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Yahoo
4 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
The future of LGBTQ+ journalism begins with you
In November 2023, I sat at a bar in Colorado Springs. Survivors of the Club Q mass shooting had gathered with friends and supporters for a night of remembrance before the first anniversary of a night that forever changed their lives. One survivor hosted the night. There were maybe 20 people there in total. There were drag performances, laughter, tears, and memories shared among this group of people who were acquaintances before Nov. 19, 2022, but were forced to become more after the shared traumatic experience. I sat at the dimly lit bar, having been invited by one of the survivors I interviewed for a story on the shooting. When I first got there, an activist from Denver who had become a dear friend and support to many of the survivors took me aside before I even walked in. 'Who are you with?' they asked, protectively. I told them I worked for The Advocate, and I assured them I was just observing, getting contact information from folks, and wouldn't record what was said inside the bar. I drank with them. I danced with them. I listened to them. Mental notes were taken, but something that kept piercing through my mind even then was that this is what journalism should be. It connects. It reveals. It honors. It reopens wounds to let them air out. I wrote in my oft-forgotten notes app: 'An observer reaching for the impossible idea of objectivity will never be privy to this. So, they lack the story. It's listening and talking and being.' All journalists have an ethical duty to uphold the truth, and in queer journalism, we have an ethical duty to report and write factually about LGBTQ+ lives and experiences. Us in queer media — to borrow from my colleague Tracy E. Gilchrist — are authentic in our journalism because we're approaching our work through sympathetic yet informed lenses (we're often queer ourselves). I think about (queer) journalism a lot. Are our sources diverse enough? Would this make a good series? How can we get funding for investigative stories? How do we ensure we can keep doing this work for the next month, next year, next decade? Support queer media. . The Advocate has brought queer news to readers since it was a newsletter in Los Angeles, first drafted after a police raid at a gay bar in 1967. A small group was spurred to act, driven to help LGBTQ+ people in L.A. know what was happening in their community. Our mission remains largely the same since then: To inform the queer community. While we've grown to a national (and international) audience, that focus has stayed on what news our readers need to know to live their best lives — from the latest Supreme Court ruling to what's happening at local Pride events. This is a precarious time for journalism. NPR has sued the Trump administration after the president signed an executive order slashing its funding. CBS News cowered to a lawsuit that experts say it could have won against Trump. The Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty have been decimated by cuts of their federal funding. The Trump White House has repeatedly attacked the press — see the Associated Press debacle over the Gulf of Mexico. It's clearly becoming more risky for journalists to criticize this administration. Just as journalism is under attack, so too are queer lives. The American Civil Liberties Union is tracking 588 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the U.S. this legislative session alone. The right-wing backlash against gay and trans rights has led many corporations to pull back from publicly supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion. That includes funding things like Pride events, and yes, advertising in LGBTQ+ publications. Queer media — reported by, reported on, and involving LGBTQ+ people — is needed more than ever. It's a journalism that goes beyond superficial attempts to see the world in binaries and instead accepts the nuances and variety of people and their stories. It's why we're asking you, our readers, for your direct support. Today, we launch a membership program for The Advocate. Your financial support will go directly to the sort of reporting I did in Colorado Springs, and much more. When you become a member, you'll back the community The Advocate created in 1967 – you'll also get special perks like a behind-the-scenes newsletter from me, with exclusive insights into our reporting. If you join at The Advocate's founding level – for $19.67 a month – you'll receive a free print subscription to keep or give to someone, as well as a specially designed enamel pin to show your support of LGBTQ+ journalism. Celebrate this Pride Month by directly supporting The Advocate's work. Become a member today, and let's keep providing our community with the news it needs. I go back to that night in Colorado so often because for me it is what queer journalism is: Empathetic storytelling that reports the real LGBTQ+ experience. It's what we strive for at The Advocate. Since our founding in 1967, the LGBTQ+ community has been our north star. It continues to be. In this moment, we are fighting to keep bringing audiences the best of queer journalism. Thank you for reading, and thank you for supporting The Advocate.
