Firm denies giving consulting fees to former Jefferson Parish president
Federal investigators have questioned a Kenner company about whether it paid consulting fees to Aaron Broussard while he was Jefferson Parish president, company owner Bill Mack said Tuesday.
Aaron BroussardMack, who owns First Communications Co., said he never paid Broussard any fees. He said he assumed investigators called him because of past work he had done for Jefferson Parish. He said he has no current contracts with the parish government.
"They're just out doing their own due diligence," Mack said. He couldn't recall exactly when federal authorities interviewed him but said it was in the past few months.
First Communications hasn't contributed to Broussard's political campaigns in the past four years, according to his reports to the state Ethics Administration. Before that, the company donated a total of $4,100 from 2001 to 2006.
Broussard resigned from office Jan. 8 amid a criminal inquiry into his administration. It began after news media reports that his top administrator, Tim Whitmer, had a private insurance agency doing work for parish contractors. Broussard has admitted being paid $5,000 for "legal work" last summer for Whitmer's agency, Lagniappe Industries. Whitmer resigned four days before Broussard.
Broussard has already answered at least two federal subpoenas requesting information or documents related to possible corruption.
It's unknown whether federal investigators are questioning other businesses about consulting fee payments to Broussard. Sheila Thorne, an FBI spokeswoman, said it is agency policy not to comment on continuing investigations.
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Richard Rainey can be reached at rrainey@timespicayune.com or 504.883.7052.