Who was LaToya Cantrell's husband? New Orleans Mayor hit with ethics charges over first-class flight upgrades
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who lost her husband, Jason Cantrell on August 14, has been charged by the Louisiana Board of Ethics for receiving upgrades amounting to almost $29,000 for 15 flights over two years, reported the Daily Mail.
The charges fell under a state law that prohibits public officials from receiving anything of value while performing their duties.
The 51-year-old politician had to reimburse the city $28,856 for the 13 domestic flights as well as two international trips to Europe, which she upgraded in October 2022.
She had then claimed that the upgrades were not for luxury but for her health and safety.
LaToya Cantrell had cited safety reasons for her upgrades
A previous statement on the issue by the Mayor read, "Anyone who wants to question how I protect myself just doesn’t understand the world black women walk in."
"As all women know, our health and safety are often disregarded and we are left to navigate alone. As the mother of a young child whom I live for, I am going to protect myself by any reasonable means in order to ensure I am there to see her grow into the strong woman I am raising her to be."
Members of the council, however, did not buy the statement and threatened to dock her pay in the 2023 budget to recover the funds. As a result, even while claiming to stand by her words "all day long," Cantrell had to finally reimburse the amount almost a year ago.
LaToya Cantrell's flight upgrades
Court documents revealed that Cantrell's flight upgrade for a trip to Nice, France, to attend a jazz festival and a French National Day celebration, cost $12,988 on top of the base fare of $4,666.
The Mayor had also spent $2,352 of state money to upgrade her domestic flight to first class while traveling from New Orleans to San Francisco, a journey that only takes five hours.
According to the Daily Mail, the case is likely to go before the Ethics Adjudicatory Board, where Cantrell may face a $10,000 fine for using state money for her luxurious travel arrangements.
Public officials are legally required to seek the cheapest possible options for travel. In case they opt for more expensive choices, they are to pay the difference out of their personal finances.
John Lawson, Cantrell’s spokesperson, said on November 9, "We believe both the mayor and the administration have appropriately addressed the travel issue and will respond to the ethics complaint in due course."
Jason Cantrell, the husband of LaToya Cantrell, was a New Orleans lawyer, specializing in criminal defense, family, and civil litigation.