Bob Hudson
Beach Fanatic
Walton commissioners called to defend email use
April 03, 2012 9:13 PM
TOM McLAUGHLIN / Daily News
DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — Walton County commissioners will be called to court June 12 to explain why they shouldn’t be held in contempt for violating a 2009 judge’s order regarding management of public records.
And attorney Matt Gaetz said he intends to ask the state attorney’s office to investigate whether the commissioners, and particularly Commissioner Scott Brannon, so blatantly disregarded the order as to have committed crimes.
“I have every confidence there will be, there ought to be, a criminal investigation,” Gaetz said.
Gaetz, who is suing the county on behalf of resident Suzanne Harris, maintains commissioners violated an order that they use only county email accounts to conduct county business.
The order was issued in 2009 after commissioners argued against producing public records by claiming those records were scattered across too many accounts to be manageable, Gaetz said.
The 2009 order was issued by County Judge David Green, the same judge who ruled Tuesday that a show-cause hearing was warranted to allow Gaetz to produce evidence that violations have occurred.
Gaetz said he has stacks of emails he will use to prove that Brannon violated the court order, including one made public Monday in which Brannon emailed Walton County Tourist Development Council Executive Director Dawn Moliterno.
In that email, sent from what appeared to be a private email address to Brannon’s county gmail account address, Brannon discussed county business and closed with the phrase “Help a n-word out!
.”
Brannon defended his use of the term Monday, but did not discuss the alleged violation he committed by sending the email.
Gaetz said he also has evidence that another county commissioner, Cecilia Jones, conducted public business using a personal email account.
At Tuesday’s hearing, attorney Shawn Heath asked to intervene in Harris’ case against the county.
Heath represents the Driftwood Estates Homeowner’s Association, which also is suing Walton County. Heath says he has evidence of violations of the court order that Gaetz and Harris do not possess.
A hearing on Heath’s motion to intervene will be heard at a later date, Green ruled.
Bill Warner, the attorney for the county, told Green on Tuesday that “the county fully intends to admit emails were sent” if the evidence presented by attorneys for the other side show that to be the case.
“It is what it is,” he said.
Green said the civil show-cause hearing will “answer a fairly simple question in my mind, what did the order say and was it violated.”
April 03, 2012 9:13 PM
TOM McLAUGHLIN / Daily News
DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — Walton County commissioners will be called to court June 12 to explain why they shouldn’t be held in contempt for violating a 2009 judge’s order regarding management of public records.
And attorney Matt Gaetz said he intends to ask the state attorney’s office to investigate whether the commissioners, and particularly Commissioner Scott Brannon, so blatantly disregarded the order as to have committed crimes.
“I have every confidence there will be, there ought to be, a criminal investigation,” Gaetz said.
Gaetz, who is suing the county on behalf of resident Suzanne Harris, maintains commissioners violated an order that they use only county email accounts to conduct county business.
The order was issued in 2009 after commissioners argued against producing public records by claiming those records were scattered across too many accounts to be manageable, Gaetz said.
The 2009 order was issued by County Judge David Green, the same judge who ruled Tuesday that a show-cause hearing was warranted to allow Gaetz to produce evidence that violations have occurred.
Gaetz said he has stacks of emails he will use to prove that Brannon violated the court order, including one made public Monday in which Brannon emailed Walton County Tourist Development Council Executive Director Dawn Moliterno.
In that email, sent from what appeared to be a private email address to Brannon’s county gmail account address, Brannon discussed county business and closed with the phrase “Help a n-word out!
.”Brannon defended his use of the term Monday, but did not discuss the alleged violation he committed by sending the email.
Gaetz said he also has evidence that another county commissioner, Cecilia Jones, conducted public business using a personal email account.
At Tuesday’s hearing, attorney Shawn Heath asked to intervene in Harris’ case against the county.
Heath represents the Driftwood Estates Homeowner’s Association, which also is suing Walton County. Heath says he has evidence of violations of the court order that Gaetz and Harris do not possess.
A hearing on Heath’s motion to intervene will be heard at a later date, Green ruled.
Bill Warner, the attorney for the county, told Green on Tuesday that “the county fully intends to admit emails were sent” if the evidence presented by attorneys for the other side show that to be the case.
“It is what it is,” he said.
Green said the civil show-cause hearing will “answer a fairly simple question in my mind, what did the order say and was it violated.”
