Kissimmee commissioner speaks out after ethics investigation cleared her

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - A Kissimmee city commissioner is speaking out after a special prosecutor cleared her in an ethics investigation.

Commissioner Janette Martinez had been accused of using her position to help a friend obtain a food truck permit while failing to disclose a conflict of interest involving shared business ties.

The backstory:

The special prosecutor found Martinez did not give her friend preferential treatment and did not have an improper business conflict.

The original complaint alleged city staff felt pressured by Martinez to approve the permit. However, the independent investigation found no evidence to support those claims.

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"These are people from Tallahassee that have checked this. There is no buddy system here. I see the comments on Facebook, and it's really sad to see.," said Janette Martinez, Kissimmee city commissioner. "We're not all bad people. Some people really do love what they do. We're dedicated, we love our community, and we're looking to continue helping and making Kissimmee a greater place than what it is right now."

Martinez said the complaints were politically motivated and described them as mudslinging during her re-election campaign.

The special prosecutor also cleared Martinez of any intentional conflict of interest. Court records show she recused herself from the vote, as required. 

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While investigators identified a minor paperwork error on her disclosure form, the special prosecutor concluded Martinez had relied on incorrect guidance from the city's former attorney and corrected the mistake once it was identified.

While the investigation into Martinez has been closed, separate ethics investigations involving Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa remain ongoing.