Nikki Fried credits commitment to transparency to tardy financial filing

Nikki Fried
Republicans called Fried 'an incompetent mess' for failing to file her Form 6 on time.

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.

Jacob Ogles

Jacob Ogles has covered politics in Florida since 2000 for regional outlets including SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, The News-Press in Fort Myers and The Daily Commercial in Leesburg. His work has appeared nationally in The Advocate, Wired and other publications. Events like SRQ’s Where The Votes Are workshops made Ogles one of Southwest Florida’s most respected political analysts, and outlets like WWSB ABC 7 and WSRQ Sarasota have featured his insights. He can be reached at [email protected].


5 comments

  • Tom

    September 1, 2021 at 1:38 pm

    Yes, Nikki Fraud everything is perfect in your corrupt world! But your not a hypocrite for your stalker like approach to America’s Governor.

  • JmjUSA

    September 1, 2021 at 2:08 pm

    … And if this were DeSantis, the “ogle” -ING would be apoplectic about his delay, stalling, demise!
    Instead because zer is fe-male & demon-o-crat, it’s “transparency”…
    Yup!

  • Ron Ogden

    September 1, 2021 at 6:37 pm

    Oh, she was just trying so hard. . . . things, things just, (sob) got away from her. If she (sob) hadn’t cared so much for the people, then things would have been so much easier. But she is the only standing up for the victims. Florida Man is after her. Yes, it has been proven. She’s holding down two (or three) jobs you know, just trying to make ends meet, single mother, dealing with all the sex harassment every day and (sob) all the other women in Tallahassee trying to so hard just like her because all these d–khead men just. . .and the way they look at her, none of them ever smile. . .nobody should have to go through this just because they made the mistake of being born female. . .”
    Hey, do you think I could get a job on her campaign team?

  • Tom

    September 2, 2021 at 6:27 am

    Just a Fraud liar.

  • Lux

    September 2, 2021 at 7:55 pm

    Work for 2-3 hours 1n your spare OO time and get paid $1200 0n y0ur bank acc0unt every week..f

    Get more information 0n f0ll0wing site….. https://workjoin1.com

Comments are closed.


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