Mayor LaToya Cantrell rebuffed questions Wednesday about claims in a divorce petition that she had an affair with a police officer on her security detail, describing those and other claims around her relationship with New Orleans Police Officer Jeffrey Vappie as sexist and baseless.
“By the time I complete my tenure as mayor I would have slept with half of the City of New Orleans based on false accusations that come my way sometimes daily,” Cantrell said in a text message. “This is only one of them.”
She added: "If I were a MAN you would NOT be texting me about this bullshit."
Cantrell’s response came a day after news outlets reported on the divorce petition filed earlier this month by Vappie’s wife, which alleges the mayor, who is married, began an "ongoing sexual relationship" with Vappie in May 2021. Vappie admitted the affair to his wife, according to the petition, which refers to the mayor as "Mrs. L.C."
It’s not immediately clear to what extent the alleged affair intertwined with Cantrell or Vappie’s official duties. The petition cites 10 dates the pair were together in August and September of last year — all of which were weekdays — though it doesn’t say when the visits occurred, or if they came during work hours.
Vappie clocked in on at least seven of those days — shifts that ranged from 12 to 14 hours, beginning as early as 7 a.m. and running as late as 10 p.m., according to his timesheets.
If the pair carried on an affair during hours they were being paid to...
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