NEW ORLEANS — The leaders behind the campaign to recall New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell say their efforts were 'doomed' from the start.
In a statement released after their signature count was ruled to be well short of the recall threshold, NoLaToya recall organizers blamed the failed petition on inaccurate voter rolls and a lawsuit filed by The Advocate.
"Throughout this process we have been met with countless obstacles and we have persevered nonetheless. We could never have known that the moment the petition was filed in August, the recall was doomed due to massive inaccuracies with the Registrar of Voters for Orleans Parish," the statement reads. "During the process, The Advocate stifled the effort by demanding the release of the names of the people who signed and then attempted to embarrass elected officials who had the courage to sign."
They also noted that their efforts are not over and plan to explore "all legal options" to make a recall election happen.
"We will continue to demand accountability from our elected officials. We will continue to fight for the city that we love."
The full statement from the NoLaToya Recall team can be read below:
"First and foremost we want to thank all of the brave citizens of Orleans Parish who signed the recall petition, volunteered their time, and supported this effort in countless ways.
Throughout this process we have been met with countless obstacles and we have persevered nonetheless. We could never have known that the moment the petition was filed in August, the recall was doomed due to massive inaccuracies with the Registrar of Voters for Orleans Parish.
Additionally, the way the law is written now, the recall was required to get more signatures than votes Mayor Cantrell was required to get to be elected to office. During the process, The Advocate stifled the effort by demanding the release of the names of the people who signed and then attempted to embarrass elected officials who had the courage to sign.
The efforts of the recall have only just begun. We are exploring all legal options at this time. We will also move forward with legislation to correct the injustices that we were met with along this process.
We will continue to demand accountability from our elected officials. We will continue to fight for the city that we love. "
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.