Jefferson - A Jefferson Parish official under investigation by the feds has laid out his defense in a letter to the ethics panel.
Aaron Broussard's retiring Chief Administrative Officer, Tim Whitmer, claims he did not use his position to get a piece of a parish insurance contract.
An internal insurance company document confidentially turned over to the Metropolitan Crime Commission is what raised eyebrows about the Lagniappe Industries, a company Whitmer owns with his wife. According to the paperwork the company got 44 percent of commissions from the consultant the West Jefferson Medical Center board hired to find insurance for hospital employees.
"When this came to light the contract that was executed between the hospital and the broker specifically forbad any commission splitting with any other agencies," said Rafael Goyeneche.
A few days after the Times Picayune broke the story, Whitmer sent a letter to the state ethics board asking for an investigation into whether his deal violated any state rules.
"Here he is now seeking a ruling from the State Ethics Commission. He has been a public servant and is an intelligent enough person that it would seem that commonsensical he would have sought this opinion before he entered into this agreement," said Goyeneche.
"in his letter to the ethics panel, Whitmer wrote that he did not lobby for the hospital's business and did not, as CAO for the parish, have any control over the hospital board's decision.
"I think the issue there is hospital districts and are they legally separated in anyway from parish government. These issues are going to have to be defined by the state ethics board," said Parish President Aaron Broussard.
The deal is also being looked at by the feds, who've subpoenaed documents.
Goyeneche wrote a letter to parish council members asking them to hire an independent investigator.
He says an internal investigation done by the deputy parish attorney is too close for comfort.
"The reason that we're asking that it be lead by an independent council is because the parish president, Mr. Broussard has now acknowledged that he has performed legal services for Lagniappe Industries and has received $5,000 for the work he provided while he was parish president. Tom Wilkinson, the parish attorney, who was initially entrusted with leading the parish investigation later disclosed that he had done legal work for Mr. Whitmer in handling a succession," said Goyeneche.
Councilman John Young says he sent Whitmer a letter asking him to disclose any and all business dealing he has with parish entities, parish vendors or the state.
As far as the MCC's request for a parish council investigation, Young says first Whitmer needs to turn over that information.
