WWL-TV has confirmed what many in Kenner have long whispered
about: former Kenner Mayor and current Jefferson Parish President Mike Yenni
has had several illicit relationships with men, including sexting,
propositioning and kissing a 17-year-old high school boy.
In 2009 and 2010, Yenni, then Kenner’s Chief Administrative
Officer (CAO), sent sexual text messages on a City-reimbursed cell phone
account tied to City of Kenner servers, to at least 8 males. Yenni was elected
Kenner Mayor in 2010 and later married that same year. He and his wife have a
3-year-old daughter.
The emails were copied off the city server and given to
a-then political opponent of Yenni, former Mayor and Jefferson Parish
Councilman Louis Congemi. Congemi endorsed Yenni in his 2014 reelection and was
defeated in his bid for Jefferson Parish Council-At-Large in 2015, losing to
incumbent Chris Roberts.
It was alleged that Yenni was the target of attempted
extortion. The FBI investigated but no charges were filed.
Now the FBI is investigating Yenni over an alleged
inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old during the Summer of 2015.
Yenni was introduced to the teen by another, older teen
after Yenni saw the boy at a high school function.
Yenni sent the boy several explicit text messages suggesting
the two have sex together and with the older teen.
In addition, Yenni met the boy at his job in a mall food
court. Yenni bought the boy designer underwear and went with the boy into a public
restroom where the two kissed.
The boy broke off the relationship when he became
uncomfortable with Yenni’s text messages and the two did not have sex. In
Louisiana, the age of sexual consent is 17. However, since Yenni sent text
messages, the FBI is investigating if Yenni broke Federal law regarding using
telecommunications in explicit messages to someone under 18-years-old.
It is particularly troubling that, in a message, Yenni
suggested that the teen become one of Yenni’s Assistants or Secretaries so the
boy could be with Yenni and not arouse suspicion.
Rumors of Yenni’s sexual proclivities appeared to die down
after his marriage. It was just a temporary respite however and even more
rumors of explicit text and email messages, clandestine meetings in New
Orleans, and even photos of Yenni were mentioned.
When I ran against Yenni in 2014, many wanted me to use
Yenni’s sexual antics against him. I
refused.
To be honest, I could care less who Mike Yenni sleeps with. That
is, if they are consenting adults. I don’t care if he’s gay, bisexual, or likes
dressing up in clown clothes (although I would object to him wearing his Navy
Reserve uniform – an enlistment that was also a farce). But, whatever Mike
Yenni is (and whatever he wears while trying to impress his sexual partners)
just be honest about it.
Oh, and keep it between adults.
What I did object to was the hypocrisy of Mike Yenni
continuing to trot out his wife and child for political purposes. As I’ve
mentioned many times, Mike Yenni’s entire life has been contrived. He is not,
and has not been, what he appears to portray.
Anc, while the media has known everything that I, and others
have known for years, they failed to disclose it or chose to ignore the
carefully crafted Yenni façade.
The media, particularly the Times-Picayune/Nola.com,
continued to feed the public the image of Mike Yenni – Mr. Family Values. All
the while, the TP knew it was a lie.
Months before his 2014 reelection, Yenni trotted out his
wife and baby for Thanksgiving and Christmas video messages on Nola.com.
When I asked an Editor for Nola.com, he said he thought it
was proper and appropriate to give Yenni the platform to promote himself and
Yenni’s contrived image,
The Times-Picayune/Nola.com and the electronic media did a
disservice to the people of Kenner and Jefferson Parish by not investigating
the rumors and exposing Mike Yenni for the sexual predator that he is sooner.
How many other children has Mike Yenni propositioned? How
many people has he used his elected or appointed positions ro coerce? How many
other job offers has Mike Yenni made in exchange for sexual favors with adults
or minors?
In addition to the “Family Values” hypocrisy, I am also
troubled by Yenni choosing high school functions to scope out his next sexual
conquests.
A 40-year-old married man seeking introductions to high
school boys and suggesting sexual relations between them, is a sexual predator.
If it were any other man, the media would already be calling Yenni that.
If you are a Jefferson Parish resident, how does it make you
feel that your Parish President is a sexual predator?
Again, if this were any other man, he would have already
been fired from his job and potentially charged and arrested and, if Mike Yenni
actually cared about Jefferson Parish he would have already resigned.
It is ironic that when I ran against Yenni in 2014, one of
the few groups that actually endorsed me was the LGBT community. Perhaps Yenni
tried too hard to appear straight or the group preferred my answers on Gay
Adoption to Yenni’s otherwise why would they endorse a straight guy over one of
their own.
For the record, as someone that was adopted himself, I know
there are many children in foster homes or waiting to be adopted. If two
consenting adults feel that they can provide the love, support and nurturing
that a child needs, it doesn’t matter to me what sex they are = adopting and
loving a child is a wonderful thing.
As for Mike Yenni, he doesn’t deserve our support or even
our pity. Mike Yenni is a sexual predator who used his positions and city
resources to lead a double life and attempt to have sexual relations with
children who aren’t even old enough to vote.
The evidence is out there and the FBI needs to move forward
with charges and the media needs to stop sweeping this under the rug. Thankfully,
David Hammer and WWL-TV mustered the courage to expose the fraud Yenni has
perpetrated on the people of Kenner and Jefferson Parish.
.
Yenni needs to resign
or be removed from office. Sexual predators should appear on postcards when
they move into a neighborhood not be representing Jefferson Parish.
