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New Orleans mayor pleads not guilty on corruption charges tied to alleged affair
Cantrell denies charges related to a scheme involving $70,000 in taxpayer-funded trips with her bodyguard, maintaining her ability to govern amid legal proceedings.
- On Wednesday, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell entered a plea of not guilty in response to an 18-count federal indictment accusing her of conspiracy, fraud, and obstruction related to her relationship with her bodyguard.
- The indictment followed reports of a yearslong scheme where Cantrell and bodyguard Jeffrey Vappie used over 15,000 WhatsApp messages to conceal an alleged affair and obstruct investigations.
- The indictment alleges Vappie traveled 14 times with Cantrell at a cost of $70,000 to taxpayers, excluding Cantrell’s travel, and that they plotted to harass a witness and delete evidence.
- A federal judge instructed Cantrell to hand over her passport, limited her travel to southeast Louisiana pending probation approval, and prohibited any communication with Vappie throughout the court proceedings.
- Cantrell, New Orleans’ first female mayor and the first to be charged while holding office, has denied any relationship with Vappie beyond professional interactions, and her lawyer stated that the charges would not impact her ability to lead the city.
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Cantrell enters not guilty plea in federal corruption case
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell arrives to her arraignment at the Hale Boggs Federal Building on Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo by Christiana Botic/Verite News and Catchlight Local/Report for America)NEW ORLEANS – Mayor LaToya Cantrell, whose extensive, publicly funded travel is at the heart of a federal corruption case against her, will be barred from leaving the country pending trial, a judge ruled Wednesday during Cantrell’s first court appearance …
Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left4Leaning Right1Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution58% Center
Bias Distribution
- 58% of the sources are Center
58% Center
L 33%
C 58%
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