When Mayor LaToya Cantrell presents her annual 2025 budget address to the City Council on Tuesday, October 1, many New Orleanians will be looking askance at a woman in whom they have lost faith. Most disappointed could be the Black women voters who didn’t sign the recall petition because they couldn’t bear to see the city’s first Black female mayor- despite her moral failures – be unceremoniously removed from office.
When Cantrell first ran for the City Council almost 20 years ago, she positioned herself as a go-getter; a smart, scrappy leader who overcame a dysfunctional childhood filled with economic hardship. Forging connections via her now-deceased husband’s family name, Cantrell parlayed her post-Katrina success as a neighborhood rebuilder all the way to the second floor of City Hall.
Blinded by the myriad possibilities, Cantrell quickly grabbed for what life never offered her – first class travel, luxurious hotel accommodations, fabulous meals, fine clothes, a stylist, tickets to concerts and sporting events, and other valuable gifts. For good reasons and bad, many people attached themselves to Her Honor, eager to cater to Cantrell’s every desire.
These practices are not new or uncommon. It could be said that even U.S. Supreme Court Justices and Governor Jeff Landry have taken advantage of selected perks. Dozens of Louisiana elected officials may enjoy free flights, lodging or tickets for everything from Saints and LSU games, to Jazz Fest, Essence, Mardi Gras or the upcoming Taylor Swift concert. The difference in Cantrell’s case, and that of NYC Mayor Eric Adams, is that the giver of these favors wanted a big something in return.
Several politicians believe that Black elected officials are held to a higher standard. Consider former Mayor Ray Nagin as an example. Others are equally adamant that Blacks are more often allowed to slide by without consequences. Either way, the Department of Justice usually has the flexibility to pick and choose which wounded politicians to build a case against.
In Cantrell’s case, electrical contractor Randy Farrell admitted that he paid for numerous tickets and other amenities for Cantrell and implicated CAO Gilbert Montano as receiving tickets as well. Farrell also confessed that he worked with Fouad Zeton to distribute the largess. In return Farrell wanted Safety & Permits official Jen Cecil, fired – which did eventually happen. Some politicos believe that Farrell was indicted last week to force him to testify against Cantrell. Zeton, who is awaiting sentencing in a separate matter, might also be encouraged to testify against Cantrell and Montano.
When Cantrell had a clandestine lunch with Farrell and Zeton to discuss axing Cecil, a “senior adviser” to the mayor was also present. Could that person have been Clifton Davis, Cantrell’s embattled chief of staff? Davis has had his own set of problems and may himself be vulnerable to federal scrutiny. Squeezing individuals within the circle of an elected official targeted by the federal government is a tried and true method of building a solid case.
There may be another bribery case hiding within the bowels of Safety & Permits. If Cantrell and Montano were already of the mindset to readily accept bribes from Farrell, have they and/or Davis also been paid off by Uber Technologies or its agents? Uber owes up to $35 million in fines for hundreds of citations also issued by Safety & Permits and set for a hearing in 2018 – three months after Cantrell took office.
According to depositions in a lawsuit filed by taxicab drivers, Cantrell and her top advisers are well-aware of the debt and have continuously avoided collecting the money owed. When City Councilmember Joe Giarrusso, who chairs the Budget Committee, inquired about the debt, the Cantrell administration failed to respond. Further implying a relationship between Cantrell and Uber was last week’s announcement that only Uber and Lyft would have the exclusive right to pick up passengers on Frenchman Street in a new dedicated area.
Cantrell and Davis have been served with deposition subpoenas regarding the taxi lawsuit, according to court records. No date has yet been set for their depositions. The duo will most likely try to avoid appearing for the testimony indefinitely. The Department of Justice is aware of Ubergate, the nickname given the matter by the taxi operators.
It is not known if the FBI has included the Uber fines as part of their ongoing investigation of Cantrell. Uber is being represented by the Sher Garner law firm which also has numerous contracts with City Hall worth millions. An indictment of Cantrell still may be months away based on the sheer number of allegations that keep mounting up. When considering the amount of time the federal government spent closing in on NYC Mayor Eric Adams, court watchers don’t expect any definitive action until after the November 2024 presidential election.
