Commission Approves Reimbursement of Porter Legal Fees

Commission Approves Reimbursement of Porter Legal Fees

During the Apr. 7th meeting of the Tallahassee City Commission, elected officials voted to authorize the City to reimburse Commissioner Jack Porter for attorney fees that were used to defend against an anonymous ethics complaint filed on Feb. 10th, 2021. The complaint was subsequently dismissed by the City’s Independent Ethics Board on Mar. 17th, with Porter prevailing on every aspect of the complaint.

Commissioner Porter, who hired attorney Ron Meyer of Meyer, Brooks, Blohm, and Hearn P.A. to represent her, reportedly paid a total of $2,520 in legal fees to address the issue.

The complaint filed alleged that City Commissioner Porter violated the Tallahassee Ethics Code, specifically by misuse of position (see,Ord. Code, Section 2-8) by publicizing local businesses on her City of Tallahassee Facebook page.

The City Commission recently voted to reimburse City Manager Reese Goad’s attorney’s fees related to two ethics complaints in the amount of $3,810. The decision came after the dismissal of both complaints.

In accordance with City Commission policy, the City is expected to reimburse all public officials for legal fees incurred while successfully defending ethics complaints, given the official was acting in their official capacity. As Commissioner Porter prevailed against the complaint, she is entitled to financial reimbursement in accordance with common law in the State of Florida. The City Commission must now vote to authorize Porter’s reimbursement from the Risk Management Claims Fund.

5 Responses to "Commission Approves Reimbursement of Porter Legal Fees"

  1. Mr. Hawkins is correct. If the City builds and/or manages the Mayor and/or Commissioners Fakebook pages, then the City is the Administrator, and thus responsible any layout or content not directly entered by the account subject. Porter, et al… should be very weary of – and at the very least, closely monitor – anything they are asked to put their name and/or likeness to, if they are not in direct control of it.

    Nevertheless, it’s never really about a perceived or actual infraction anyway. Today’s political game is no longer about substance and ability… it’s all about slander and accusation. The goal is to simply “get it out there”. Level a false (or real) accusation against your target, then let the Political Action Committees that masquerade and the Media, Fakebook, and Twidiot take it from there. Foolgle then structures the algorithms to push the negative stories to the front of the line on the search engine… particularly if they are about anyone who doesn’t tow the NaziCrat line. If the story is about a NaziCrat, you’ll find the link (is operable at all) between the third and fifth page of your search results. If it’s about their target (regardless of the date of origin), you’ll find it at the top of the first page of your search results.

    The Media PACs (present platform excluded of course), and the likes of Fakebook, Twidiot, Instascam, and the Big Tech puppets of the CCP are the biggest threat to America, Her Safety, Her Security, Her Sovereignty, and Her Future.

  2. If you are going to be an elected official get out of the advertising business. You are here to serve the people not promote yourself or businesses. Let’s hope that the businesses promoted weren’t contributors to your campaign.

    Why even do this article as it does not include any information or details as it is very vague.

    Yes, she should be reimbursed for legal fees.

  3. She doesn’t build Her on Web Site Page so SOMEONE in I.T. had to of put those Ads there. Shouldn’t the Web I.T. person for the City (and the County) KNOW what is allowed and NOT allowed on their Web Pages?

  4. Irrespective of your view of her politics, you’ve got to know if the City didn’t pay for these legal fees, political opponents could and would systematically financially ruin any elected official by filing “anonymous ethics complaints.”

  5. The real issue is who is abusing the process by filing these bogus, $ wasteful complaints against Porter?

    Meanwhile there’s actual unethical behavior all up and down the insider system that still controls Leon local gov.

    Seems like good old fashioned spite. If ya can’t beat em, fling mud.

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