Federal Grand Jury and FBI investigating Teedy's image consultant

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At least two New Orleans area stores have received subpoenas from a federal grand jury and been questioned by FBI agents about purchases made by Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s image consultant, according to representatives of the businesses.

Laura Rodrigue, an attorney for Ballin’s boutique – where the consultant, Tanya Haynes, often shopped for outfits for the mayor – said the owners are cooperating with the federal investigation.

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A sales manager at BC Kitchen and Bath in Metairie said Thursday that a grand jury subpoena was served Sept. 13 at her store, for a $17,000 kitchen remodel at Haynes’ home. While the Ballin’s subpoena appears to relate to Haynes’ work for Cantrell, there is no obvious link between the BC Kitchen and Bath subpoena and the mayor.

The subpoena for BC Kitchen & Bath asked the company to send the records to FBI agent Todd Goodson by Sept. 30. The government sought “any accounts associated with” Haynes or her husband, Vernon Haynes, and specified records of a $2,000 purchase on Nov. 7, 2020. The store manager said an FBI agent told her that amount was charged to a credit card that did not belong to Haynes.

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But in an interview Thursday, he said such expenditures are proper under state law only if they’re truly spent on consulting – not clothing. He noted a few limited exceptions to that rule: for instance, people who hold elected positions that might require them to wear a uniform, such as an elected police chief, might be able to tap their campaign funds.

Kathleen Allen, the Ethics Board’s administrator, provided several written opinions issued by the board on the same question over the years. In one 1992 opinion, the board’s then-lawyer wrote that “ordinary clothing expenses may not appropriately be paid using campaign funds.”

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