New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s latest attempt to defend her indefensible decision to misuse taxpayers’ dollars to fly first class to Switzerland and France involves information about the two top donors to the recall effort. Both are Republicans, but that is far from what Cantrell’s campaign said was a “Republican-backed maneuver” to remove “the first Black woman mayor of New Orleans.”
When Mayor Cantrell was first busted for misusing taxpayers’ dollars to fly first class to Europe, her campaign issued a statement claiming that the controversy, which was part of the motivation to recall her from office, was a Republican-led plot in an “effort to undermine and discredit the first Black woman mayor of New Orleans… [that] fits into a long history of taking away our vote and our voice. That’s why we have reason to believe a conservative DC firm has signed on to lead the effort. That’s why many GOP organizations in the city are encouraging people to sign the petition. That’s why Fox News is leading the propaganda charge.”
The statement suggesting that the effort to recall Mayor Cantrell was nothing more than a Republican-led plot offered NO evidence to back their claim. The excuse was generally dismissed by the media and the public.
That was at the end of August - now Mayor Cantrell’s supporters are using a breakdown of some of the donors to the recall effort to reinforce that it is Republican-led plot.
A 45-day finance report for the recall effort shows that Donald Bollinger and Richard Farrell have collectively donated about $30,000 of the $58,000 raised. Bollinger and Farrell are both Republicans and known for donating big money to Republican candidates, but represent only 2 of the 686 people who have donated money to remove Mayor Cantrell from office. On his talk show on WWL, Newell Normand revealed that Donald Bollinger also donated to Mayor Cantrell’s campaign when she was running for office.
The fact that the two biggest donors to the recall effort are Republicans does not support the unsubstantiated claim that the push to remove Cantrell from office is a plot organized by Republicans in Washington, DC.
It should be no surprise that many Republicans disapprove of the way Mayor Cantrell has conducted herself as mayor, but that is not an indication that the effort to remove her from office was organized by Republicans.
Once again, Mayor LaToya Cantrell is creating a false narrative to excuse her arrogant decision to break city protocol and fly first class on taxpayers’ dollars. Cantrell can continue to come up with excuses that make it seem as if she - a Black woman - is a victim, but the public should be smart enough to realize that these excuses are attempts to justify inappropriate behavior as mayor.
Mayor Cantrell’s behavior in office and her lame attempts to cover her egocentric decisions and her abject failure at transparency only show the level of arrogance shrouding her administration.
The city of New Orleans deserves better!
