The Housing Authority of New Orleans, the recall effort, and the reported federal investigation into purchases made by Mayor LaToya Cantrell's style consultant: those topics were among those discussed during a press briefing held by Mayor Cantrell's communications director Wednesday morning.
Gregory Joseph first addressed the city council's decision to reinstate an ousted member of the Housing Authority of New Orleans.
In early November, Mayor Cantrell removed Sharon Jasper from the board, which Jasper says happened without the mayor providing her a reason why. The mayor's spokesman says Cantrell had her reasons for making the move.
"The board members came to the mayor and raised some important concerns, and the mayor acted on them," Joseph said.
Joseph said the idea that the mayor wanted Jasper gone is false. He said Cantrell had cause to dismiss Jasper, but he said the city council argued Cantrell failed to take the proper steps to do so.
"That's a city council interpretation," Joseph said. "The actual statute doesn't say anything about details or more facts. It says you need to have reasons, and they had reasons in the letter."
Joseph says the Cantrell Administration respects the council's decision.
"We just look forward to seeing if this will be futher resolved or to see how this actually plays out," Joseph said.
Reporters asked Joseph about reports of a federal investigation into purchases made by Cantrell's personal stylist. Joseph sidestepped those questions, saying federal authorites have not been in touch with the mayor or her office.
"We have not learned or heard or been informed of any active, inactive, or dormant federal investigation, so I can't ask any questions about who she's hired or who she hasn't hired because of such," Joseph said. "Talking about anything related to that would be speculation and premature because we haven't been informed of anything."
Later, Joseph said Mayor Cantrell is actively pushing back against the recall effort against her.
"Our response to the recall has always been the same--that we're going to show of New Orleans the work that we've been doing, the results that we're producing , and the progress the city has been making, and that has not changed, and that will not change," Joseph said.
Joseph pointed to Cantrell's roots as a community organizer to show that she understands the problems the city is facing right now. He added that the mayor's record--past, present, and future--will help her beat the recall.
"Our response to the recall is to go out and deliver for the people of New Orleans, and we've been doing that with the crime," Joseph said. "We have the president of France coming here in two days. We're once again going to be lifted onto the global stage as a global city."
