NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans City Council rarely uses its power to issue subpoenas and conduct investigations. That's why it's a big deal that the council is investigating possible conflicts of interest in the Cantrell Administration's selection of a "smart city" broadband contractor.
It turns out the mayor's director of utilities, Jonathan Rhodes, has a side business that gave free advice to tech giant Qualcomm about a smart city job in Los Angeles. Qualcomm, it turns out, is part of a consortium that Rhodes recommended for New Orleans' smart city contract. Yesterday, amid growing scrutiny of Rhodes' dealings with Qualcomm, the consortium walked away from the deal.
The council is proceeding with its investigation. It subpoenaed Rhodes to answer questions tomorrow, under oath. Something tells me this is just the beginning.
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