- Per state statute, an elected official can only be removed formisfeasance, malfeasance, neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetence, permanent inability to perform their duty or conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude.
A county commissioner near Tampa ran a brothel from his home, where he offered prostitutes a place to live in exchangefor sexual favors.
A school board member in Central Florida shoplifted nearly $400 worth of merchandise fromher local Walmart.
A property appraiser near the state capital padded his wallet by writing checks to himself.
These are just some of the elected officialsacross Florida who were arrested in recent yearsand then quickly suspendedfrom their public rolesby the governor, a Ledger analysis found.
A Lake Wales CityCommissioner was arrested in early June on felony charges that she threatened an 11-year-old with a gun.Kristen Fitzgerald'sarraignment hearing is scheduled for July 6.
As some call for her removal, a spokeswoman for Gov. Ron DeSantis said it's likely a decision about her status on the commissionwouldn't be made until after a finalcourt ruling, since she's yet to be convicted.
After arrest,Lake Wales commissioner is back at meetings. Some want her removed
For subscribers:It's rare for governor to oust elected officials. When voters try, the process is lengthy
Per state statute, an elected official can only be removed formisfeasance, malfeasance, neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetence, permanent inability to perform their duty or conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude.
Here are some recent examples whenthe governor took swift action following an arrest of an elected official.
This list was compiled through a requestto thegovernor's office and a review of theFlorida Senate website, which documentsactions by the governor related to an elected official since Jan. 1, 2019. Some of the cases on the websiteoccurred in 2018 or earlier, but their final resolution didn't come about until 2019.
Former Hernando County Commissioner Nick Nicholson | $100 for sex on a Tuesday
From his Spring Hill home in Hernando County, Nick Nicholson ran a brothel.Here, heprovided room and board to prostitutes in exchange for sex, according to police records.
One of the two women living in his rented home said he made her his “sex slave.” According to reports, Nicholson paidone woman $100 for sex on Tuesdays and $200 for sex on Saturdays.
Nicholson was a Hernando County commissioner at the time,but after the 2018 arrest made national headlines,then-Gov.Rick Scott promptly issued an executive ordersuspending him from office.
Nearly a year later, Nicholsonresigned.
As a first-time offender facing misdemeanor charges – one count of running a house of prostitution and two counts of prostitution–he ended up taking a plea deal and paid a fine of $729.
Former Putnam County School Board member Nichole Cummings | 'I stole from a local store'
Former Putnam County School Board member Nichole Cummings walked out of a Walmart in Palatka with $388 worth of unpaid merchandise, police said in June 2018.
She was arrested and booked in the county jail on grand theft charges. And this was the second time it happened, according to reports. She'd been accused of stealingfishing rods in the past from the same Walmart.
A week afterthe arrest, she was suspended from office by Scott on July 13, 2018, and it remained intact until her term ended on Jan. 7, 2019.
As part of a pre-trial intervention agreement with a judge, Cummings had to complete an anti-theft course, write an apology letter to the students of Putnam County, pay court fees and carry a shoplifting sign reading “I Stole from a Local Store” for two hours.
Jefferson County Clerk of Court Kirk Reams | Sex in the court? Judge orders reversal of suspension
In one instance recently, a judge ordered the governor to reverse his suspension of an elected official.
The matter involved Kirk Reams, who still servesas clerk of the court in Jefferson County. In 2016, his then-girlfriend reported to the Sheriff’s Office that he’d taken nude photos of her at the courthouse and had sex with her in the judge’s chambers.
The investigation found no wrongdoing because the sex was consensual and Reams as clerk of the court was allowed to be in the courthouse, according to reports.
But Reams was charged with petty theft after investigators learned he’d given a county-owned laptop to his girlfriend for her personal use for more than a year. The case went to trial, but jurors found Reams not guilty after deliberating less than 15 minutes.
Scott cited both the courthouse incident and the laptop when he suspended Reams on Oct. 18, 2017.
A federal judge then ordered Gov. Rick Scott and the Senate president to either reinstate Jefferson County’s suspended clerk of courts or allow him an opportunity to present evidence by the end of the month.
Reams was ultimately reinstated.
Former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels | Sex scandal with mistress
Former Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels found himself at the center of a scandalforhaving an extra-marital affair with a corrections officer, according to court records.
After Daniels told his wife about the affair, he called for his deputies to arrest the other womanin May 2019 on stalking allegations. But his staff told prosecutors they didn't feel there was just cause to arrest the corrections officer.
Prosecutors ultimately charged the sheriff withone felony count of destroying evidence on a phone and three misdemeanors of lying to police about his mistress stalking him.
A day afterthe arrest, following a year-long investigation, DeSantis suspended the sheriff.
The suspension was in effect when Daniels’ term as sheriff ended in January.
The court matter has not yet been resolved.
