After having funds frozen, Glen Gilzean wrote 224 checks and spent $4.3M, Phil Diamond says

Orange County Elections Supervisor Glen Gilzean nearly drained his bank account and wrote 224 checks for $4.3 million over the weekend, Comptroller Phil Diamond charged, as Gilzean’s staff are caught in limbo amid a fight happening in the courts and in the public eye.

“He paid these checks while knowing full well that he is required to meet his employees approximately $250,000 payroll this week. Sadly, he irresponsibly chose not to prioritize his employees,” Diamond said in a press release after he obtained Gilzean’s financial records. “Now he is asking the taxpayers to bail him out of his excessive spending.”

Diamond’s Office declined to release details on what the checks were for or who got paid the money when Florida Politics requested copies of them on Monday, citing an ongoing investigation. Diamond confirmed that $1.1 million went to a local nonprofit, although he did not say which one.

Meanwhile, Gilzean — who is suing Diamond and Orange County — said in a statement Monday that he paid $4.5 million for expenses from the Nov. 5 election.

“The Comptroller was operating with a failed understanding of the Supervisor’s Office’s other liabilities, including outstanding invoices for election services, security services provided by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and additional Early Voting sites. A significant portion of these bills arrived in our office following the November General Election and have been processed, totaling more than $4.5 million,” Gilzean said in a press release.

At a Dec. 3 meeting, Orange County Commissioners voted to freeze Gilzean’s regular budget payments because the county accused him of being evasive and spending at least $5 million on scholarships, employee training and more outside his duties of running elections.

“Under the law, he was only entitled to receive 38.64% of his budget. However, he has received 50%. The records he gave us show that he has spent nearly the entire 50%. This spending rate greatly exceeds the limit he is allowed to spend by Florida law,” Diamond said Monday about the Elections Supervisor’s fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

Gilzean sued the county and Diamond on Dec. 5, accusing them of illegally withholding his funds.

“Now, the question before Phil is this, will he follow the law and release the money our office needs?” Gilzean said Monday.

The Orange County Commission is scheduled to meet next Dec. 17.