New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell Indicted on Federal Corruption Charges
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has been indicted on federal corruption charges by a grand jury, confirmed by her lawyer, nearing the end of her term.
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Overview
- New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has been indicted on federal corruption charges by a federal grand jury, a development confirmed by her lawyer, following a lengthy investigation.
- The indictment comes as Mayor Cantrell is in her final months in office, being term-limited and set to depart in January, marking a significant end to her tenure.
- Throughout her tenure, Mayor Cantrell faced significant challenges, including clashes with the City Council and surviving a recall effort in 2022, reportedly overshadowing early achievements.
- Her early achievements were reportedly overshadowed by self-inflicted issues, feuds with the City Council, and a receding civic profile, leading to the federal grand jury's action.
- Mayor Cantrell and her supporters assert she is unfairly targeted as a Black woman, claiming a different standard than male officials during the corruption investigation.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources cover this story neutrally by focusing on the factual details of the indictment against Mayor LaToya Cantrell. They present the charges and alleged actions as stated in court filings, consistently attributing all claims to the indictment. The reporting avoids loaded language and includes attempts to obtain comments from both the mayor's office and the bodyguard's attorney, demonstrating balanced reporting.
"The mayor of New Orleans has been indicted on charges stemming from an alleged scheme to use over $70,000 of city funds to keep up a clandestine relationship with a bodyguard."
USA TODAY"This is a sad day for the people of New Orleans."
ABC News"The pair's three-year fraud scheme exploited their public authority and position, Michael Simpson, an acting U.S. attorney with the Eastern District of Louisiana, said at a news conference Friday."
NBC News"The indictment is the culmination of a long-running federal investigation into the first female mayor in the city’s 300-year history."
Associated PressArticles (10)
Center (4)
FAQ
Mayor LaToya Cantrell was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, making false statements, and false declarations before a grand jury.
The indictment alleges that Mayor Cantrell and her former bodyguard developed a personal relationship and created a scheme to defraud the City of New Orleans by engaging in personal activities while the bodyguard was on duty and being paid for protection, including using city resources for personal use and taking at least 14 out-of-state trips falsely claimed as necessary for safety protection.
They allegedly impeded the investigation by using encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp to communicate, deleting electronic evidence, making false statements to federal law enforcement and a grand jury, lying to colleagues, and making false public statements.
The indictment occurs in Mayor Cantrell’s final months in office before her term ends in January, marking a significant and controversial end to her tenure as the first woman mayor of New Orleans to face federal charges while in office.
Mayor Cantrell and her supporters assert that she is being unfairly targeted as a Black woman, claiming that there is a different investigative standard applied to her compared to male officials involved in similar corruption investigations.
History
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