Gabrielle Russon
A day after Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said he would subpoena Orange County officials, Mayor Jerry Demings is accusing state officials of making politically motivated attacks.
“This is all being driven by political motives for whatever reason, to focus on Orange County and Central Florida,” said Demings, a Democrat in one of the bluest parts of a red state. “This community is a target.”
Demings called the state’s investigation “mean-spirited.”
But Demings said county employees won’t defy the subpoenas. Demings did, however, deny that the county tried to cover up or hide anything during the state’s Department of Government Efficiency audit earlier this month.
The Orange Sentinel reported that 16 county employees, including Orange County attorney Jeff Newton, received subpoenas as the state seeks information on county funds supporting six organizations serving LGTBQ+ or people of color: Zebra Youth, the Stono Institute for Freedom, Justice and Security, the Black History Project, Orlando Youth Alliance, the Central Florida Urban League and Caribbean Community Connections.
Ingoglia announced the subpoenas Wednesday during an Orlando press conference and threatened local officials with a criminal investigation if they didn’t comply.
The newly appointed CFO questioned whether Orange County was hiding emails or procurement records related to the six grants from the county. Ingoglia said his Office received a tip from an insider that county employees were changing file names to hide diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
“Now, I’m probably freaking out a lot of Orange County employees right now,” Ingoglia said Wednesday. “My advice to you is when you are contacted and when you’re going to be interviewed, do not hide the information, be truthful with them. We know that people above you told you to go and change the information in an effort to try to hide the information from us.”
Meanwhile, Demings continued to deny the state’s allegations.
“I can tell our public that there’s not been any direction from myself or any senior leadership to our employees to hide information or any of that,” Demings said Thursday as he spoke to the media.
Demings also criticized the state’s investigation, saying the state was intimidating witnesses and trying to taint the outcome.
“There was a press conference announced, and that’s not the way you do investigations. You let the facts determine where you end up,” said Demings, the former Orlando Police Chief and Orange County Sheriff.
“This whole process has been tainted at this point because they’ve already tried and convicted Orange County before they’ve even completed their investigation. So when that happens, you know that’s politically motivated.”
