New Orleans mayor denies having affair with member of security team
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Mayor Latoya Cantrell denies having an affair with NOPD Officer Jeffrey Vappie. That denial comes after a divorce filing saying Vappie admitted to having an affair with the mayor to his wife.
The Times-Picayune published an article on its website, including a text message exchange between the mayor and reporter Joseph Cranney.
That exchange follows our series of stories that showed the mayor and her now-former security protection Vappie, spending hours during the workday and even late at night alone in the city’s upper Pontalba Apartment.
A day after our first story aired in November, Vappie’s wife filed for divorce. Then on Jan. 17, we reported on a recently filed amended divorce petition alleging an affair between the officer and Mrs. L.C.
Sources confirm Mrs. L.C. is Mayor Latoya Cantrell.
The filing even states Vappie admitted to the affair to his wife, and details several days the two “engaged in a sexual relationship.”
Most of the days listed involve dates in our stories where Vappie and Cantrell spent hours together alone in the apartment, including one night when Vappie left at 12:42 a.m. and then Cantrell 45 minutes later.
MORE
But now Mayor Cantrell responded in a text message to the reporter, she wrote, “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. This is only one of them.”
The mayor added, ”If I were a MAN, you would NOT be texting me about this bullshit.”
Experts say any relationship would likely violate NOPD and city policy. Vappie has been reassigned and is no longer a member of her security team.
Cantrell has refused to respond to our requests for comment on Vappie and their relationship.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Copyright 2023 WVUE. All rights reserved.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7p7vXcaOirpVjsLC5jmtna2tfZX5wfZhopJqxn6d6pK3NramepJxisaa6yJ6qZpmWm66qvoywoK2gXaO8sbCMqJ2foZOav26tzKKbZpyZq7yzr8RmnaKkmaO0cA%3D%3D