They embarked on a scheme to defraud the City of New Orleans and NOPD by exploiting Vappie's job and Cantrell's authority as Mayor to have the City and NOPD pay Vappie's salary and expenses during times Vappie claimed to be on duty but when the was actually engaged in personal activities, often with Cantrell," the Justice Department indictment reads. The allegations contend Vappie and Cantrell's activities extended to out-of-state trips. Cantrell allegedly shifted policy and started bringing members of her Executive Protection Unit on the out-of-state trips around five months after Vappie joined the EPU. "Cantrell said she would 'make it happen' to have Vappie accompany her on a three-day trip to Washington, D.C., a trip that they both agreed that they 'needed,'" the Justice Department statement reads. The City of New Orleans was billed over $70,000 on Vappie's behalf for the three-day trip. The couple also allegedly used a city-owned apartment during their relationship. Cantrell was elected in 2018 after serving as a Member of the New Orleans City Council, making her the first female mayor in the city's history. Cantrell has not commented publicly on the allegations. Police say the pair tried to hide the affair and have recovered thousands of texts and pictures from the What'sApp messaging platform. Both are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Vappie also faces twelve counts of wire fraud. Cantrell is also named in six of the latter charges. Additionally, Vappie is charged with making a false statement to the FBI, while Cantrell faces two counts of making a false declaration before a grand jury.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store