The state\u2019s top law enforcement officer will not shed any light on why subpoenas were recently served on a slew of Broward County officials regarding the county\u2019s efforts to explore cutting ties with the Broward Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
The subpoenas focus on the county\u2019s contracts with a consultant for law enforcement studies at the airport and seaport, as well as a review of what it would take to remove the Broward Sheriff\u2019s Office from its control of Broward County Fire-Rescue.<\/p>\n
Asked directly at a news conference on Thursday whether a crime was alleged that prompted the \u201clawful investigation\u201d cited in the subpoenas, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said: \u201cBecause this is an ongoing inquiry, I can\u2019t comment about it unfortunately. But I will direct you (to) the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n
FDLE did not return a request for comment.<\/p>\n
Combined, the airport and seaport studies cost less than $250,000 and were paid for by airport and seaport user fees. The fire-rescue review was handled in-house and did not generate a specific cost estimate.<\/p>\n
Other than Uthmeier\u2019s no-comment, prosecutors haven\u2019t publicly discussed the Broward subpoenas, which were sent to the mayor, the entire commission, top members of the administration and aviation officials.<\/p>\n
But seven months earlier, at a Miami news conference, Uthmeier outlined plans for a ramped-up push to ensure public funds aren\u2019t misspent by governments across Florida, offering some insight into statewide prosecutors\u2019 planned scrutiny of government business in various communities.<\/p>\n
At the Feb. 19 news conference, Uthmeier stood at a lectern with a red, white and blue sign that read, \u201cCombating Public Corruption.\u201d He joined the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, as well as the special agent in charge of Florida Department of Law Enforcement\u2019s Miami Regional Operations Center, to announce the creation of a new \u201cpublic integrity\u201d unit aimed at finding and prosecuting misappropriations, and \u201cabuse\u201d of public funds and legislative appropriations.<\/p>\n
Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia wasn\u2019t at the Feb. 19 conference, but Uthmeier noted the CFO\u2019s efforts in scrutinizing local governments. Over the past year, Ingoglia toured the state criticizing many local governments\u2019 spending as \u201cexcessive\u201d and \u201cwasteful.\u201d Uthmeier said taxpayers have a right to question how public funds are spent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe public at home has questions and loses trust in our government officials, the public servants that are supposed to be operating with the trust of the people, fighting and working for the people,\u201d Uthmeier said Feb. 19. \u201cWe felt the need to develop a unit focused on this specifically.\u201d<\/p>\n
Uthmeier said the new unit would be doing a review audit of all legislative appropriations \u201cover the last couple years as well as expenditures, grants, procurements at the local level to look out for evidence of criminal activity and wrongdoing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Uthmeier also announced the appointment of Richard Mantei, a veteran prosecutor, as head of the new public corruption unit<\/a> within the Office of Statewide Prosecution.<\/p>\n Mantei explained why he felt the new unit\u2019s work is important.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s become necessary that people have someone to guard the guardians,\u201d Mantei\u00a0said. \u201cMoney and power are the most valuable currency we have as a political body and we all work together to make sure that currency is spent in service of the citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n Officials on Feb. 19 said it\u2019s necessary for multiple agencies to often work together because such cases are frequently complex and span across multiple jurisdictions.\u00a0FDLE Miami Special Agent in Charge John Vecchio at the news conference said FDLE agents looked forward to working with Mantei and \u201cseeing their investigative efforts brought to resolution.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking into Broward<\/p>\n A copy of the prosecutors\u2019 Broward-related subpoena, obtained by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, seeks county-related documents and information but it doesn\u2019t allege any wrongdoing. The subpoena gave the county until Sept. 28 to provide the prosecutors\u2019 requested information.<\/p>\n It was Mantei who signed the subpoenas, dated Sept. 9, that were issued to many local Broward officials demanding documents pertaining to the county\u2019s reviews of the role of the Broward Sheriff\u2019s Office at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Port Everglades and Broward County Fire-Rescue.<\/p>\n Jensen Hughes, a Coral Gables consulting firm, was hired by the county in late 2025, at a cost of $104,613.40, to look into the feasibility of establishing an independent law enforcement agency at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Because the contract was less than $500,000, the administration\u2019s procurement division was empowered to enter the contract without permission from county commissioners.<\/p>\n Later, the commission asked county administration to look into an independent law enforcement agency at Port Everglades. Since Jensen Hughes was already working on the airport, Port Everglades \u201cpiggybacked\u201d on the existing contract at a cost of $108,170. \u201cPiggybacked\u201d is the term used by the county and the subpoena.<\/p>\n In both cases, the costs of the contracts were covered by user fees, meaning no property tax dollars were spent, according to County Administrator Monica Cepero.<\/p>\n In April, the commission asked county administration to look into ending the 23-year relationship between the Sheriff\u2019s Office and Broward County Fire-Rescue.<\/p>\n While the timing of the review coincided with Jensen Hughes\u2019 work on the airport and seaport, Jensen Hughes was never tasked with that study. County Administration handled it in-house, county spokesman Greg Meyer said.<\/p>\n A spokesman for the Coral Gables-based Jensen Hughes declined to comment for this article.<\/p>\n Its results were presented to the County Commission on Aug. 20<\/a>, when the commission set Sept. 22 as their date to decide whether to extend the Broward sheriff\u2019s fire-rescue contract\u00a0beyond 2028.<\/p>\n