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More legal bills for property appraiser
Legal bills for defending Property Appraiser Jim Ford and three top deputies against misconduct and ethics violations over the past four years have cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.A Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation four years ago resulted in no criminal convictions, but still cost taxpayers at least $320,000 in private attorney fees. Add to that another $30,000 to represent Ford and three deputies before the Florida Commission on Ethics through October 2009, when probable cause was found that the three deputies had broken state campaign laws. The case against Ford was dropped.
"Please note that no expenditures for legal expenses were paid by the Property Appraiser's office after the finding of probable cause by the Ethics Commission," said Dianne Johns, administrator of legal and public affairs for the Property Appraiser.
Two former deputy appraisers filed ethics complaints against Ford and longtime assistants Lance Larsen, Mark Johns and John Sternagel. The complaints alleged that all violated state campaign laws by campaigning and raising money for Ford on county time and government property.
In settlement agreements approved by the Ethics Commission last week, the three deputies admitted violating political campaigning laws and accepted fines of $1,000 each. Larsen and Johns also agreed to public reprimands.
All were entitled to public representation up until the time the commission found "probable cause" they had broken rules because the allegations stemmed from their work in the appraiser's office. After that, they had to pay counsel themselves.
Merritt Island lawyer Joe Teague Caruso --who handles other legal matters for Ford's office --represented them until October. Caruso's bills include $950 to review each complaint, prepare notices of appearance and write letters to the ethics commission; $750 to review each complaint and confer with ethics commission coordinators; $4,625 to review and research for ethics commission meetings; and $8,675 to prepare, write and revise responses to the advocate's recommendations.
To review the legal bills, click HERE.
Labels: Brevard watchdog blog, campaign reform, ethics violations, political corruption
61 Comments:
Ford still has the animated web banner on his site announcing Florida Today tax request. Maybe he'll keep it up there for another few months if FT keeps reporting about his office?
I find it amazing that the citizens of this county voted him into office again. Even more amazing is that we have to pay the legal bill. They should have to pay it themselves!
This fued between Florida Today and Ford's office needs to stop. Enough of the political BS. This back and forth between FT and Ford is the perfect example of what is wrong with this country.
Quit voting him back into this position and that would solve a few problems. As far as the legal fees, why should the tax payers have to pay his legal fees? He should be personally responsible for that. Oh right, here we go again...personal responsibility - that doesn't exist any longer.
I didn't vote the guy in and he should take responsiblity of his own actions. The guy looks like a used car salesman and he doesn't look honest nor humble. He doesn't have anyones best interest at heart except his own.
Is he a Republican?
If people would wake up and not vote these thieves into office and really make a change to get them out of office. It is way past time this office needs a good housecleaning. Even some of the employees need to be gone, Lance Larsen was see at Wal-Mart getting work done on TAXPAYER MONEY!!! Enough is enough, I, as a taxpaying citizen am tired of our money being wasted for this office, the Property Appraiser is a joke
"The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation resulted in no criminal convictions, ..."
That's because his lawyers got a local judge to declare that all the evidence against him was "inadmissible". And, I understand that the judge is now retired. What a racket. Good work FT, keep this in voters minds when someone runs against Ford next time.
Is there a process that would allow taxpayers to have Mr. Ford removed from office ? If so, can someone point us to the details?
$30,000 of taxpayer money so he can get a $1,000 fine....or do we pay the fine for him too?
Does anyone know if the evidence Judge Holcomb considered "inadmissible" available for citizen review under state sunshine laws ?
If so, perhaps Florida Today should perform some investigative journalism.
Even though the FDLE resulted in no criminal convictions, why should we the taxpaying citizens of brevard county have to pay this? If I got in trouble are the taxpayers going to pay for my legal defense, NOT!!!! Too much money is wasted in that office! Get them out!!!!
...Sorry....typing too fast...my posting should have been something more like this.....
Does anyone know if the evidence Judge Holcomb considered "inadmissible" can be made available for public review under state sunshine laws?
The real joke are the deputy appraisers that where fired and/or laid off but continue to submit allegations about this office. All of which, prior to being fired and/or laid off, did campaign work during office hours!! FT you need take a hard look at tax collector Cullen. How about an expose' on her DMV workers that campaigned for her daily from their offices for a year? How about the unfair labor practice filed by the union against her in Jan. 2010? How about the legal fees she is racking up with 3 attorney's on retainer or on staff? The PA horse is dead!
Maybe you should "watch" attorney Joe Caruso, one day 2/12/09 he made a phone call to the ethics commission coordinator to review the status of three complaints and reported back to Ford with a phone call. For this he charged $2,250. Please justify those charges and why are county staff attorneys not representing Ford's office?
I can't take any of this reporting seriously since FT is seeking millions of dollars in tax assessment reductions. 3 sides to a story and this newpaper and Jim Ford's website aren't the answer.
