Sheriff, in reversal, decides not to appeal $6,200 Ethics Commission fine

Palm Coast Observer
News

Flagler County Sheriff James L. Mafre will not fight a $6,200 fine issued against him by the Florida Commission on Ethics, he said in a statement released to the local press May 24.

Manfre has changed his mind before on whether to appeal the fine, saying before the Ethics Commission ruled that he would not appeal its decision, then saying in March that he would appeal if the commission ruled against him, and now, after the deadline to appeal has passed, saying he has decided not to.

"I believe strongly that based on the circumstances in this case, ones that have been unfair, unjust and far-reaching, that I would have prevailed at the district court of appeals. Although it is in my nature to fight against injustice, there is also wisdom in knowing when to move on," Manfre wrote in the statement.

Manfre pointed out the apparent discrepancy between the $6,200 fine levied against him and the $500 fine levied against former sheriff Don Fleming, and noted that the amount the Ethics Commission had considered fining him had changed several times.

"I also ask people to look at the stark differences between what I experienced and what others have experienced with the Florida Commission on Ethics," he wrote. "In my case, the commission gave me a $6,200 fine and a public censure. Remember, this was a proposed fine that began at $1,500 and rose as high as $19,000 during the commission process."

Read his full statement below.

Sheriff James Manfre's statement on Ethics Commission case

Flagler County Sheriff James L. Manfre issued the following statement the afternoon of May 24:

I have given the ethics matter a great deal of thought and have finally decided not to appeal the decision, one I would like to put behind me once and for all. I have made this very difficult decision on advice provided to me by my family and close personal supporters.

I believe strongly that based on the circumstances in this case, ones that have been unfair, unjust and far-reaching, that I would have prevailed at the district court of appeals. Although it is in my nature to fight against injustice, there is also wisdom in knowing when to move on.

I ask the citizens of Flagler County to look at my ethics experience and understand that at no time did I ever violate any agency policy or state law. In fact, when I was notified of the issues, I immediately enacted strong internal regulations to prevent this from happening to others in the future. As for the violations, one was for $300 spent on sanctioned meals over four events, over six months, three years ago that was immediately reimbursed when the accounting error was discovered. The other was my brief stay at my former undersheriff’s cabin. In this case, I was the one who realized there was an issue and self-reported the matter to authorities. I later based my decision to pay the cost of the stay on guidance I received from my attorney. As your Sheriff, I do take full responsibility for all of my actions.

I also ask people to look at the stark differences between what I experienced and what others have experienced with the Florida Commission on Ethics. In my case, the commission gave me a $6,200 fine and a public censure. Remember, this was a proposed fine that began at $1,500 and rose as high as $19,000 during the commission process. Former Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming was fined only $500 after he obtained a benefit of over $40,000 from a local resort and the current attorney general who did not answer questions of an investigator from the ethics commission. This was a 16-month investigation which was subsequently dismissed without her making time in her busy schedule to provide any testimony. Where is the fairness?

It is my humble request that we move past this matter and collectively focus on the positive accomplishments that have been made over the past three and a half years to keep our community safe and secure for all who live, work and vacation in Flagler County.

Sincerely,

James L. Manfre
Sheriff of Flagler County