Cantrell talks travel, controversy, federal scrutiny

Exclusive interview with anchor Gina Swanson

SHAY O’CONNOR, WDSU NEWS. MAYOR CANTRELL, JUST BACK FROM A TRIP TO AFRICA WHERE SHE REPRESENTED THE CITY AND THE COUNTRY IN A CONFERENCE ON PLASTICS, POLLUTION AND PETROCHEMICALS AND A ONE ON ONE. WE TALKED TO THE MAYOR ON A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES, INCLUDING HER TRAVEL, WHY SHE BELIEVES HER TRIP TO AFRICA WAS NECESSARY AND BENEFICIAL FOR THE RESIDENTS OF NEW ORLEANS. WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS THAT PLASTIC POLLUTION HAS HAD ON OUR PEOPLE. CHRONIC ILLNESS, DISEASE, BUT ALSO THE IMPACTS ON OUR CLIMATE IS THAT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO GET THE MAYOR’S TIME FOR ALMOST A WEEK AWAY FROM THE CITY? I HAVE TO DO ALL THINGS SPECIFICALLY BEING ON THE FRONT LINES OF CLIMATE ADAPTATION. THE TRIP COMES AS THE MAYOR WAS CITED WITH STATE ETHICS CHARGES FOR HER TRAVEL SPENDING NEARLY $30,000 IN FIRST CLASS UPGRADES ON 15 TRIPS OVER A TWO YEAR SPAN. ON MONEY, SHE’S ALREADY REPAID. BUT NOW SHE COULD FACE FINES. I DO NOT AGREE WITH THE ETHICS CHARGE, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I’VE ACCEPTED THAT I DO NOT MAKE ANY APOLOGIES FOR MY WELL BEING AND MAKING SURE THAT I WAS PROTECTED AS WELL AS MY MENTAL HEALTH. ANXIETIES ARE REAL. WHAT I’VE HAD TO CARRY. NO ONE CAN SEE BUT WHAT RESIDENTS WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR THE MAYOR’S TRAVEL. IS THERE SOME KIND OF TANGIBLE BENEFIT THAT YOU CAN POINT TO? THE RESOURCES THAT WE’RE BENEFITING FROM NOW, MEANING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? MANY VISITS TO TO D.C. ADVOCATING FOR DIRECT ALLOCATION OF DOLLARS? WELL, THERE’S NO CLEAR MEASURE OF THE IMPACT OF THE MAYOR’S TRIPS ABROAD. THERE ARE MEASURABLE GAINS HERE AT HOME IN FIGHTING VIOLENT CRIME WITH MURDERS DOWN 23%. STILL, THE DEPARTMENT IS UNDER FEDERAL OVERSIGHT WITH THE MAYOR AT TIMES AT ODDS WITH THE MONITORS OF THE CONSENT DECREE. WE CANNOT LET PERFECT BE THE ENEMY OF GOOD. I BELIEVE THAT I RUFFLED SOME FEATHERS, PUSHED PUSHING BACK, BUT IT WAS NECESSARY IF THE SITUATION WITH CONSENT DECREE MONITORS IS STRAINED, THE MAYOR’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNCIL IS COMPLETELY FRACTURED. BUT I WILL SAY THAT AND FROM LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC, THEY WANT TO SEE A MORE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT WORKING TOGETHER, LESS TOXIC, LESS DISRESPECTFUL. DOES THAT GO BOTH WAYS? I HAVE NO WAY DISRESPECTED ANY MEMBER OF THE NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL. THE COUNCIL HAS TAKEN ACTION TO LIMIT THE MAYOR’S POWER AND HAVE OVERSIGHT ON HER CABINET APPOINTMENTS FROM CITY COUNCIL SCRUTINY TO FEDERAL SCRUTINY. MAYOR CANTRELL SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON HER ADMINISTRATION ON SO FEDERAL INVESTIGATION ON MY ADMINISTRATION. IN NO MAN ARE YOU THE SUBJECT OF A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION. HAVE YOU RECEIVED A TARGET LETTER FROM THE FEDS? ARE YOU?

Exclusive interview with anchor Gina Swanson

Watch Part Two Here:

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Cantrell talks travel, controversy, federal scrutiny

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