Seven different City of New Orleans department heads illegally received free Jazz Fest tickets in 2017, according to a new report from the New Orleans Office of Inspector General.
According to the report, Festival Productions Inc. provided the department heads with somewhere between 284 and 424 free tickets to Jazz Fest in 2017.
"The majority of the aforementioned Department Heads and their employees stated they were aware that they could not accept free tickets to the Jazz Festival for personal use," a statement from the OIG's office said.
The department heads and employees interviewed said they either did not use the tickets or only used them to conduct official City business.
In addition, the Parks and Parkways Department "loaned" three gazebos to the Jazz Festival that same year without executing a "HOld Harmless Agreement" or charging them for the rentals.