Nikki Fried credits commitment to transparency to tardy financial filing

Republicans criticized Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried for a tardy filing of financial disclosures. But the Democratic candidate for Governor said it’s a commitment to transparency that made her take her time.

“We were just trying to be as transparent and they (Republicans) were just not used to that,” she told reporters Wednesday. “We make sure when we found an error that we’re correcting it; we want to be as transparent and open with the public as possible.”

Fried on Tuesday filed her Form 6 disclosures for 2020 on the last day of a two-month grace period before the Florida Commission of Ethics started charging daily fines. The disclosures were due July 1. Fried also amended her 2019 disclosures to include a retirement fund with the state.

“Once again, Nikki Fried’s been forced to correct the record after misleading Floridians about her assets,” said Republican Governors Association spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez. “Repeatedly, Fried has shown no amount of time will be enough to accurately disclose what’s flowing into her own bank accounts. She’s an incompetent mess who certainly can’t be trusted to handle the finances of the 15th largest economy in the world as Florida’s chief executive.”

Fried scoffed at that criticism and said she simply wanted to take the time to ensure reports included all appropriate assets, liabilities and sources of income.

That seems especially pressing after Fried, days before filing for the Governor’s race in March, had to make several amendments to prior financial disclosures. Those revealed a six-figure boost in income from a consulting firm and ownership stake in a medical marijuana business.

The latest financial disclosures showed a decreased value in the consulting firm Igniting Florida, a business dating back to her days as a lobbyist.

It also revealed a $508,608 mortgage with Illinois-based City National Bank. That’s for a Leon County home, valued at $745,000, she shares with fiancé Jake Bergmann. He transferred the home to Fried’s name in November through a quitclaim deed, a transaction Fried’s team at the time said occurred because of banks’ unwillingness to do business with a medical marijuana entrepreneur.

Fried said the reason the mortgage hasn’t shown up on priori disclosures is simply because the home was recently purchased. “We just took it (the mortgage) out last year,” she said.