KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The Kissimmee City Commission voted Tuesday to ask a judge to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate ethics complaints against Mayor Jackie Espinosa and Commissioner Janette Martinez.

While the complaints cite unrelated situations, both allege, among other things, conflicts of interest against Espinosa and Martinez.

What You Need To Know

Separate ethics complaints have been filed against Kissimmee Commissioner Janette Martinez and Mayor Jackie Espinos were allowed to move forward after voting Tuesday night

On Tuesday, the City Commission voted to ask a judge review the complaints and appoint a special prosecutor to investigate them

Both Espinosa and Martinez recused themselves from voting on their respective complaints

The complaint filed against Espinosa alleges a conflict of interest because she and her family received a total of $50,000 from the city’s Business Boost 2.0 Program
The complaint filed against Martinez alleges, among other things, a conflict of interest for Martinez’s support of a city-wide food truck permit, given that Martinez has a friendship with an applicant and owns a food truck herself

In a March 17 sworn complaint against Espinosa, Kissimmee resident Alexander Alemi accused her of having a conflict of interest, giving special treatment to herself and associates and failure to disclose a financial interest, among other allegations.

It discusses Espinosa’s support of the Kissimmee Business Boost 2.0 program, a program designed to distribute COVID American Rescue Plan Act funds to businesses that suffered financially during the pandemic. The complaint claims that the program awarded grants totaling $50,000 to three businesses owned by Espinosa and members of her family.

Espinosa responded to the complaint, stating she hopes Tuesday’s meeting will bring more clarity and reduce misinformation.

“This money was appropriated back in 2021. This is COVID funding. It’s federal. It’s not local tax dollars, so unless people really understand the particulars of this, very different than the other case that’s being alleged right now,” Espinosa said. “I think people really need to get down to the questions and really, really get down to the facts. I understand politics and this is part of what we sign up for, and I’m ready to answer questions and make sure that everyone understands exactly what is going on.”

According to the complaint against Espinosa, former City Attorney Olga Sanchez de Fuentes was not aware that an elected official was approved for this city funding. While eligibility requirements online do not bar a city employee or elected official from applying, the complaint said Sanchez de Fuentes warned Espinosa and City Manager Mike Steigerwald that she believed the grants violated Florida ethics laws. 

In a Dec. 5, 2025, email, Sahchez de Fuentes cited three Florida Commission on Ethics opinions about “receipt of grant funding from one’s own agency” that she believed would apply to Espinosa’s receipt of grant funds. The opinions, Sanchez de Fuentes argued, showed that the grants constituted “a prohibited, conflicting contractural relationship.”

According to Florida statutes, public officials cannot “have or hold any employment or contractual relationship that will create a continuing or frequently recurring conflict between his or her private interests and the performance of his or her public duties or that would impede the full and faithful discharge of his or her public duties.”

On March 19, Jeremy Fetzer filed a sworn complaint against Commissioner Janette Martinez, claiming her support of a special events permit for food trucks in city limits was a conflict of interest. Martinez owns her business and food truck “Coqui Kitchen.” It alleges special treatment for self and associates, failure to disclosure financial interest, among other allegations.

Specifically, it cites her friendship with a food truck owner and permit applicant. Martinez argued that her relationship with the food truck owner did not create a conflict of interest.

“So, there is no financial interest whatsoever,” she said. “I’m not a partner. I’m not associated other than that. We’re friends.”

“I don’t have to justify something that doesn’t need any justification, because there’s nothing,” she added. “There’s no wrongdoing. All I’ve done is my job that the people have placed me in office to do, which is serve.”

Ahead of the meeting, Martinez said she was in favor of asking a judge to assign a special prosecutor to review both official complaints.

“I am encouraging tonight, very loud and clear, that both cases be sent directly to the judicial system or the special prosecutor, whatever the process has to be,” she said. “Because, if you didn’t do anything wrong, there’s nothing to worry about it. So, I don’t want my board to be handling the situation because there’s just no balance right now. I don’t feel that they would make the proper decision.”

A representative of the Florida Commission on Ethics said they could not discuss active cases, and that all cases are confidential until a review is complete.