In New Orleans, a Mayor was indicted last 15 August in what prosecutors called a yearslong scheme to hide a romantic relationship with her bodyguard, who is accused of being paid as if he was working even when they met alone in apartments and traveled to vineyards for wine tasting.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell faces charges of conspiracy, fraud and obstruction, less than five months before she leaves office due to term limits. The first female mayor in New Orleans' 300-year history was elected twice but now becomes the city's first mayor to be charged while in office.
"Public corruption has crippled us for years and years," Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Simpson said, referring to Louisiana's notorious history. "And this is extremely significant."
Cantrell's bodyguard, Jeffrey 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.
They are accused of exchanging encrypted messages through WhatsApp to avoid detection and then deleting the conversations. The mayor and Vappie have said their relationship was strictly professional, but the indictment portrayed it as "personal and intimate."
The City of New Orleans said in a statement that it was aware of the indictment and that the mayor's attorney is reviewing it.
In a WhatsApp exchange, the indictment says, Vappie reminisced about accompanying Cantrell to Scotland in October 2021, saying that was "where it all started."
Cantrell and Vappie used WhatsApp for more than 15,000 messages, including efforts to harass a citizen, delete evidence, make false statements to FBI agents, "and ultimately to commit perjury before a federal grand jury," Simpson said.