American Press
4 days ago
- Automotive
- American Press
Jim Beam column:Landry threats get bill passed
Louisiana's Republican Gov. Jeff Landry gets legislators to pass a bill that critics say weakens other bills designed to lower auto insurance premiums.(Photo courtesy of Meg Kinnard of AP). Anyone who doubts that Republican Gov. Jeff Landry is the most power hungry governor since the late-Huey P. Long (1928-32) hasn't been following legislative deliberations on auto insurance reform. Long was famously known as 'The Kingfish' because of his autocratic style, and Landry is a carbon copy. Legislators have approved some excellent bills designed to lower what are among the nation's highest auto insurance premiums. Unfortunately, Landry has strong-armed lawmakers to pass one bill that might just wipe out the progress from those good measures. The legislation that is now House Bill 148 was born as HB 576 by Rep. Robby Carter, D-Amite. The legislation would allow the state insurance commissioner to reject rate increases, even if facts show they are justified. Commissioner Tim Temple says the bill will make it harder for insurance companies to raise rates and will discourage other companies from coming to Louisiana. Landry testified for over 30 minutes in support of the bill before the House Insurance Committee and said if it didn't pass, he was going to 'bring it back again, again and again.' Carter's bill got out of committee but he apparently didn't have the votes to pass it in the full House and returned it to the calendar twice. So Landry came up with a new plan. Rep. Brian Glorioso, R-Slidell, introduced an amendment to HB 148 on the House floor on April 30 that was pretty much the original Carter HB 576. And The Advocate reported that Landry 'powered over Republican opponents in the state House' who passed the Glorioso amendment 67-33. The newspaper said it was significant that only 36 Republicans supported the amendment, while 33 opposed it. All 31 Democrats voted in favor of the amendment. The House then passed the amended bill with a 68-34 vote. Rep. Paula Davis, R-Baton Rouge, who worked for the insurance department for a decade, said, 'We're sending a message to the industry that we're an unstable place to do business.' The Advocate on May 22 said, 'Gov. Jeff Landry showed who's the boss at the State Capitol when he rammed a car insurance bill through the Senate late Wednesday night over the vehement objections of Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple and business trade groups.' The Senate passed the bill with a 26-9 vote on May 21. When the bill got back to the House because of Senate changes, the House voted 76-18 to agree to the changes and sent the bill to the governor, who said it would make it harder for insurance companies to raise rates. The newspaper said Allstate and State Farm officials met privately with the governor in opposition to a change that would require insurance companies to reveal rate-setting information that has been secret. The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, which represents 38% of the insurance market in Louisiana, wrote to the governor, saying the added change is so bad it will outweigh any of the measures passed this year and last year that Landry and legislators said would hold down property and car insurance rates. The Insurance Council of Louisiana in a letter said, 'While this bill may come out of good intentions, the likelihood is that it will cause bad outcomes.' The Advocate said Landry turned aside those objections and signed insurance bills Wednesday. He didn't invite Rep. Emily Chenevert, R-Gonzales, and a sponsor of one bill, because she voted against HB 148, Landry's 'big, bad bill.' Landry said rates should lower by as much as 10%. The newspaper said there was no doubt about Landry showing his political muscle during the legislative session to get lawmakers to approve the car insurance measures he wanted. But he did get some bad feedback on HB 148. Quin Hillyer, who writes a column for The Advocate, called the new law 'downright abominable,' and added, 'Voters should consider punishing any legislators who approved it — and do likewise to the governor who shoved it down their throats.' Legislators have given Landry much of what he has wanted since he took office and that isn't likely to change. On this questionable auto insurance bill, he had half the Republicans in the Legislature and all of the Democrats on his side. Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or Reply Forward Add reaction
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Landry misses obvious link between lax ethics laws and low Louisiana standards
