Cantrell’s office has declined to comment, directing inquiries to email. Vappie’s attorney also declined to speak on the indictment.
Expenses tied to the trips were substantial. On one 2022 visit to Washington, D.C., the pair incurred $3,000 in charges for a single-hour meeting, while Vappie collected $1,120 in overtime pay. At a Los Angeles hotel, prosecutors allege Vappie billed four Old Fashioned cocktails and two Stella beers to the mayor’s room.
Cover-Up Allegations
Prosecutors allege Cantrell and Vappie attempted to conceal their relationship and fraud scheme by deleting messages, intimidating staff, and even filing a police report against a citizen who photographed them in public. Despite public denials of a romantic relationship, court filings show a colleague warned Cantrell via text: “It is A FELONY to have your lover be paid to work and have his travel paid for by the city.”
Echoes of Nashville Scandal
The scandal has drawn comparisons to former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, who resigned in 2018 following revelations of an affair with her police bodyguard that cost taxpayers thousands. Barry pleaded guilty to felony theft, reimbursed the city, and left office.
