JEFFERSON, La. -- This year began with a number of resignations within the top levels of Jefferson Parish government, and a state legislative auditor's report is out on the former Broussard administration, outlining some possible reasons for those departures.
The report, more than 100 pages long, speaks to a lack of oversight and accountability when it comes to the former administration in Jefferson Parish. The question now is, are the alleged actions of Aaron Broussard and Tom Wilkinson criminal?
“The legislative auditor says that the former parish attorney and the former parish president may have violated Louisiana statute that deals with payroll fraud,” said legal analyst Donald “Chick” Foret, a former federal prosecutor who is now a private defense attorney.
The report also questions the relationship between former Chief Administrative Officer Tim Whitmer and Scott Fontenot, whose company was hired by the parish to research and evaluate health insurance companies.
Fontenot and Whitmer sat on the committee that selected the parish insurance company, and the report says Fontenot shared commissions from an insurance deal with Whitmer and his wife's company, THT.
“It seems like a very incestuous relationship as it dealt with insurance in Jefferson Parish,” Foret said.
Tim Meche, an attorney representing Fontenot, said he categorically denies that, and that Fontenot never shared any of his commissions with Whitmer.
The legislative auditor also indicates that Karen Parker Broussard, Aaron Broussard's wife, may have made nearly $46,000 more in salary than she should have, and that she was once hired as a paralegal supervisor although she did not have a paralegal certificate.
But Broussard wasn't alone. The report states Antoine Thomassie and Ken Trahan were hired as paralegals without the proper certificates, and that they along with another parish attorney Steve Mortillaro did not document their hours worked.
"The payroll fraud statute is very clear: a public official cannot have someone on the payroll who they know is not doing the work, or is grossly over compensated for the services that the employee is rendering,” Foret said.
State Rep. Cameron Henry, who serves on the audit advisory committee, talked about the next step.
“Would be for us to forward the information on to the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office who will received a copy of it, the FBI will receive a copy of it, and the ethics board,” Henry said.
And the legislative auditors report parallels a separate federal investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Broussard's attorney, Mike Ellis, said he does not believe Broussard violated any criminal laws while president of Jefferson Parish.
