Petty palace intrigue is swirling around the annual Mardi Gras Ball celebration in Washington, D.C., as Senator Bill Cassidy has allegedly used his position on The Mystick Krewe of Louisianians to revoke tickets purchased by State Representative Roger Wilder to the exclusive D.C. Mardi Gras Ball.

Cassidy’s move, sources say, stems from a private comment Wilder made to friends expressing his support for State Senator Blake Miguez who personally told Wilder last week that he was going to run against Cassidy for the U.S. Senate. Wilder then sent a communication to several friends saying he would be supporting Miguez in his U.S. Senate run in 2026 and encouraged them to do the same.

What was apparently too much for Cassidy and his supporters was Wilder stating to his friends that he wanted to vote for the proven, battle tested, accomplished conservative in the race, not the person who voted (in 2021) against the man who would soon be the 47^th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.

In February 2021, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana made headlines by voting to convict former President Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial, citing his belief that “I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty.” This decision was met with swift backlash from the Louisiana Republican Party, which unanimously voted to censure Cassidy for his vote.

Word of Wilder’s support for Miguez reached Cassidy, according to sources, prompting the senator to revoke Wilder’s access to his already purchased tickets to the ball. This move has raised some eyebrows. Critics are accusing Cassidy of politicizing the event, using his influence to enforce loyalty to his re-election campaign and punish dissent in the form of a private communication to friends to rally support for Miguez.

After traveling to DC for the celebrations, Wilder confirmed that he received notice his tickets had been revoked and his money for their purchase would be refunded.

“Yes, my D.C. Mardi Gras tickets were revoked for being honest about Sen. Cassidy’s impeachment vote,” Wilder responded when reached for comment. “No worries,” he continued. “Perhaps I’ll have his ticket in 2026!”

The D.C. Mardi Gras Ball is a long-standing Louisiana tradition held annually in Washington. It is a prestigious, bipartisan gathering of politicians, business leaders, and influential figures from Louisiana which serves as both a celebration of Louisiana culture and an informal networking opportunity for those with ties to the state’s political landscape.

“This is a disappointing display of pettiness,” said one analyst familiar with Louisiana’s political dynamics. “The D.C. Mardi Gras Ball has always been about celebrating our state and bringing people together, not about political score-settling.”

Miguez has yet to comment on the matter.

There have been no reports of Democrats revoking already purchased tickets although Republicans have most assuredly made disparaging comments about them. Whether this will have long-term repercussions for the collegiality of the D.C. Mardi Gras Ball moving forward, or for Cassidy and his supporters, remains an open question.

If Cassidy knew how many people had the same private thoughts as Rep. Roger Wilder, he would be dancing alone on the floor at the Washington Hilton this evening!