KISSIMMEE, Fla. — One week since a special prosecutor’s report found probable cause to pursue articles of impeachment against Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa, the Mayor spoke with Spectrum News about her hopes leading up to a potential hearing where city commissioners would vote on whether to remove her from her position.
This item does not appear on the agenda for Tuesday’s upcoming city commission meeting.
The city commission vote and a published review by the Florida Commission on Ethics are the next steps following the special prosecutor’s review.
The Florida Commission on Ethics is still reviewing a complaint naming the mayor after she and her family received $50,000 in grant funding through the city’s Business Boost 2.0 program. That program used American Rescue Plan Act funds to support city businesses that suffered during the pandemic.
The report finalized last week by special prosecutor Mayanne Downs focused on Espinosa receiving money from the Business Boost 2.0 program.
“For the people that are telling me to step down, I’m asking them to research this, understand this, and speak of prudent knowledge, not of bliss, ignorance,” Espinosa said. “That’s really where I stand with that. So that has nothing to do with this case. That’s my personal opinion. I think people sometimes are too quick to speak and not understand. So, I’m asking people to take a minute, understand the source of where all this is coming from, and then you can make a prudent call on that.”
Downs wrote in the report that Espinosa should have known better than to apply for the program, given her position as an elected official.
The city’s written guidelines on the program at the time did not prohibit elected officials from applying.
“Miss Downs has the right to have an opinion. That’s her opinion. I’m going to respect her opinion. We have the right to also have our defense on that. That’s what we’re waiting for,” Espinosa said. “Not every grant should be treated the same. That’s really the defense there.”
Espinosa said she and her attorney are awaiting recommendations from the Florida Commission on Ethics.
“I tell the people of Kissimmee, ‘We’re going to be okay. We’re going to come out stronger. We’re going to learn a lot.’ I believe the city of Kissimmee perhaps should have had tighter guardrails,” Espinosa said.
Espinosa said she could not discuss the particulars of her application for and receipt of the Business Boost 2.0 funds. She said she stands behind the statement from her and her attorney, Migdalia Perez, stating she did not use her position in office to secure preferential treatment.
“How many people had oversight on this grant? How many eyes saw this grant and the process before it was authorized, and no one caught anything, and no one thought to ask questions. How many? Has anyone asked that question? Because those are the questions that I would like people to ask,” Espinosa said when reflecting on the grant application process.
She added, “I will definitely heed the process. I will be optimistic that the people of Kissimmee understand they’ve elected me. They understand I do it for the right reasons,” Espinosa said. “The people of Kissimmee that want to create the chaos behind it, as some residents have done already, people have to decide.”
The special prosecutor’s report also stated for the matter to be referred to law enforcement. Florida’s Chief Financial Officer also conducted an audit and referred the matter to FDLE’s Public Corruption Unit earlier this year.
“We still have to go through a process, which is not established. I keep going back to that. The city of Kissimmee does not have a process. That’s why we wanted this to end up always at the Commission on Ethics. The Commission on Ethics obviously understands clearly the direction on all of these issues, any elected official, any complaint,” Espinosa said.
Espinosa said she and her attorney are cooperating as the Commission on Ethics review continues and as the Kissimmee City Commission will weigh a potential vote on whether to remove her from office.
“So what are the commissioners going to do? I don’t know, I don’t know. I would hope my colleagues, and I’ve said this at other interviews, would practice prudence, good judgment, understand the process, which is very, very convoluted either way and not do it because A). they’re either a running for reelection (or) B). just not interested in understanding the process,” Espinosa said.
She added, “How does this affect our city moving forward? That’s really what I think we all have to be cognizant of and really understand that integrity plays a big role in this next step.”
Espinosa criticized how the matter has been handled, saying she would have preferred a more defined investigation process. She said that was why she and her attorney filed an appeal during the investigation, seeking to avoid having multiple entities investigate the matter and instead narrow how it was being handled.
“We want to make sure we are transparent,” Espinosa said. “But then all of a sudden we go, ‘Wait a minute, this is being heard in three different places. Who do we go to? Who do we file our responses to? The Commission on Ethics? Judge Munyon, who’s the one that this was all sent to? FAFO? You know, the CFO. Who do we send our responses to?’”
Espinosa ultimately lost the appeal.
Downs’ report attributed increased investigation costs and delays to the appeal, which sought a court order to stop the investigation.
The next Kissimmee City Commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday. Espinosa said she will not attend because of a prior commitment.