Whitmer pleads not guilty, but that will change soon, attorney says
by Richard Rainey - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Tim Whitmer made a perfunctory appearance Monday in federal court, his first since resigning more than two years ago as the embattled top aide to Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard. He pleaded not guilty to failing to report illegal activity while he ran Jefferson's government, but his attorney, Pat Fanning, said that will soon change. Whitmer, 51, has reached a plea bargain with federal prosecutors, exchanging his vast knowledge of Broussard's administration for admitting guilt to a single count of misprision of a felony, Fanning said. He is expected later to plead guilty to witnessing illegal hiring practices and dubious parish contracts during his time as the parish's No. 2 executive. The deal could make Whitmer a key witness in several parallel investigations into past management of Jefferson Parish. "We expect that he's going to cooperate with the government," Fanning said.