METAIRIE – John Fortunato is calling for a public apology from Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto after Lopinto accused Fortunato of attempted bribery.
Last week, Lopinto confirmed that he filed a criminal complaint against Fortunato.
Lopinto says Fortunato, his opponent in the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s election, offered to drop out of the race if Lopinto backed him for Chief of the Causeway Police Department.
Lopinto said he handed over documents and phone records to prove his case when he filed the complaint, but Fortunato says the bribery attempt never happened.
“Lopinto is intentionally misleading the public,” Fortunato said. “He is desperately trying to distract the people of Jefferson Parish from the truth. The fact is, Lopinto went to great lengths to try to keep me from qualifying against him, directing his own emissary to arrange a meeting with me. That meeting never happened. To suggest that I attempted to bribe Joe Lopinto is absurd and just more of his ‘dirty politics.’”
Fortunato called for Lopinto “to publicly apologize to the people of Jefferson Parish for his irresponsible behavior.”