This doesn't paint a rosy picture of Philip Hannan and Gregory Aymond at all.

WDSU

The lawsuit details efforts from "numerous influential Catholics" who advocated for Wheeler's return to the ministry.

Vinny Mosca, an attorney and former mayor of Harahan, arranged a meeting with John Doe's parents in order "to see if there was a possibility for an amicable and expeditious resolution to this matter," the lawsuit said. Mosca "attempted to discourage the initiation of criminal charges because it would be a 'media feeding frenzy' and negative press for John Doe and his family," according to the lawsuit.

Mosca told WDSU that he has known and represented the plaintiff's family for 35 years and was asked by a partner at Chaffe McCall, where Wheeler worked, to meet with them. He dismissed suggestions that he is one of the influential Catholics referenced in the lawsuit.

"I'm annoyed the plaintiff would go into all sorts of contentions about the archdiocese," Mosca said, adding that he was only offering the family his opinion as an attorney and not attempting to dissuade them from any particular course of action.

Since his meeting with the family, Mosca confirmed he has been hired to represent Wheeler along with Metairie attorney David Courcelle.

In February, one of John Doe's attorneys received a phone call from "a very wealthy and well-known benefactor of the Archdiocese of New Orleans" who is identified in the lawsuit as "Mr. R," according to the lawsuit. In the conversation, Mr. R told Doe's attorney he was calling on behalf of Wheeler and "Mr. K," who the lawsuit said had approached Doe's father months earlier about trying to "settle" the issue with Wheeler.

Mr. R discussed "taking the mortgage on Wheeler's house so that they could offer to settle John Doe's claims against Wheeler because they wanted 'to do something for the boy.'" Mr. R said he had "$350,000 and 'another $50,000 to play with' to settle the claims." In order to reach a settlement, John Doe would have to stop "any cooperation with the JPSO in the ongoing criminal investigation into Wheeler's sexual assaults..."

John Doe's attorney told Mr. R what he proposed was unethical, to which Mr. R responded, "Well, you just taught me something," the lawsuit said. The attorney told Mr. R he was bound to discuss any offer with his client, "notwithstanding the criminal component not being part of any potential settlement."

Mr. R also told the attorney he had spoken to Aymond about the situation, referring to him as "Gregory" twice in the conversation, according to the lawsuit. In a second call to the attorney the next day, Mr. R said "he did not feel good about being involved" and "he had lost sleep the previous night... because he knew it was wrong of Wheeler to offer money for John Doe to stop cooperating with police."

The civil lawsuit seeks damages that would be determined at trial.

The archdiocese, which is not a plaintiff in the Wheeler suit, faces several damage claims tied to clergy sexual abuse and has already paid out millions in settlements. Pending cases were put on hold after the local church declared bankruptcy, a process through which a federal court will determine the value of its assets.

Multiple creditors who are owned money by the archdiocese have a place in line to be repaid ahead of sexual abuse survivors, many who maintain the bankruptcy is a way for the church to shield itself from accountability.