Kissimmee mayor Jackie Espinosa fined $2K by Florida Commission on Ethics in joint agreement

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Florida Commission on Ethics has agreed to issue a civil fine and a public reprimand to Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa, part of a joint resolution agreement reached with the Commission, following ethical questions and concerns related to COVID-era business relief funds distributed to Espinosa and her family members.

What we know:

Under the accepted agreement, Espinosa will be fined $2,000 and formally censured and publicly reprimanded. The Commission accepted the recommendation unanimously on Friday morning.

"She violated section 112, 3137, Florida statutes by having an employment and or contractual relationship with the entity doing business with her agency," the commission said.

Kissimmee mayor arrested for grand theft and fraud allegedly tied to COVID-era business grants

Local perspective:

Espinosa was arrested early Wednesday morning on charges of grand theft and fraud tied to $50,000 in COVID-era grants that were awarded to her and/or businesses owned by her family members under the City of Kissimmee's "Business Boost 2.0" grant program.

The Florida Attorney's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement allege that Espinosa, as mayor, helped create and expand the program, then applied for $50,000 in grants for businesses connected to her or her family members, and ignored ethical concerns raised by staff members.

By the numbers:

FOX 35 reviewed the arrest affidavit, which details how the $50,000 in grant funding was dispersed, to whom, and which businesses:

• Four businesses that pay rent in a building owned by the mayor received $10,000 each
• Three businesses owned by the mayor or her family received a total of $50,000 across 3 grantsThe Real Estate Gallery, a business owned by Espinosa's husband, received $15,000.The Kissimmee Diner received $15,000. That business closed five months after receiving the funding. A new business has since opened there.Andanse LLC., owned by the mayor and leased by her and a family member, received $20,000.
• The Real Estate Gallery, a business owned by Espinosa's husband, received $15,000.
• The Kissimmee Diner received $15,000. That business closed five months after receiving the funding. A new business has since opened there.
• Andanse LLC., owned by the mayor and leased by her and a family member, received $20,000.

Jackie Espinosa bonded out jail Thursday night

The other side:

Jackie Espinosa posted a $70,000 bond on Thursday and was released from jail, where she was met by a swarm of reporters. She delivered a brief statement :

"What I want people to know is what happened yesterday requires all of us to go out and vote November 3rd. That’s what I want to say and to the constituents of Kissimmee, we will be okay," she said.

FOX 35 has reached out to Espinosa and her husband for comment on the allegations and her arrest. We have not received a response.

Accuser: $2,000 civil penalty is not harsh enough

What they're saying:

Lillian Evans is one of three people who filed formal ethics complaints against Mayor Espinosa, which sparked a couple ethics investigations. Ahead of Friday's hearing, she submitted a letter to the ethics commission stating that she felt a $2,000 fine was too low and not harsh enough.

Evans attended Friday's hearing, but was not allowed to speak. She attempted to talk, but was quickly shut down by one of the commissioners.

She talked with FOX 35's Marie Edinger about Espinosa's arrest. "I felt relief. I felt that we were actually getting what the City of Kissimmee deserves. Somebody that took money from the City of Kissimmee from our people, and she needs to pay for what she did," she said.

Will she be removed as Kissimmee mayor?

According to the City of Kissimmee, Espinosa will remain mayor unless she is suspended, removed, or resigns. The city's charter does not necessarily detail a plan for when a sitting mayor or commissioner is arrested, a spokesperson said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has the authority to remove an elected leader from office, which he has done before. No announcements have been made regarding Espinosa's role as mayor. FOX 35 reached out to the governor's office for comment on Friday. 

KissimmeeFlorida News