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (John Ballance/The Advocate, Pool) It's in our nature as Louisiana residents to be easy-going, whether you're a native Cajun like me or someone who's been drawn to relocate here because of our lifestyle. That's why we're always ready for a good time, we prioritize family, friends and fun, and try not to fret about the things we can't control. But it's also a coping mechanism – and probably not a healthy one. How else can you explain our contentment with constantly being on the lower end for quality-of-life ratings for health care, education and poverty? This might be what Gov. Jeff Landry was talking about – although in a rather awkward way – in his disappointed reaction to the resounding failure of all four amendments he supported in the March 29 election. 'We realize how hard positive change can be to implement in a state that is conditioned for failure,' Landry said on election night. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX What the governor doesn't realize is the part he plays in 'conditioning' residents to accept low standards, and why the substantial changes he wants to make to state ethics laws only reinforces the negative perception of Louisiana, both from within and outside the state. Keep in mind that ethics laws in Louisiana are weak as they currently exist, with minimal consequences for offenders. While some provisions can and should be updated to keep up with the times, the governor has instead set on a path to undermine what little credibility the system has. Landry's ethics law retooling has rightfully caught the attention of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, the state's pre-eminent good government organization. The nonpartisan group's leadership made clear where they stand on the legislative package in a recent commentary. 'That's the wrong message to send in a state riddled with Louisiana's long and sordid political history, particularly when polls show public trust in government is at historic lows,' PAR President Steven Procopio and Research Director Melinda Deslatte wrote. The updates Landry supports include House Bill 674, a complex proposal with dozens of changes in how ethics investigations are conducted. They would give elected officials and government employees questionable leverage to discourage state ethics investigations. Authored by Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, the measure would require the ethics administration to turn over witness statements and other documents obtained early in the investigative process to the subject, even if the ethics board decides not to pursue charges. Beaullieu has said lawmakers from both parties have complained about the ethics board, arguing it needs to be more transparent. That was evident last year when one of his Democratic colleagues in the Louisiana House, Rep. Steven Jackson of Shreveport, gained decisive approval for two ethics law changes. One reduced how often elected officials have to file their personal financial disclosure forms with the state, and the second dramatically cut the fines lobbyists have to pay if they file paperwork late. Jackson's actions followed years of angry exchanges between himself and ethics administration staff over more than $10,000 in fines he was assessed for failure to file campaign finance and personal disclosure reports. Do you see a pattern here? Instead of public officials choosing to change the behavior that put them in the crosshairs of ethics investigators, they've pushed to change the laws meant to discourage such conduct. The trend is poised to continue this year. State Ethics Administrator David Bordelon described the new investigative process under Beaullieu's measure as 'skewed' in favor of a public servant accused of wrongdoing. 'It presents some sort of questionable standards,' he told ethics board members at a meeting last month. The origin story of Beaullieu's legislation speeds past 'questionable' and steers directly toward dubious. It was written with the help of Stephen Gelé, an attorney who has represented the governor in front of the ethics board. When he was attorney general, Landry failed to disclose he took free flights on a donor's private plane for a conference in Hawaii in 2021. Though House Bill 674 wouldn't affect the outcome of charges that have been pending against Landry for two years and counting, it would hinder comparable investigations in the future. More proposed ethics law changes, all with Landry's blessing, would further discourage accountability for elected officials and government workers. House Bill 160 from Rep. Kellee Dickerson, R-Denham Springs, would end the public's ability to confidentially or anonymously report illegal activity. The ethics board has warned lawmakers it would have a 'chilling effect' on people coming forward to report wrongdoing by public employees and leaders. Another Beaullieu proposal, House Bill 674, would end a prohibition in state law on government employees and elected officials from receiving gifts under most circumstances. Between 'seasonal or holiday food' and regular gifts, the largesse could reach up to $400 in value annually. When you think of the potential to grease the skids of bureaucracy with a $100 gift card here or $100 worth of festive fare there, you should get an idea of why Beaullieu's bill might be cause for concern. If not, you don't have to look very far back to find out why – at both the state and local level. There's been minimal resistance to Landry's offensive against state ethics law, which started last year when he got lawmakers to approve giving him more direct control of the ethics board's makeup. And while this year's legislation appears to pack a significant punch, it might just be the first in a years-long assault on the minimal virtues left in Louisiana government. Don't say you weren't warned. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jon Lovett and Tim Miller team up to ‘raise hell' over gay asylum-seeker vanished to El Salvador by Trump
