Commission on Ethics could not find probable cause against city officials

General Counsel C. Christopher Anderson, III, Executive Director of the Florida Commission on Ethics, provided Historic City News reporters with a press release yesterday that included the official version of outcomes from a secret October 25th meeting that was not open to the public or press.

Following the “closed session” in Tallahassee, Chairman Kimberly Bonder Rezanka announced that the Ethics Commission, whose slogan is “A Public Office is a Public Trust”, acted on 23-ethics violation matters; three of which involved allegations against local, city officials in St Augustine. 

Without the benefit of a full evidentiary hearing on the multiple allegations, at least in the cases of the St Augustine city officials, the members of the commission determined that they could not find probable cause that a violation of Florida’s ethics laws had occurred.  Of all the matters heard by the Commission behind closed doors that day, only two found the existence of “probable cause”.

A North Davis Shores resident complained, through her attorney, about the actions of St. Augustine City Manager JOHN P. REGAN.  Although the allegations were reportedly considered by the Commission, no probable cause was found to believe REGAN misused his position to benefit his daughter or her employer or that he misused his position to benefit himself and a city commissioner. No probable cause was found to believe REGAN used or disclosed “inside information” for personal gain. The Commission also dismissed an allegation regarding a prohibited business relationship with a finding of no probable cause.

A self-serving quote published in The St Augustine Record and attributed to city manager Regan, crowed, “I’m just glad that the State of Florida did a thorough investigation”.  Regan’s statement may not be the truth, since the official announcement says, “As no factual investigation precedes the reviews, the Commission’s conclusions do not reflect on the accuracy of the allegations made in these complaints”.

LEANNA FREEMAN, the Vice Mayor and a City Commissioner for the City of St. Augustine also came before the Commission for a probable cause hearing. Reportedly, no probable cause was found to believe she misused her position to benefit herself and the City Manager. An allegation she had a voting conflict on a measure that would inure to her special private gain or loss or to that of the City Manager also was dismissed with a finding of no probable cause.

Finally, a complaint filed against MICHAEL CULLUM, the Executive Director of Public Works for the City of St. Augustine, was dismissed; reportedly with a finding of no probable cause.  The allegation was he misused his position to misrepresent information related to a property, to benefit a City Commissioner or the City Manager.

Additionally, the Commission determined that the following complaints lacked “legal sufficiency”. Each was dismissed:

• MARY FRANCES ERNST, Assistant State Attorney, 11th Judicial Circuit
• JUSTIN REEP, Assistant State Attorney, 6th Judicial Circuit
• WILLIAM W. WILHELM, Bar Counsel, The Florida Bar
• STEPHEN B. RUSSELL, Former State Attorney, 20th Judicial Circuit
• MELODIE ANGERER, Investigator Specialist II, Department of Health
• BIJU VARGHESE, Nurse, Seminole County Jail
• ELIZABETH VAUGHN, School Board Member, Lee County
• FLORENCE DEBY WEINSTEIN, City Commissioner, Madeira Beach
• RON DESANTIS, Governor, State of Florida

In addition to Chairman Rezanka, the other members of this august commission include Daniel Brady, Ph.D. and vice-chairman, Jason David Berger, Antonio Carvajal, Glenton “Glen” Gilzean, Jr., John Grant, JoAnne Leznoff, F. Shields McManus, and William “Willie” N. Meggs.