Former Wakulla County Property Appraiser Brad Harvey | Writing checks to himself
Bradley Harvey earned a salary of more than $100,00 when he took office as Wakulla County’s Property appraiser in 2016.
But he raked in even more during his tenure as staff members discovered that he had been issuing checks to himself, according to police records.
He gave himself more than $50,000 extra the first year, more than $49,000 the second year and nearly $77,000 the third year, according to an arrest report.
Previously:FDLE investigating numerous allegations against property appraiser
Investigators said Harvey used his work credit card to pay $3,200 to take his family on a cruise in 2017. Records also showed he had used the card 11 times for automotive services for his personal vehicles.
Arrested on April 17, 2020, Harvey was charged ontwo counts of organized scheme to defraud for the incidents.
DeSantis signed an executive order that same day suspending Harvey from office. The order remained in effect until Harvey’s term ended in January.
His case has not yet been resolved.
Former Liberty County Elections Supervisor Gina McDowell | Christmas shopping withthe county credit card
In 2019, a Liberty County audit revealed numerous discrepancies in the use of office credit cards, according to the Calhoun-Liberty Journal.
A year later, Gina McDowell, the county’s elections supervisor, was arrested and charged with spending thousands of dollars in office funds for personal use.
According to court records, she helped herself to the office credit card and bank account over a nearly four-year period and tried to cover her tracks by claiming the money was spent on election security.
Liberty County elections supervisor arrested for allegedly misspending office funds
She and her boyfriend allegedly spent more than $42,000 on a host of personal expenses, from out-of-town excursions and Christmas shopping sprees to routine trips to the grocery store and fast food restaurants.
Arrested on May 1, 2020, McDowell was booked into the Liberty County Jail on one count of organized scheme to defraud and two counts of official misconduct, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Immediately following the arrest, she was suspended from her role by DeSantis. It remained in effect until her term ended in January.
A verdict has yet to be reached in the court case.
Former Osceola Commissioner Fred Hawkins Jr. | Impersonating a sheriff
He said he was "a sheriff," according to police reports.
But in reality, State Rep. Fred Hawkins Jr. was an Osceola County commissioner when he flashed a badge and pushed past a private security guard when she wouldn’t allow him to enter a homeowners association meeting in November 2019, according to Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Hawkins was arrested and charged with impersonating a police officer, a felony, on July 30.
Previously:Commissioner arrested for impersonating sheriff
The next day,DeSantis issued an executive order suspending Hawkins from his seat. It remained in effect until his term ended in January.
As part of a pre-trial agreement, Hawkins was requiredtotake an impulse control class, complete community service hours, pay fines and repaythe Florida Department of Law Enforcement for the cost of its investigation, according to media reports.
His charges were ultimately dropped, and he was elected in Novemberto the Florida House of Representatives, serving District 42, which stretches from Osceola County into southeastern Polk, including Lake Wales and Frostproof.
Former Holmes County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Kyle Martin Hudson| Fudging travel expense reports
While serving as Holmes County comptroller, Kyle Martin Hudson faced charges of wire fraud.
A federal grand jury indicted the public official on charges that he fraudulently obtained more than $6,800 in taxpayer funds through the submission of fraudulent travel reimbursem*nt claims.
Previously:Former Holmes County clerk of courts indicted
Hudson reportedlycreated fake agendas, meeting minutes and and other supporting documentation in order to execute the scheme.
He was arrested on March 19, 2019, and suspended by DeSantisa day later.
After the suspension, Hudson resigned from his position on Jan. 26. 2020.
Hudson was sentenced in March 2020 to a year and one day in prison, and askedpay nearly $7,000 in restitution.
Former Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Maddox | 'Pay to Play' scheme
Scott Maddoxsecretly controlled a government and consulting firm during his 10-year stint as a Tallahassee city commissioner.
He never disclosed this conflict of interest to the public and lied about his role under oath, according to court records.
After an FBI investigation into pay-to-play corruption, it was determined that he was extorting money from city vendors—such as Waste Pro, local developers and players in the medical marijuana world— andaccepting bribes in exchange for favors, while funneling the proceeds through his consulting firm.
Inside the Maddox messages:
- PART 1:'Let's conspire': Hundreds of Scott Maddox texts emerge in Tallahassee public corruption case
- PART 2:'Keep fighting': Maddox coordinated with Burnette in medical marijuana vote that benefited Trulieve
- PART 3:High hopes, dashed dreams: Texts chart medical marijuana entrepreneur's $325K encounter with Maddox
Maddox was indicted in December 2018 on numerous charges, including racketeering, extortion, wire fraud and bank fraud.
Scott suspended Maddox in December2018 and DeSantis removed him the following August.
He pleaded guilty to chargesand isstill awaiting sentencing.
Dustin Wyatt covers Polk County government for the Lakeland Ledger.
