MIKE YENNI, THE FORMER JEFFERSON PARISH PRESIDENT WHO FACED CONTROVERSY FOLLOWING A TEXTING SCANDAL WITH THE TEEN BOY, RESPONDS TO CRITICISM ABOUT HIS NEW ROLE. HE IS NOW SERVING AS THE DEPUTY REGISTRAR OF VOTERS WITH TODAY MARKING HIS FIRST DAY BACK IN PARISH GOVERNMENT. WDSU ANCHOR RANDI RANDI JOINS US NOW WITH WHAT YENNI IS SAYING ABOUT HIS NEW POSITION AND HIS MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO ARE PUSHING BACK AGAINST THE HIRE. YEAH, GUYS. MIKE KENNY TELLS ME THAT HE IS EXCITED TO BE BACK SERVING THE PEOPLE OF JEFFERSON PARISH AND TO ALL THE NAYSAYERS, HE SAYS HE IS NOW FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE. I THINK MY RESUME SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. I’M OVERLY QUALIFIED TO DO THIS. UM, YOU KNOW, I THEY CAN LIVE IN THE PAST ALL THEY WANT. THE PAST IS THE PAST. WE’RE MOVING FORWARD. AFTER STEPPING AWAY FROM GOVERNMENT IN JEFFERSON PARISH BACK IN 2019, MONDAY MORNING, MIKE YENNI STEPPED BACK IN AS THE CHIEF DEPUTY OF THE REGISTER OF VOTERS OFFICE. RANDI. IT FEELS GREAT BECAUSE I’VE ALWAYS ENJOYED SERVING THE PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY IN JEFFERSON PARISH AND THE GREAT CITY OF KENNER. THIS IS AN APOLITICAL OFFICE. WE DON’T WELCOME POLITICS. WE WELCOME THE GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS OF THE OFFICE AND THAT’S WHAT I’M TRULY GOING TO ENJOY WORKING IN. HOWEVER, THIS HIRE BY DENNIS DEMARCO HAS MANY PARISH LEADERS QUESTIONING THE DECISION GIVEN YANNI’S CONTROVERSIAL PAST. YENNI WAS EMBROILED IN A TEXTING SCANDAL IN 2016 THAT HAD MANY CALLING FOR HIS RESIGNATION. BUT NOW HE SAYS HE’S READY FOR THE FRESH START, SAYING THIS IS A ROLE HE KNOWS VERY WELL. OPENED A REGISTRAR’S OFFICE IN THE CITY OF KENNER WITH MR. DEMARCO BACK WHEN I WAS MAYOR, SO THAT WE COULD ENCOURAGE MORE VOTING. AND THEN WHEN I WAS PARISH PRESIDENT WAS ABLE TO EXPAND THE EAST BANK OFFICE SO THAT WE COULD HAVE MORE EARLY VOTING GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ELECTION CYCLE. YENNI SAYS HE AND HIS STAFF ARE POISED TO DO THEIR VERY BEST, WANT TO MOVE FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SAFE, SECURE ELECTIONS AND THAT THE VOTERS CAN COME IN TO OUR OFFICES AND FEEL LIKE THEY’RE GETTING EXPEDITED THROUGH THE PROCESS. AND I THINK IT’S A IT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS VOTE EARLY AND VOTE OFTEN IN ADVANCE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY, YANNI SAYS THEY PLAN TO OPEN SEVERAL SATELLITE OFFICES AND HAVE EMPLOYEES AT THE READY FOR AN INFLUX OF MAIL IN BALLOTS. THEY’LL ALSO HAVE LOCATIONS AT THE EAST BANK AND WEST BANK REGIONAL LIBRARIES, AND PLAN TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF VOTING MACHINES. ALL RIGHT. AND PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT SCOTT WALKER, WHO HAS BEEN CRITICAL OF THE HIRE, SAYS THIS ISN’T ABOUT POLITICS. IT’S ABOUT MORALS. HE GOES ON TO SAY NEITHER THE REGISTRAR NOR MIKE GUINEA CAN ERASE WHAT HAPPENED NINE YEARS AGO. I HAVE A PLATFORM THAT THE CONSTITUENTS I REPRESENT DO NOT, AND I’M USING IT TO EXPLAIN THEIR ANGER ABOUT THIS HIRE. AFTER COUNTLESS EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS TO MY OFFICE, NOT ONE HAS SUPPORTED THIS HIR