No response from County Commission to my May 2, 2025 request. Wonder why?
That's 213 days.
That's six (6) months and twenty-nine (29) days.
Slowpokes.
Let's get this County moving again, and in the right direction.
The late, great U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, "Secrecy is for losers, for people who don't understand the value of the information."
When secretive corporate special interests take over our government, it is called "regulatory capture."
Our St. Johns County Attorney job is oddly outsourced to the corporate law firm of BRADLEY, GARRISON & KOMANDO, P.A.
One of the name partners (ROBERT MILNER BRADLEY) is a former State Senator, married to a current State Senator; BRADLEY is Chair of of the St. Johns River Water Management District.
The other name partner (SAMUEL PAUL GARRISON is the incoming Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives).
Does this politically-connected partnership account for the hubristic hauteur of the current conflicted County Attorney, RICHARD CHRISTIAN KOMANDO, who acts like he someone told him that he hung the moon? KOMANDO refused to provide Commissioner Ann Taylor with a list of his clients before the Commission voted to hire him. No conflicts check. No transparency. This stinks on ice.
Closer controls and better data are urgently required on our St. Johns County Attorney's Office. On April 15, 2025, by 3-2 vote of County Commission, the County Attorney's office was contracted out to BRADLEY, GARRISON & KOMANDO, P.A.. This is a corporate law firm owned by three politicians. BGK's lead partner is ROBERT MILNER BRADLEY, JR., a lobbyist, hired in 2025 to represent gambling interests -- FOUNTAINEBLEAU DEVELOPMENT, Mr. BRADLEY is current chair of the St. Johns River Water Management District. Partner SAMUEL PAUL GARRISON is current Florida House Rules and Ethics Committee Chair, and will be Florida Speaker of the House 2026-2027. Read my May 2, 2025 request that St. Johns County Commission require Quarterly Reports and Annual Reports from the County Attorney, as our City of St. Augustine has required of City Attorney since reformer Nancy E. Shaver was elected Mayor in 2014. https://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2025/05/to-sjc-bocc-please-enact-ordinance.html
On Friday, May 2, 2025 at 08:00:07 AM EDT, Ed Slavin <easlavin@aol.com> wrote:
Dear SJC Commission Chair Joseph, Vice Chair Murphy, and Commissioners Taylor, Whitehurst and Arnold:
1. Our Nation's Oldest City of St. Augustine has a City Attorney Quarterly Report and Annual Report.
2. These reports are mandatory, and the standard of care. They have been required since reformer Nancy E. Shaver was elected Mayor in 2014.
3. These Annual and Quarterly reports allow St, Augustine our City Commissioners to evaluate, discuss and question the City Attorney's Office and its budget and priorities.
4. I've been attending St. Johns County Commission meetings for years. Ordinarily, during a time slot allocated for County Attorney Report, successive County Attorneys have smiled and said, "no report," sharing no information whatsoever. This shows contempt for democracy.
5. From this day forward, would you please be so kind as to pass an ordinance by consensus at our May 6, 2025 St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners meeting, requiring publication of County Attorney Annual Reports and Quarterly Reports, effective immediately, the public interest requiring it?
6. Please feel free to call me today to discuss records requests and report requirements.
7. It's our money and our County and our County Attorney's office.
8. Under current management, our County Attorney has avoided and evaded responses to records requests.
9. Mr. Komando stiffed Commissioner Ann Taylor's request for a list of his private clients.
10. Mr. Komando concealed his representation of the SLAUGHTER BROTHERS, convicted of federal tax fraud and workers compensation fraud.
11. On April 15, 2025, St. Johns County Commission hired a politically-connected corporate law firm as County Attorney. I have requested investigations. This unwise decision cannot stand.
12. We know now that the co-owner of that law firm, former State Senator ROBERT MILNER BRADLEY, JR. owns a lobbying firm, hired in 2025 to represent FOUNTAINBLEAU DEVELOPMENT.
13. Is St. Johns County Attorney secrecy, sloth and contracting out helping conceal mismanagement amid overdevelopment?
14. As the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, "Secrecy is for losers -- for people who don't understand the value of the information." See Daniel Patrick Moynihan, SECRECY -- the American Experience. (Yale University Press, 1999).
15. This County Attorney secrecy is unseemly and contrary to the genius and dignity of a free people.
16. Our Florida Constitution establishes our right to our government records and open meetings. Article I, Section 24 of our Florida Constitution was adopted by 83% (3.8 million votes) in 1992.
17. As James Madison wrote on August 4, 1822, "A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."
18. Please see:
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
Box 3084
St. Augustine, Florida 32085-3084
www.edslavin.com
(904) 377-4998
21 comments:
He lobbies and he has a lot of friends therefore he should have less rights and be treated as a suspect in some wrongdoing? I disagree. He should not be punished for making money, practicing law, and having friends.
Huh? More ""Pete" non sequiturs. Cliches. Tedious tautology. Who is "Pete?" Post is about requiring Annual and Quarterly Reports from County Attorney. Are your exceptions under one-party rule and regulatory capture so low that you missed the point of the May 2, 2025 request for Annual and Quarterly Reports? Why does "Pete" perseverate? Pointless "Pete" is grumpy today. And every day.
