() Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson refused to apologize to New Orleans residents Friday after 10 dangerous inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center, instead suggesting the jailbreak was politically motivated as the sheriff’s election approaches.

When directly asked if she wanted to offer contrition or an apology to the people of New Orleans, Hutson deflected, saying: “Well, first we have to find out exactly what happened and how they got out. We think this was intentional.”

The sheriff pivoted to suggesting a political conspiracy behind the escape. “Why did it happen just right now, right in the middle, as we’re getting ready to start this sheriff’s race? This is very suspicious,” Hutson told reporters during a news conference.

“When I have enough information, I’ll be glad to talk to the community about my issues or what I may need to apologize for,” she said, “but what I’m telling the community, this is a public safety issue first and foremost.”

The sheriff insisted there was a deeper conspiracy at play: “There’s much more than meets the eye. We are digging, and we are not going to stop digging tonight.”

Hutson said the inmates received assistance from within the facility: “We know that they had help. We’re showing you they had help. This was coordinated.”