JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — A controversial hire at the Jefferson Parish Registrar of Voters Office has parish leaders concerned about public trust.
“The Registrar of Voters Office is supposed to be apolitical so when you hire somebody who’s a former politician, who didn’t have the best track record, I think you decrease the public’s trust in your office,” said District Two Councilman Deano Bonano.
That former politician is former parish president Mike Yenni. He’s been training to become the deputy registrar of voters, the number two job in the office. In that position, Yenni would work under current Registrar of Voters Dennis DiMarco on everything concerning elections.
“I think people are going to have less confidence in the registrar of voters office, their integrity, and ability to stay unbiased,” said Bonano.
Bonano says Yenni being a former politician is one problem. The other is the controversy that surrounds him. During his first year in office, in 2016, WWL Louisiana exposed sexually explicit test messages Yenni sent to a then 17-year-old boy.
“Last Summer I was old enough to know better but I guess I was still young enough to do something stupid,” said Yenni during a recording in October of 2016.
Yennie apologized and served out the rest of his four-year term. As the controversy followed him, he decided not to seek reelection and has stayed out of public service, until now.
“I think the best thing for he and his family would to be seeking a job that’s outside of the public sector,” said Division A Councilwoman At-Large Jennifer Van Vrancken.
While the council doesn’t control who the registrar hires, Van Vrancken says there will be questions.
“I think the registrar is going to have to explain what his thoughts are and his process is because I think the public has very strong sentiments in this regard,” said Van Vrancken.
District One Councilman Marion Edwards is more supportive of Yenni’s return to public service.
“I’m all about rehabilitation. I’m hoping [Yenni] has gotten his life straight and can live a normal life,” said Edwards to our partners at Nola.com.
Yenni being deputy registrar may come with another issue. In 2016 he was banned from school campuses by the school board. Yenni later tried to have the ban removed. The board refused.
“A lot of our polling places are in schools,” said Bonano. “Are you going to send a deputy who’s banned from schools to a school where he’s not supposed to be?”
As of Wednesday afternoon, the school district was trying to determine whether that ban is still in place. It’s one of many questions parish leaders want addressed.
The current registrar, Dennis DiMarco was not in his office Wednesday when WWL Louisiana tried to speak with him. Council members do expect to meet with DiMarco soon to get an understanding of why Yenni was hired.
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