Irvin Mayfield at the groundbreaking ceremony for the New Orleans Jazz Market in 2014. Photo by Stephen Maloney.

Report: Irvin Mayfield Spent $18k of Library Foundation Money on NYC Trip

Irvin Mayfield’s saga with the Library Foundation shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

One week after penning a report that accused of Mayfield of directing additional money from the New Orleans Public Library Foundation to his New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO), WWL-TV’s David Hammer has presented evidence of even more questionable behavior.

The new report, which was posted by WWL-TV yesterday, claims that Mayfield charged the Library Foundation more than $18,000 during a five-night stay at a hotel on New York City’s Central Park in July 2012. According to invoices provided by the Library Foundation, much of the money went to this things like limo rides, mini-bar liquor and expensive hotel meals, including a single $1,400 breakfast.

Library Foundation President Bob Brown, who took over the organization after Mayfield and his friend and business associate Ronald Markham stepped down from the board of directors, told the publication, “There is no evidence–no evidence–that the visit was in any way tied to the New Orleans Library Foundation…and therefore, that money, in our view, is collectible.”

As previously reported, the Library Foundation and NOJO recently reached an agreement that would allow Mayfield’s group to pay back more than $1 million that it received from the Library Foundation while Mayfield was on its board. However, that agreement was reached before the the Library Foundation claimed that NOJO owed an additional $150,000. The organization claimed that money was funneled from the Library Foundation to NOJO via a third nonprofit called Youth Rescue Initiative (Mayfield also served on the board for Youth Rescue Initiative).

The latest reported can be read in full at WWL-TV’s website.