New Orleans Mayor, Democrat LaToya Cantrell, reportedly repaid the city nearly $29,000 that she used in city cash for first-class flights after justifying it by saying that economy class is “unsafe” for black women, according to the Daily Mail.
The new report comes months after she first refused to repay the money, which created a controversy.
Reports state the mayor spent more than $40,000 on a four-day trip to France in June. Her first-class flight cost nearly $18,000, but her aides flew economy.
Cantrell, who reportedly receives $188,000 a year, said her travel accommodations are “a matter of safety, not of luxury.”
It was determined by a city attorney that Cantrell was obligated to seek the cheapest fares or reimburse New Orleans for deluxe expenses.
Cantrell previously admitted to living in a city-owned apartment in the French Quarter rent-free. The apartment is three miles from her $500,000 home. The apartment has a market rate of $2,991 per month.