When Jon Lovett and Tim Miller take the stage alongside Sarah Longwell — a prominent anti-Trump conservative, publisher of The Bulwark, and out lesbian advocate — at Washington, D.C.'s Lincoln Theatre during WorldPride, the tone will be fast, furious, and undeniably funny. Expect jokes. Possibly drag. But beneath the riotous banter and righteous shade, the 'Free Andry" event is dead serious. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. The Crooked Media–Bulwark live show, slated for June 6, is a fundraiser for Andry Hernández Romero, a 31-year-old gay Venezuelan asylum-seeker who came to the United States legally, seeking protection from violence for being gay. Instead, he was disappeared by President Donald Trump's administration and deported to El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison — a place so dystopian it's been compared to a modern-day concentration camp. His lawyers haven't heard from him since. There is no proof of life. Related: Jon Lovett warns Democrats that 'every inch Trump gets is an inch we don't get back' 'This is the worst thing that Trump has done — which is a very competitive category,' Miller said in an interview with The Advocate. 'They kidnapped someone who followed the rules, lied about him, and disappeared him.' Hernández Romero's ordeal began after he made an asylum appointment through the CBP One app, a legal channel established by the Biden administration and repurposed under Trump. He passed a credible fear interview and was detained at Otay Mesa Detention Center, a CoreCivic-run facility in California. He had no criminal history. His lawyer was preparing for his hearing. Then he vanished. Days later, photojournalists captured Hernández Romero being marched off a plane in El Salvador, shackled, sobbing, his head forcibly shaved. According to a Time journalist, he said, "I'm gay" and "I'm a stylist!' he cried to the guards. He was taken to CECOT, a mega-prison designed to hold tens of thousands of alleged gang members — many without charges, let alone convictions. There is no phone access. No mail. No contact with the outside world. Related: Gay asylum-seeker's lawyer worries for the makeup artist's safety in Salvadoran 'hellhole' prison 'They are treating him as if he's not a person,' Miller said. 'Because once they admit he's a human being, it brings the whole thing crashing down.' The deportation was based on a now-debunked claim: The two crown tattoos on Hernández Romero's wrists — placed above the names of his mother and father — were gang symbols. The accusation originated from a former Wisconsin police officer turned ICE contractor — a man fired years earlier after crashing his car while drunk. ICE ran with it anyway. Hernández Romero's lawyer previously told The Advocate there's no evidence the tattoos were related to gang affiliation and that the markings were a personal tribute to Hernández Romero's family and his years performing in religious pageants. On social media, he appeared not as a gang member but as a joyful, flamboyant artist surrounded by beauty queens and runway glitter. Related: Democratic lawmakers fly to El Salvador and demand action on gay man Trump sent to CECOT prison Lovett was struck by the absurdity of the government's rationale. 'There was something really clarifying and horrible about a person begging for someone to listen — 'I'm not a member of any gang, I'm gay,'' he said. 'They're willing to lie so brazenly about a case this clear. What lies wouldn't they tell?' Lovett, the out co-founder of Crooked Media, Pod Save America cohost, and former speechwriter for President Barack Obama, is known for his political satire and co-hosting duties on Pod Save America and Lovett or Leave It. Miller, a former Republican strategist turned Trump critic, is a writer and podcast host at The Bulwark and the author of Why We Did It, a memoir about breaking from the GOP. For both Miller and Lovett, the case is a moral breaking point — and a political line in the sand. It's also a haunting example of the Trump administration's vision for immigration — one that flouts judicial orders, distorts wartime law, and reduces queer asylum-seekers to disposable bodies. 'They want to be the heel,' Miller said. 'They revel in being the bad guy in the movie. They want people to be afraid — to feel like if they step out of line, if they even touch the system, they could vanish too.' Related: Robert Garcia demands answers in case of gay Venezuelan migrant deported to El Salvador prison Lovett called the situation a 'Kafkaesque bureaucratic doom loop.' The chilling part, he said, isn't just the violence. It's the intentional chaos. 