The Tallahassee Ethics Board is scheduled to discuss the appointment of Board counsel at the March 19th meeting at city hall.
The Board is revisiting the previous appointment of John Reid, which was ruled invalid after it was revealed that an Ethics Board board member was ineligible to vote due to an overlooked residency issue.
Citizens for Ethics Reform – the group that pushed for the creation of the Independent Ethics Board – previously recommended Phil Claypool as their choice for the position based on his extensive experience with the Florida Commission on Ethics.
A representative of the group, Catherine Baer, told TR that they are once again recommending Claypool. She said “his experience in government ethics is what we need in the Board counsel position.”
Claypool’s resume shows that he worked with the Florida Commission on Ethics from 1976 t0 2011. From 2007 to 2011 he served as the Executive Director and General Counsel.
Reid’s experience shows his current employment includes Managing Partner of the The Law Office of John Reid, Town Attorney for Greenville, Senior Advisor to Congressman Alfred Lawson, Radio Host and President of the Florida Innovation Group.
Reid also references his work with the Tallahassee Independent Ethics Board as an Advocate last fall in the complaints filed against then Mayor Andrew Gillum and City Manager Reese Goad.
Of concern to some citizens who follow the Ethic’s Board closely is Reid’s political ties and work as a lobbyist.
Reid told TR that his advisor role to Congressman Lawson is unpaid and that he has not done any paid political consulting through his Florida Innovation Group in two years.
Reid believes the Ethics Board was interested in his background in administrative law and his experience before the Florida Department of Administrative Hearings.
Other applicants include Karen Asher-Cohen, Leonard Collins, Gerald Curington, Tabitha Harnage, Jeff Kottkamp, and Maribel Nicholson-Choice.
Their resumes can be viewed here.
How about Governor Gillum?
The Democrat Newsroom has tucked its tail and is Bravely running over to Panama City......
Tallahassee Ethics,
Jumbo Shrimp,
Military Intelligence,
Conspicuously Absent,
Deceptively Honest,
Impossible Solution,
Visible Darkness,
Constant Variable,
Clearly Confused,
Constant Variable,
Unbiased Opinion,
Seriously Funny,
Tallahassee Ethics....
You forgot the best one:
"Democrat Newsroom."
"Lets make one of Al Lawson's cronies the council, that'll solve everything."
"Tallahassee" and "ethics board" can't be typed in the same sentence without an audible chuckle....
Just what we need. Another liberal Democrat to keep and eye on other liberal Democrats. We saw how that worked out with the Obama administration.
I didn’t see my name on the list for the board candidates ! JP
It is beyond logic that the Ethics Board would even consider not appointing Mr. Claypool with his amazing background in Ethics law and proceedings. He is just what the board needs to lend credibility to their future undertakings.
Any chance the board will come back and say this is outside their jurisdiction like they do with just about everything else, including the complaint against their ethics officer?