A source tells Fox 8 News that federal investigators are looking into
the red light camera program in Jefferson Parish and Interim Parish
President Steve Theriot confirms the feds do have the documents.
The parish recently suspended the contract after finding out an
insurance agent involved in the west Jeff hospital scandal is also set
to make money on the camera deal. Interim Parish President Steve Theriot
asked Redflex Traffic Systems a series of questions to get more
information on who's making money on the deal. The company promised to
have answers for Theriot within a day. That was nearly two weeks ago and
there's still no word.
"It causes me to be suspicious and this is not gonna go away. We're
gonna get to the problem of it and this program is not coming back in
any form until all of these questions are answered," said Councilman
Chris Roberts.
Roberts first asked Redflex who was making money off its Jefferson
Parish contract last November.
He says two months later Redflex turned over the name Bryan Wagner. Wagner is a local insurance agent who's name appeared on the same commission sharing document that listed former CAO Tim Whitmer's Laginappe Industries. The internal insurance document related to a West Jeff Medical Center contract helped launch the investigation into Whitmer 's personal insurance business.
Roberts says Wagner is entitled to 3.2 percent of the money Redflex
makes off Jefferson Parish drivers and the councilman wants to know if
Wagner is dishing any of that money out to others.
"What I found quite odd was, the individual who represented Redflex from
Arizona, who supposedly the person who knew everything, couldn't answer
that question for me," said Theriot.
Theriot met with the company almost two weeks ago.
"I asked him specifically what time frame would he need to get back to
me because I wanted to at least address the council at that Wednesday
meeting. He told me 24 hours. Obviously that's long past the 24 hour
mark."
Although Redflex hasn't responded to Theriot, Roberts says the company
has called him and possibly other council members.
"I see no reason to plead a case to one individual council member. I
think the parish president and his staff are acting on behalf of the
entire council and the parish and until those questions that he posed in
a meeting with them are answered there's no real reason to meet with
them."
Theriot says normally in a case like this he would just follow the
money, but because of a law suit challenging the cameras, the $20
million collected so far is still in the bank.
FOX 8 was unable to reach Wagner for comment.
A representative of Redflex said she would get back to us.
Theriot says the legislative auditor's office is also investigating
the Redflex contract.
