{"id":140830,"date":"2025-08-12T22:52:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T22:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/140830\/"},"modified":"2025-08-12T22:52:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T22:52:13","slug":"jacksonville-city-council-seeks-ethics-opinion-after-general-counsel-hires-in-laws-firm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/140830\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacksonville City Council seeks ethics opinion after General Counsel hires in-law’s firm"},"content":{"rendered":"

Should the city of Jacksonville\u2019s lawyer have hired his father-in-law\u2019s firm<\/a><\/strong>?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the controversy the City Council voted to resolve via soliciting an opinion from the Florida Ethics Commission. General Counsel Michael Fackler<\/strong> hired the Bedell Law Firm owned by his father-in-law Hank Coxe<\/strong> for \u201clegal services directly rendered by his father-in-law for the Consolidated Government of the City of Jacksonville.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former General Counsel\u00a0Jason Gabriel<\/strong> would be charged to solicit the opinion rather than a member of Fackler\u2019s staff, via \u201ca legal memorandum \u2026 prior to the Council taking final action on this legislation, providing the relevant facts and background and any legal analysis the City would request the Commission consider in providing a written advisory opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked what he would charge, Gabriel didn\u2019t offer a verbal estimate.<\/p>\n

Sponsor\u00a0Mike Gay<\/strong> said Gabriel could \u201cnavigate this for us to get us where we need to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a lawyer. I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, but I\u2019m not a lawyer,\u201d the Northside Republican said.<\/p>\n

Republican\u00a0Terrance Freeman<\/strong> lauded the resolution as a \u201cproactive move.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another Republican,\u00a0Matt Carlucci<\/strong>, said the City Council had a habit of \u201cthrowing a wrench into (Fackler\u2019s) works\u201d and that they currently are \u201cplaying games\u201d with the lawyer.<\/p>\n

Democrat\u00a0Jimmy Peluso<\/strong> wondered why a lawyer for the local ethics commission didn\u2019t send the memo, instead of hiring an outside lawyer to do it.<\/p>\n

Republican\u00a0Ken Amaro<\/strong> pressed Gabriel on whether there were conflicts, such as pending litigation, and Gabriel said that wasn\u2019t the case.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Republican\u00a0Rory Diamond<\/strong> said the Council doesn\u2019t \u201ctrust\u201d Fackler and so they have to \u201cwork around\u201d him to find out what is ethical. In this case, he noted the Donna Deegan<\/strong><\/a> administration used\u00a0Coxe\u2019s firm for defense amid questions of staffers about an illegal gun registry<\/a><\/strong> that was being kept in City Hall and the Yates Building.<\/p>\n

President\u00a0Kevin Carrico<\/strong> said the question was whether it was \u201cright or wrong\u201d for Fackler to make the hire, and said Gabriel lacked a conflict<\/p>\n

The question of the legality of the hire may be predicated on state law<\/a><\/strong>, given that local ordinances don\u2019t address it.<\/p>\n

Florida Statutes 112.3135 defines a father-in-law as a \u201crelative.\u201d And it sets restrictions on a public official, such as a General Counsel, hiring a relative.<\/p>\n

\u201cA public official may not appoint, employ, promote, or advance, or advocate for appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement, in or to a position in the agency in which the official is serving or over which the official exercises jurisdiction or control any individual who is a relative of the public official,\u201d state law reads.<\/p>\n


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