Personal Responsibility? How about the the individuals making the allegations? If you establish a loser pays philosophy a lot of this would end. There is no personal accountability. Anyone can make an allegation and he has to hire an attorney to defend himself. Who is making these ethics allegations. He has been found innocent in all cases. Leave this guy alone.
I agree. FT has an axe to grind.
The "watchdogs" can't stand that no charges were filed so they try to convict in the court of public opinion. Probable cause panels are a joke. They are as corrupt as any of those they acuse.
Fish wrapper.
TheAntiCrist
It seems it's time now finally to get RID of this TURKEY !!!!
Please get this slime and Butt F buddies off the Taxpayer Payroll!!!
Too late he has already raided all the money. Titusville good ol'boys, all the investigations were for show and to spread the wealth. He was never worried about it. FORD and WALT JOHNSON and the rest of these idiots killed Tville.
Ford definitely had an axe to grind with this newspaper. But it's the paper's job to report the news, and it's not the property appraisers. It's almost impossible to tell if this is vindictive or not. I know I support the freedom of the press long before I will support the tax appraisser trying to attack the newspaper.
I've said Ford is/was/will-continue-to-be a crook from day one. He's corrupt politian scum first class. Anyone who says anything different is either in cahoots or brain dead, in my book.
Bring me the head of Jim Ford.
I would say he is DEFENDING himself against FT, not attacking FT. Ford is smart. He got his DROP money, because it is legal and everybody else is doing it. He successfully defended himself in court and he is Republican so it irks FT something fierce. He is probably no more or no less different than any other Brevard County politician.
Don't worry about Jim, he will be out soon enough.
I agree that the County Staff Attorney should be representing Ford. Ford and Caruso are personal friends and work the system together. Brevard's good 'ole boy network stinks!
Florida Today does not do any investigative journalism.
It conducts smear campaigns against Republicans.
They complain about sunshine laws but do not investigate why probable cause panels routinely seal complaints. Even those who initiate them cannot see the results of the investigations.
Now there is a story.
If he looks like s*** and smells like s*** then he probably is s***.
I love these die-hard republicans who can't can't see past their party when a scumbag like this is in office. He HAS to be good because he is a republican.
Look people, I don't care who you are, democrat or republican, if you take advantage of a loophole such as the DROP loophole then you are a greedy POS scumbag in my book. These crooked polititions are lining their pockets at the taxpayers expense. How can they say they have the best interest of the poeple in mind when clearly they only care about their back accounts.
Its time the PEOPLE took the government back from the greedy bottomdwellers.
I did not say that he was good or bad. Just smart.
Democrats are on the DROP program too. FT does not "investigate" that though.
"Hello Newman"
look at the picture above, then look at this one.
www.xenafan.com/seinfeld/newman.jpg
Can you see the resemblance...
Just saying!!
Keep up the pressure FT.
Someday Matt, you and Jeff will have to get real jobs. Not a job subsidized by ad rep sales. Keep peeling.
Why not investigate the FDLE investigation into the Port.
After that, we can have an investigation into that investigation.
Hey FT, when are you going to do a story on your attempt to lower your property tax appraisal by $7,000,000.00 while supporting every known tax increase?
Ford was not found guilty of any crime. And why wouldn't the county pay the legal fees defending an elected county official?
FT is just throwing a temper tantrum like a disappointed 3 year old.
How about an investigation into blantant bias by FT? Nevermind, clearly you don't want to be investigated because it will reveal how FT is just a CORPORATION that uses all of its power to further DNC goals.
Ad nauseum.
I don't know how this dirtbag sleeps at night. He has got to be the most corrupt politician I have seen in my 44 years in Brevard County. It is not just one scandal it is one after another after another...
Why are all these people upset? Republicans George Bush, Scooter Libby, and vice president Chaney spent millions and several years to find out who outed CIA agent Valeria Plame. After millions were spent, come to find out it was Scooter all along. Instead of firing the person as Bush promised, President George Bush pardoned Scooter. Talk about a waste of Tax payers money. When are republican crooks going to use one standard for all and not just for liberals only.
This cheated on his wife with an employee that was given a large raise. His own kids hate him. Anywhere else but North Brevard where everyone went to Titusville High together (Judges pol.lawyers) he would be in jail!!!!!
Elected officials should not be on the DROP probram. It was intended for teachers and lower level government employees.
For all those complaining about the DROP program. Get over it! Where were you when the Florida Retirement System introduced this 401(a) plan for all of its employees in 1998? To hear y'all tell it, Ford orchestrated the DROP program just so he could cash in. Guess what? It didn't happen that way. Y'all have had over 10 years in which to moan and groan about this but coincidentally no one did until Florida Today got a hard on for Ford.