Because of the unfair criticism of this county attorney, how about starting quarterly reports the next time, the next county attorney can start filling out quarterly reports. Of course, you wouldn't care about reports if it was someone of your own personal choosing. There should be no reporting requirements due to bias and mistrust, which is your own problem.
By stating that "the next county attorney" can provide reports, does "Pete" possibly implies this County Attorney won't be around that long? The BGK corporate law firm has encumbered the permanent position since April 15, 2025. You think it should be exempt from report requirements? On what theory? Does House Speaker-elect SAM GARRISON appreciate the hundreds of "Pete" posts on the County Attorney selection? Does Speaker-elect Garrison appreciate the obscene, bloody, violent, sexist misogynist artwork depicting two women County Commissioners and two women civic activists posted by "Pete" in support of BCC's contract with BGK? Does former Senator ROBERT MILNER BRADLEY, JR., Chair of the St. Johns River Water Management District and registered 2025 lobbyist for FOUNTAINBLEAU DEVELOPMENT, international developer of casinos and high-rises?
Corporate oligarchs are thin-skinned. "Unfair criticism" is a cry for help from "Pete," a sock puppet who has posted hundreds of times on this blog in defense of the indefensible. Pray for "Pete" to try tolerance.
As JFK'S UN Ambassador, Adlai Stevenson said, "As scarce as truth is, the supply seems greater than the demand."
No, you've implied a lot of nonsense therefore he shouldn't be subjected to it. Nice try though.
There is no "oligarch" or "indefensible"...all of that is some false and/or exaggerated narrative. Let's get more proof and evidence and less fictional narratives and exaggerated claims.
Yeah very little truth to your exaggerated claims, narratives, accusations, contexture, framing, mislabeling, defamation, libel, slander, character assassination etc
Who is "Pete?" "Why do the heathen rage?" Psalm 2. Oceans of emotion. All hat and no cattle. "Pete" has nothing to contribute to public policy discussions. He's unscholarly, uninformed, uncouth, unkind, unobservant, sexist, misogynist and publishes vulgar, violent, bloody artwork that calls into question his bona fides, intentions and purpose in life. What a lugubrious goober. Come out of the closet, "Pete' and tell us, who put the salsa in your shorts? Why do you daily defend the County's sweetheart contract with BRADLEY, GARRISON & KOMANDO, P.A.? What is your interest? Speak.
I have written today to request an interview about a corporate law firm being selected to perform the function of SJC County Attorney position, by 3-2 vote, effective on April 15, 2025. I wrote to two BRADLEY, GARRISON & KOMANDO, P.A partners (Florida House Speaker-elect SAMUEL PAUL GARRISON and former State Senator ROBERT MILNER BRADLEY, Jr.) They are two of the three partners in the BGK law firm. Former Senator BRADLEY is also Chair of the St. Johns River Water Management District. Senator BRADLEY has a lobbying firm, OAK STRATEGIES, whose client list includes casino gambling interests, FOUNTAINEBLEAU DEVELOPMENT. BGK has refused to disclose its client list, but we know that it includes the SLAUGHTER BROTHERS, sentenced to federal prison for income tax fraud and workers compensation fraud. While BGK partner RICHARD CHRISTIAN KOMANDO stiffed Commissioner Ann Taylor and refused to provide a client list of clients he's represented while serving as Interim St. Johns County Attorney, the Florida Times-Union reported KOMANDO's representation of the two fraudfeasing roofers on March 20, 2025.
I'm interested in truthful speech... and not opposed to some cause...and not even really advocating for the parties that you've mentioned here. I see exaggerated claims being made here... and I'm here to ask for proof.
The fact that they had some past legal case means nothing. It's irrelevant. Hopefully they keep a record of your baseless assertions and insinuations and false claims, and sue you. You have nothing to do with that law firm's business, and Komando has been hired and that's the end of it. They should report repeated emails to the police as harassment.
Harassment? On what theory? Meanwhile, we in the reality-based community know that the pestilential sock puppet "Pete" has circulated hateful violent bloody images of two (2) women Commissioners and two (2) women citizen activists. What ails you, son?
The hateful hauteur brandished by pestilential perseverating "Pete" would be of interest to his parents, neighbors, clients (if any), particularly the violent bloody sexist misogynist imagery directed against four wonderful women, two (2) Commissioners and two (2) citizen activists. We, the People treasure these four women. Pray for "Pete" to repent of his works and pomps.
This isn't about stupid pictures. It's about me asking you for proof and evidence for corruption, unethical behavior, or illegal activity, and you not providing any. "I think so" and "I say so" isn't proof or evidence for your claims.
Yeah libel and defamation isn't covered by The Constitution. Only a scoundrel would make bogus claims and try to shield himself with our Constitution. This is something you've gotten used to doing no?
Just give proof and evidence for your claims and stop trying to pile on the defamation when someone asks you for it man. Stop trying to change the subject, shift the focus, and project your own shame. You should be ashamed.
Asked and answered. You are in no position to give me orders. "Pete" is a pointless for corporations that dare not sign their names. Who is "Pete?"
Pete admits to the "stupid pictures." Ipse dixit, he can;t fix it. Nasty man. Do your mother and father know?
Saying "this isn't about stupid pictures" is "admitting to stupid pictures?" Tell me why they should give you information if you can't interpret the information? If it's guaranteed to result in libel and bogus claims...why should they give you true information about anything? What's the point?
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