'Feckless bureaucratic incompetence is also incredibly dangerous,' he said. 'It kills people. It destroys lives.' For Miller, the true horror is that it could have been worse. 'They would have liked to have done more already,' he said. 'They've just been blocked by the courts because they did it in such a ham-fisted and stupid way. Their incompetence is the only reason we're not seeing more Andrys.' The goal with 'Free Andry' is to stop it from happening again. Lovett and Miller were particularly incensed by the May exchange between Rep. Robert Garcia and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a House committee hearing. When Garcia pleaded with Noem to confirm whether Hernández Romero was alive, she refused. 'Noem wouldn't even dignify a question as a mother, on behalf of another mother, about where Andry is,' Lovett said. Miller saw it as part of a broader strategy to strip people like Hernández Romero of their personhood. 'They don't want to treat these people as human,' he said. 'Because once you start treating them as human, then that has to change the whole process by which they're acting.' That refusal to admit error — even when confronted with a clear injustice — is, he said, central to Trumpism. 'The ethos is: never give an inch. Never acknowledge fault. Because if you admit Andry is innocent, then it opens up a Pandora's box.' Related: Gay Venezuelan asylum-seeker 'disappeared' to Salvadoran mega-prison under Trump order, Maddow reveals The stakes, they said, go far beyond one case. 'This is a test,' Lovett warned. 'They picked this fight on purpose. If we don't fight now, it will only get worse.' Miller agreed: 'Their incompetence has benefited others who might have been disappeared next. Had they been more efficient within the bounds of the law, there's a lot of scary stuff they could already be doing.' They described a pattern of ICE disappearances so chaotic and unaccountable that it feels dystopian. 'It's the bad luck of having touched the system and run into the wrong ICE official,' Lovett said. 'It's bureaucratic incompetence, but it can be more harmful too. It kills people. It destroys lives.' They also pushed back on the Trump administration's attempts to isolate cases like Hernández Romero's from others like Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father mistakenly deported under similar conditions. 'They want the public to think it's just one guy with one tattoo, or one guy with one checkered history,' Miller said. 'But it's not. It's a pattern.' Miller and Lovett emphasized that the fundraiser is a party with a purpose. The program will feature surprise guests, irreverent commentary, and what Lovett called 'the Gs and the Ls coming together.' All proceeds will go to the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, which represents Hernández Romero and others detained under similar circumstances. 'It's going to be a big fun gay live show at the Lincoln,' Lovett said. 'Not officially part of WorldPride — or, I don't know, some legal queen will come after us — but we're going to raise money and raise hell.' They're hoping that by turning attention toward Hernández Romero's story — and the broader pattern of ICE disappearances — they can pressure lawmakers to act. 'If this just becomes background noise,' Lovett warned, 'they'll keep doing it. They'll move on to the next plane.' For Miller, the need to act is visceral. 'I've been getting very mad about it at random times during the day,' he said. 'I did a rage selfie video in a hotel room. That didn't feel satisfying. Then I was in the shower the other day, and I was getting very upset about it, which is usually different from what I'm doing in the shower. I got out and texted Jon: We need to do something more.' Legal advocates continue pushing in court. Lindsay Toczylowski, a 15-year immigration attorney and executive director of Immigrant Defenders Law Center, said that without media coverage, the government's deportation program will keep operating in the shadows. Every day Hernández Romero remains in isolation, she warns, his life could be at risk. She previously told The Advocate that the responsibility falls squarely on the Trump administration if something happens to him. Still, his legal team holds out hope. They believe increased pressure from elected officials, like those recently traveling to El Salvador demanding proof of life, could break through. If someone is allowed to see Hernández Romero and report back that he's alive, it may be the first step toward bringing him home. For Lovett, the fight for justice can't just be urgent — it has to be magnetic. 'Part of the way you get people to come around to seeing things from our point of view,' he said, 'is by being a fun have to be a fun movement." Miller added, 'It's okay to protest about serious things, and make it something people want to be a part of.'
