Married Louisiana politician, 40, appears in an infomercial to admit he sexted a 17-year-old boy - but refuses to step down

  • Jefferson Parish President Mike Yenni apologized for 2015 sexts in video
  • Sexts reportedly included offers of sex acts and threesome fantasies
  • He also allegedly bought the boy underwear and kissed him in a bathroom
  • The Republican politician did not address the other allegations in his video
  • Other Jefferson officials are demanding that he resign but he's carrying on 
  • A sexual relationship would have been legal under Louisiana law 

A married Louisiana politician has released a bizarre infomercial in which he admits to sexting a 17-year-old boy - but says he won't leave office.

'Last summer I was old enough to know better, but I guess I was still young enough to do something stupid,' 40-year-old Jefferson Parish President Mike Yenni says in the video posted by NOLA.com.

His remarks come just over a week after the FBI confirmed it was investigating claims he had an improper relationship with the teen, which included kissing him, buying him underwear and sending sexts of threesome fantasies. 

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Scandal: Jefferson Parish President Mike Yenni (left, with wife Michelle Swanner and three-year-old daughter Reagan) admitted Thursday to sending sexts to a 17-year-old high school boy in 2015

Scandal: Jefferson Parish President Mike Yenni (left, with wife Michelle Swanner and daughter Reagan) admitted Thursday to sending sexts to a 17-year-old high school boy in 2015

Apology: In the video (pictured), Yenni apologizes for the messages - but doesn't broach other allegations, including claims he kissed the boy and bought him underwear

Apology: In the video (pictured), Yenni apologizes for the messages - but doesn't broach other allegations, including claims he kissed the boy and bought him underwear

In Thursday's one-minute infomercial, Yenni - a Republican politician who has a three-year-old daughter with wife Michelle - says his constituents 'deserve the truth from (him) directly.'

'I chose to send improper texts to a young man,' he explains. 'I won't go into details out of respect for the rights and privacy of all parties.'

But in Jefferson those details are well known: Yenni is accused of having a misguided relationship with a then-17-year-old boy in 2015.

According to WWL TV, Yenni was introduced to the youth by a 19-year-old mutual friend at a function being held at the boy's Catholic high school.

Their relationship is said to have developed through phone and text messages, with Yenni allegedly meeting the boy at his food court job to give him designer underwear. 

Denial: Yenni, a Republican politician, denies he misused his powers as a public official, but admits that the sexts were 'a bad decision'

Denial: Yenni, a Republican politician, denies he misused his powers as a public official, but admits that the sexts were 'a bad decision'

It's also alleged that the two briefly kissed in the mall's bathroom. 

The youth provided WWL with text messages sent by Yenni from a personal number. That number is not being billed to taxpayers.

In the texts, Yenni allegedly asks the boy if he's worn the underwear and says he wants to see him modeling them.

He also says he wants to perform a sex act on the boy, and that he would like a threesome with the boy and their 19-year-old mutual friend, it is claimed.

The youth said he was flattered at first by the attention, but became uncomfortable with the increasingly detailed texts.

'He asked me to go with him to his house in Oxford (Mississippi),' the youth told WWL.

'Also, the way he would describe the sexual things he wanted to do to me. And he asked me to be a secretary or assistant in his office; that way I could be with him and not be questioned.'

The age of consent in Louisiana is 17, so a sexual relationship would not have been illegal - but it has hit Yenni's career hard. 

In his video, Yenni says he 'never abused or misused' his powers as a public official, but only addresses the sexting claims.

And the video hasn't stopped local officials demanding his head.

Angry: Jefferson County Coroner Gerry Cvitanovich is one of several officials demanding that Yenni step down from his position
Upset: Clerk of court Jon Gegenheimer also wants Yenni out of office

Angry: Jefferson County coroner Gerry Cvitanovich (left) and clerk of court Jon Gegenheimer (right) are among several officials demanding that Yenni step down from his position

On Thursday, Jefferson Parish Councilman at-large Chris Roberts and council Chairwoman Cynthia Lee-Sheng drafted a letter calling for Yenni's resignation.

They join Jefferson County’s coroner, Gerry Cvitanovich; assessor, Thomas Capella; and clerk of court Jon Gegenheimer in demanding Yenni step down.

But in his video Yenni makes it quite clear that he's going nowhere. 

'I will work hard every day to prove that good people can rise from a bad decision,' he says. 'I'm certainly not afraid of the future because I'm smart enough never to repeat the past.'

Staying in: Yenni, however, says that he will press on with his job - but has promised that he's 'smart enough never to repeat the past'

Staying in: Yenni, however, says that he will press on with his job - but has promised that he's 'smart enough never to repeat the past'

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