NEW ORLEANS — Mayor LaToya Cantrell gave her 2025 budget address to the New Orleans City Council Tuesday morning.
WWL Louisiana Chief Investigative Reporter David Hammer says Cantrell took a special elevator to avoid walking through the halls where he was waiting to ask her about the federal indictment accusing her of taking gifts from a building safety inspector.
The indictment alleges Randy Farrell bought Cantrell coveted tickets to the New Orleans Saints’ second-ever home NFC Championship Game in January 2019, a fancy lunch at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in August 2019 and a new iPhone in December 2019, gifts that totaled more than $9,200. Prosecutors allege the mayor had a city official fired who had been investigating Farrell for alleged wrongdoing.
On Tuesday, Cantrell acknowledged the indictment, saying, "How I came in seems to be how I'm going out. Accusation after accusation after accusation. But also a track record of delivering results."
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