Toronto Sun
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
New Orleans jail worker thought he was unclogging toilet, not helping 10 escape, lawyer says
SIMMONS: Leafs can't afford to bring back Marner and Tavares - and that isn't about money Paige Spiranac reveals movie star that drove her nuts on the golf course: 'Unbelievably slow' New Orleans jail worker thought he was unclogging toilet, not helping 10 escape, lawyer says Photo by Brett Duke / The Advocate via AP Article content NEW ORLEANS — Ten men who broke out of a New Orleans jail last week clogged a toilet to get the water shut off so that they could escape through a hole behind it, a lawyer for a maintenance worker who is charged with helping them said Wednesday. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account or Sign in without password View more offers Article content Article content tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or New Orleans jail worker thought he was unclogging toilet, not helping 10 escape, lawyer says Back to video tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video Article content The worker, Sterling Williams, did not know about the men's plan and did not allow the inmates to cut a pipe behind the toilet to create an opening for their escape, attorney Michael Kennedy told The Associated Press. The defense attorney laid out a very different narrative than that presented by authorities a day earlier, when Williams, 33, was arrested. Authorities have said an inmate instructed Williams to turn off the water to a toilet, leading to one of the largest jailbreaks in recent U.S. history. Five of the men remained at large Wednesday. Williams just a 'tool,' lawyer says Kennedy told the AP that after a deputy called Williams to fix a toilet, he found it overflowing. 'This was clearly all part of an orchestrated plan,' Kennedy said. Williams 'was nothing more than the tool they used to turn off the water which they knew would have to happen after clogging the toilet.' Your Midday Sun Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Article content Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content According to an arrest affidavit that made no mention of a clogged toilet, Williams was 'initially very evasive and untruthful' during an interview but ultimately told investigators that an inmate had threatened to 'shank' him if he did not turn off the water. Williams could have reported the threat and the escape plan, authorities have said. They asserted that because Williams turned the water off, the inmates were 'able to successfully make good' on their escape, the affidavit said. RECOMMENDED VIDEO tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video Kennedy said Williams did not report the escape because he was 'not aware' it was happening. The lawyer also addressed authorities' statements that his client was threatened into helping the escape. 'He was not aware that there was going to be an escape,' Kennedy said. 'He was not conspiring with them. He had no knowledge that he was being used.' Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content A message was left seeking comment from the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office about Kennedy's remarks. The sheriff said Tuesday that she believes the escape was an inside job. Shanking comment was not a threat, lawyer says Inmate Antoine Massey, who approached Williams and said he would 'shank' him as he was doing his maintenance work, was 'just talking to talk' and not intimidating the maintenance worker, Kennedy said. 'Everyone seems to have leaped on that, saying he was acting out of fear. No,' Kennedy said. 'Yes, someone said they would shank him. They didn't say it in a particularly threatening manner. They said it more as an aside.' Kennedy said the cell with the clogged toilet was for disabled inmates and should never have been in use. 'No one should have been in this cell to begin with,' he said. 'This cell should have been locked down.' Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content 'It would seem obvious to me that filling up the toilet, clogging the toilet, was a portion of the escapees' plan,' Kennedy said. 'They would know that whoever the maintenance person was would have to turn off the water … because it was overflowing.' 'A scapegoat' Kennedy said he was only able to meet with Williams for around 30 minutes via Zoom. He did not ask Williams whether he had finished unclogging the toilet, whether he turned the water back on, or how long he was inside the cell. Williams did not know the name of the deputy who told him to fix the clogged toilet, Kennedy said. Williams is worried about his safety and his future, his lawyer said. He is being held in a different facility in a separate parish. 'The most important thing I've learned is that these charges are ridiculous and the sheriff's office is trying to use him as a scapegoat to minimize their own embarrassment,' Kennedy said. 'He did nothing more than the job they pay him to do and now they're attempting to sacrifice him for it.' Advertisement 6 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Williams is charged with 10 counts of principal to simple escape and one count of malfeasance in office. Additional arrests made Also Wednesday, authorities arrested two people accused of helping some of the escapees. Cortnie Harris, 32, of New Orleans, and Corvanntay Baptiste, 38, of Slidell, are each charged with one felony count of being an accessory after the fact, according to a Louisiana State Police news release. They were booked into the Plaquemines Parish Detention Center. Online jail records did not indicate whether either woman had a lawyer who could comment on the charges. An initial investigation showed that Harris was in touch by phone with an escapee who's still on the run and transported two escapees who still haven't been caught to multiple locations in New Orleans, the release said. Investigators said Baptiste had been in contact by phone and social media with Corey Boyd, who has since been recaptured, and helped him get food while he was hiding. Article content Share this article in your social network Read Next
