‘Taking a deeper look into Delisha and her powerful neighbors’

Let’s talk about English Turn…

English Turn is the gated golf course community at the southern tip of the West Bank. It is roughly 40 minutes from City Hall, yet a centralized seat of political power. Residents Include…

US Congressman Troy Carter, former Congressman Cedric Richmond, Charles L. Rice (former Entergy New Orleans CEO) Councilman Freddie King, State Representative (and Council-At-Large candidate) Delisha Boyd, Second City Constable (and Sheriff-candidate) Edwin Shorty, Kevin Dolliole (Director of New Orleans Aviation Board), and former State Senator Danny Heitmeier (who was preceded by his brother, and succeeded by Troy Carter, who passed the District-7 torch to his nephew, Gary Carter). The neighborhood even includes former NOPD Chief Michael S. Harrison, Sr., and former mayoral candidate Judge Desiree Charbonnet.

Troy and his neighbors..

Congressman Troy Carter has a habit of endorsing his neighbors, as he has done in this current election with Boyd, King, and Shorty whose names all appear on the October 11 Ballot. But are Congressman Carter’s endorsements based on merit, or proximity? If it is based on the latter, Rep. Boyd may not be living in English Turn for long, and the $10,000 Congressman Carter gave to her campaign for one of the City Council at Large Seats might have been better spent. 

Delisha Boyd, a real estate broker, and her home are yet again in foreclosure litigation. 

Delisha’s Shaky Ground

In July 2024, Judge Kern ordered the Sheriff to seize and sell Rep. Delisha Boyd’s home in English Turn.  This is relevant, as Representative Boyd’s profession is in real estate, and she is currently campaigning to be a Councilmember-At-Large for the City of New Orleans. If she wins, she will have massive authority over the entire City’s budget, and alternate with the other At-Large Member as the City Council President. 

Ultimately, the public should question if a candidate cannot manage their own personal budget, should that person be elected to a position where they will be in charge of managing New Orleans’ nearly $2 Billion budget.  Anyone in charge of the city’s budget should be able to demonstrate sound fiscal judgment. However, beyond just the current foreclosure, Representative Boyd also has filed for bankruptcy three times – in 2008,2012 and 2013. 

Her bankruptcy lawyer in 2012 and 2013 is none other than her neighbor, Constable Shorty, who is also running for Sheriff of Orleans Parish. If Shorty wins this election, he would be in charge of seizing and selling Representative Boyd’s home that is the subject of her current foreclosure.  These types of connections demonstrate another reason why the public should have additional oversight of the Sheriff’s role in foreclosures, bank repossessions and property auctions. 

As a real estate broker, Representative Boyd is likely more familiar with mortgages, foreclosures, and LLCs than most of us. How she uses that knowledge is important for voters to know, particularly because the City Council is in charge of our budget, zoning, and contracts.

A prior house on Bourdeaux Street that Representative Boyd purchased in 2006 changed hands between herself and her LLC.  However, in 2009 the bank sought foreclosure on her home, which was eventually sold to end the foreclosure proceeding. 

Currently, Representative Boyd has not only not paid on her mortgage according to court records, she also has failed to even make an appearance in the foreclosure proceeding – requiring the Court to appoint a curator to represent her interest.  Usually curators are appointed to represent the interests of an individual who has died, and the curator’s job is to find that person’s closest relatives to let them know about the court proceeding.  

However, in this case, not only is Representative Boyd very much alive, she is campaigning for office, and has raised more than six-figures in contributions. 

Her biggest donor is Laney Chouest, a noted billionaire corporate donor who regularly gives to both Democrats and Republicans, often donating the maximum amount under campaign donor laws. When asked about his outsized contributions to her City Council campaign (over $72k at the time), Representative Boyd said “I’ve been friends with the Chouest family for over 25 years.”

If you thought the campaign donations from the billionaire family of brothers Gary and Laney (who also owns NOLA Motor Club) and his wife Ruth was interesting, take a peek at Elite PAC, run by Boyd’s daughter and funded almost entirely by Laney Chouest’s $100,000 donation. The PAC has only supported one candidate: Delisha Boyd.

Democrat Delisha Boyd does not see anything wrong with a single family having financed the vast majority of her campaign. But the public should question the integrity and purpose of these donations, especially when they come from billionaire donors who play both sides of the political aisle, seemingly to support their corporate interests rather than the well-being of Louisiana citizens and our environment. Interestingly, Open Secrets reports that the Chouest’s business is US Congressman Troy Carter’s second largest donor from 2023-2024 (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee was Carter’s largest donor during this time period).  

Multiple bankruptcy cases and multiple foreclosures are grounds for the public to be concerned about Delisha Boyd for one of our City Council’s At-Large. More so, these are certainly grounds to question why our community’s Congressional Representative, Troy Carter, has decided to endorse her.  Perhaps the answer is as simple as they are friends.  But in light of who these candidates' funders are, as public figures Congressman Carter should explain his endorsement, and Representative Boyd should explain why the public should trust that she can be a fiscally responsible elected official.