JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — Mike Yenni is returning to government for the first time since he left office as Jefferson Parish president in January 2020, taking the number two job in the Registrar of Voters office, according to his former campaign manager.
Yenni decided not to seek re-election to a second term as parish president in 2019 after WWL Louisiana exposed a series of sexually explicit text messages Yenni sent to a 17-year-old. Yenni apologized for sending inappropriate messages after the WWL story aired and again acknowledged the “disappointment caused by my personal actions” when he decided not to run.
Some public officials are not ready to forgive Yenni and are not welcoming him back into the government.
"I'm the parent of a child who is the same age as the the child who received the text messages years ago. And as a parent, that's just something it's hard to get over," said Jefferson Parish Councilman Scott Walker. "I don't think somebody who put themselves in that position and left office in the way he did should ever be welcomed back into our government buildings in any position."
Yenni’s former campaign manager, Greg Buisson, confirmed that Registrar Dennis DiMarco plans to have Yenni start as his deputy registrar within the next two weeks.
Walker acknowledged the parish council can't control whom DiMarco hires to serve in his office, which is a state agency. But Walker said the council appoints the registrar and he would oppose any effort to elevate Yenni to that position if DiMarco were to step down.
Yenni is being trained by Phil Trupiano, who is retiring Friday after 22 years in the office, Buisson said.
Buisson also said Yenni has some experience with the work of the registrar’s office.
“When he was mayor of Kenner he created a satellite registrar’s office in Kenner,” Buisson said. “As parish president, he expanded voting locations in lower Jefferson Parish.”
DiMarco’s office also oversaw the counting of voter signatures during a failed effort to recall Yenni in 2017, which was based on the WWL report.