To the one that asked why the taxpayers are paying his bill. He is a "Public Servant", and you can damn sure bet the taxpayers are on the hook to defend him against any and all charges arising from the performance of (or lack thereof) his official duties. When you get right down to it, the taxpayers had him investigated and the taxpayers lost so the taxpayers pay. Get over it. The way I see it, everyone is just pizzed off because they figure he pulled one over on them, got away with it, and there isn't a damn thing they can do about it.
What is the beef? The charge was misuse of office and there was no finding of guilt.
Florida Today is just like a tyke told they can not have desert until after supper.
How about covering your efforts to reduce your property tax FT and how much this is costing out government to fight you?
Anynymous post at 3:40pm obviously doesn't know what she/he is talking about. Do you even know his children? If you did, you wouldn't be saying such a thing.
F/T obviously has an agenda here. Give it up, this is old news.
Seems to me that the "former Deputy Appraisers" that filed what turned out to be non substantiated charges should be required to reimburse the taxpayers for the thousands of dollars required to disprove their illicit charges. We lose.
Anonymous 4:25pm - The ring leader of the "former Deputy Appraisers" is Dana Blickley. I say the TAX PAYERS sue her!
Let's agree to NOT vote for ANY incumbent in the next election. What we get may not be any better, but we can send a message to the career politicians that it is over.
Check out allbrevard.com. Search public records for last name SCHWEERS (author if this article). Looks like Jeff doesn't like to pay his bills and doesn't think traffic laws apply to him. Nice long public record he has!
Anonymous said... His own kids hate him.
Wow! I can't believe that someone would get on here and make such a statement. (must be the ex wife) I know the whole family and his children and grandchildren have a great relationship. Go blow your smoke somewhere else.
How much of this issue is that FT is at loggerheads with Jim Ford on the assessment of FT?
Answers are needed about FT's apparent vendetta against Ford!!!
$750.00 To review a letter and coordinate a meeting (only verbal output??) Wow, Caruso must be goooood.
Why aren't they retroactively responsible for all expenses, once probable cause is determined? Special perks for special criminals.
THIS FAT CAT HAS GOT TO GO! And to you unintelligent people who voted for him. SHAME ON YOU. You should be paying for his bills!
This fiasco at the Appraiser's office is just a continuation of the one several years ago. In the latter, the State Attorney chose not to charge the Deputy Appraiser with one of the most grievous charges, the judge threw out the case just in time for the re-election of Mr. Ford, and the State Ethics Commission would not look into these events on orders from Gov Crist. The Brevard Good Ol Boy Network worked like a charm then and it will now.
We deserve what we get. We voted him into office again and again.
two sides to every story, but we only get FT's which is also the same as former employees that have an axe to grind and can't move forward. It's a shame to be stuck in past resentments. FT used to endorse Ford until they sniffed the whale tail and got sucked in by Jezebel and Delilah. It even happened to Solomon, once the wisest man in the world. That whale tail is awfully powerful stuff!
MORE CORRUPT GOP REPUBLICANS FROM THE STATE PARTY OF NO. DOING THE CORRUPTION THINGS WHICH THEY DO BEST.
THE TEAPARTY SHOULD TAR AND FEATHER THESE BIRDS, ON ELECTION DAY, BY VOTING THEM OUT OF OFFICE AND RUN THEM OUT OF THE COUNTY ON A RAIL.
STOP VOTING FOR CORRUPT REPUBLICANS THAT ONLY POCKET THE DOUBLE DIPPING MONEY AND HAVE NO RELIGIOUS VALUES WHATSOEVER.
Enough already.......why don't you start going after some of the other elected officials. FT needs to get a real story!!! This is why soooo many people have stopped taking your newspaper because you continue to drag things out. Also the people who make comments about seeing the Property Appraiser employee's out at Wal Mart or wherever...the last time I checked employee's are allowed to take a day off & have a lunch hour just like anywhere else. Stop with the nonsense!!!!
Hey FT, why don't you publish the real stories. You know, like how one of Scott Ellis' employees is also your guest columnist. I don't know, but it seems to me like an employee of the clerk of the court being a guest columnist against Ford is a bit unethical in itself. Oh wait, his articles say UCF student so I guess it's bad for FT business to mention that he is an employee of the clerk in his articles.
Anonymous said...
Elected officials should not be on the DROP probram. It was intended for teachers and lower level government employees.
Monday, March 01, 2010 3:48:00 PM
A lot of government employees are lower level.
"Please note that no expenditures for legal expenses were paid by the Property Appraiser's office after the finding of probable cause by the Ethics Commission," said Dianne Johns, administrator of legal and public affairs for the Property Appraiser.
Two former deputy appraisers filed ethics complaints against Ford and longtime assistants Lance Larsen, Mark Johns and John Sternagel. The complaints alleged that all violated state campaign laws by campaigning and raising money for Ford on county time and government property.
FT feud is for the people who pay taxes not for the paper...but there is one solution...Get rid of the CROOKS! Finish them all up! they need to go sell ice cream in Alaska or something
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