New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, an NOPD officer who protects her, and a high-ranking staffer spent more than $34,000 in city money on airfare to go to South Korea last month for Cantrell to attend a climate change summit.Cantrell was the only U.S. mayor to attend.WDSU Investigates has also obtained records and receipts from the trip, which show Cantrell and the two others, also upgraded their plane tickets to first class and business class, and a City Hall spokesperson says they do not have to reimburse the city for the added cost.The two people who accompanied the mayor on the trip to Busan, South Korea, are her security detail, NOPD Officer Robert Monlyn and Communications Director Gregory Joseph.Monlyn is assigned to Cantrell’s executive protection.It’s not known why Joseph went on the trip, but in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon, he told WDSU Investigates that it’s common practice for a member of the mayor’s communications team to travel with her.Invoices show the mayor’s ticket cost taxpayers over $10,500 and was booked 12 days before the summit started in May.Monlyn’s ticket to Korea cost $11,900, and Joseph’s ticket cost $12,100.All three tickers were paid from the city’s general fund, according to records.All tickets were booked on May 12, according to invoices.The summit was May 24-27.It’s not known – or listed – why plane tickets for Monlyn and Joseph cost more than Cantrell’s ticket.Records show the three flew first class from Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner to San Francisco. They then took an upgraded business class flight from San Francisco to Osaka, Japan, before flying the rest of the way economy class from Osaka to Busan, South Korea.On the way back, the three again flew business class from Tokyo, Japan, to Denver, Colorado, and first-class from Denver back to New Orleans.Cantrell came under fire the summer after she took first-class flights to several cities for business-related events, like signing sister city agreements.After saying she would not repay the extra charges for the upgraded flights – Cantrell was ordered to repay the added costs by her chief administrative officer after her appointed city attorney issued an opinion saying that a City Hall policy required all city workers, including the mayor, to pay for upgraded tickets.Any upgrades had to be paid out-of-pocket.The mayor reimbursed the city shortly after.But in this situation, Joseph tells WDSU Investigates that no such reimbursement will be made, despite three upgraded flights.Joseph says in the CAO’s policy, which was updated in October of 2022, the city allows for any employee to upgrade a flight to business class if a flight is longer than 10 hours.The policy reads: “The City will cover airfare for a business class flight at a rate not to exceed 110% of the coach rate for international flights greater than 10 hours. Documentation showing the length of the flight must be submitted with the Travel Authorization Form.”Joseph says the flight to South Korea was longer than 10 hours.But it’s worth noting that while the policy allows the upgrade, it is not required for the mayor or other employees to use it.WDSU Investigates also asked Joseph what the cost of an economy class flight was to South Korea, as the city policy requires the upgrade not to exceed 110% of that price for an upgrade to business class.He told WDSU by phone that he did not know the cost of the economy class flight and referred us to the private business the city uses as a travel agent, a Metairie-based business called “Going Places.”Records also show that CAO Gilbert Montano also submitted a form to the Louisiana Board of Ethics showing the mayor did receive over $5500 for attending the climate change summit.The document was submitted to the state on May 11, and the Mayor accepted $595 for lodging and $5,000 for transportation from the New York Times Corporation while she attended the summit.Louisiana laws say that “any public servant who accepts complimentary admission, lodging or transportation or reimbursement from such expenses shall file a certificate with the board of ethics within 60 days of such acceptance.”Montano’s submission falls in that 60-day window.The public records turned over to WDSU Investigates do not show what the $5,000 in transportation was used for while Cantrell was in Korea.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, an NOPD officer who protects her, and a high-ranking staffer spent more than $34,000 in city money on airfare to go to South Korea last month for Cantrell to attend a climate change summit.
Cantrell was the only U.S. mayor to attend.
WDSU Investigates has also obtained records and receipts from the trip, which show Cantrell and the two others, also upgraded their plane tickets to first class and business class, and a City Hall spokesperson says they do not have to reimburse the city for the added cost.
The two people who accompanied the mayor on the trip to Busan, South Korea, are her security detail, NOPD Officer Robert Monlyn and Communications Director Gregory Joseph.
Monlyn is assigned to Cantrell’s executive protection.
It’s not known why Joseph went on the trip, but in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon, he told WDSU Investigates that it’s common practice for a member of the mayor’s communications team to travel with her.
Invoices show the mayor’s ticket cost taxpayers over $10,500 and was booked 12 days before the summit started in May.
Monlyn’s ticket to Korea cost $11,900, and Joseph’s ticket cost $12,100.
All three tickers were paid from the city’s general fund, according to records.
All tickets were booked on May 12, according to invoices.
The summit was May 24-27.
It’s not known – or listed – why plane tickets for Monlyn and Joseph cost more than Cantrell’s ticket.
Records show the three flew first class from Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner to San Francisco. They then took an upgraded business class flight from San Francisco to Osaka, Japan, before flying the rest of the way economy class from Osaka to Busan, South Korea.
On the way back, the three again flew business class from Tokyo, Japan, to Denver, Colorado, and first-class from Denver back to New Orleans.
Cantrell came under fire the summer after she took first-class flights to several cities for business-related events, like signing sister city agreements.
After saying she would not repay the extra charges for the upgraded flights – Cantrell was ordered to repay the added costs by her chief administrative officer after her appointed city attorney issued an opinion saying that a City Hall policy required all city workers, including the mayor, to pay for upgraded tickets.
Any upgrades had to be paid out-of-pocket.
The mayor reimbursed the city shortly after.
But in this situation, Joseph tells WDSU Investigates that no such reimbursement will be made, despite three upgraded flights.
Joseph says in the CAO’s policy, which was updated in October of 2022, the city allows for any employee to upgrade a flight to business class if a flight is longer than 10 hours.
The policy reads: “The City will cover airfare for a business class flight at a rate not to exceed 110% of the coach rate for international flights greater than 10 hours. Documentation showing the length of the flight must be submitted with the Travel Authorization Form.”
Joseph says the flight to South Korea was longer than 10 hours.
But it’s worth noting that while the policy allows the upgrade, it is not required for the mayor or other employees to use it.
WDSU Investigates also asked Joseph what the cost of an economy class flight was to South Korea, as the city policy requires the upgrade not to exceed 110% of that price for an upgrade to business class.
He told WDSU by phone that he did not know the cost of the economy class flight and referred us to the private business the city uses as a travel agent, a Metairie-based business called “Going Places.”
Records also show that CAO Gilbert Montano also submitted a form to the Louisiana Board of Ethics showing the mayor did receive over $5500 for attending the climate change summit.
The document was submitted to the state on May 11, and the Mayor accepted $595 for lodging and $5,000 for transportation from the New York Times Corporation while she attended the summit.
Louisiana laws say that “any public servant who accepts complimentary admission, lodging or transportation or reimbursement from such expenses shall file a certificate with the board of ethics within 60 days of such acceptance.”
Montano’s submission falls in that 60-day window.
The public records turned over to WDSU Investigates do not show what the $5,000 in transportation was used for while Cantrell was in Korea.
