FBI Investigates Jacksonville's City Hall

FBI Investigates Jacksonville's City Hall

News4Jax.com
July 21, 2008

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Federal Bureau of Investigation has widened its probe of public corruption in Jacksonville, Channel 4 reported on Monday.

The FBI has begun conducting an investigation at Jacksonville's City Hall, focusing on a controversial contract that was previously examined by a grand jury.

Channel 4 learned on Monday that one of the latest targets is the mayor's office and how it handles city contracts with former employees, stemming from an investigation into Prologic -- a computer consulting firm hired by the city and run by the mayor's former chief of staff and good friend Scott Tiegle.

While the grand jury did not find any wrongdoing in the city's contract with Prologic, it did have a lot of criticism.

Several e-mails show that the FBI has begun questioning city employees about Prologic. The city's attorney Cindy Laquidara said they are cooperating.

"I can't speak to any particularities on an FBI investigation. I just can tell you that of course they have asked employees within the city to cooperate. The city always cooperates. We have the same goal," said Laquidara.

The current study is the latest in a string of FBI investigations in the area. Earlier this year, at the Jacksonville Port Authorities, the FBI raided a business owned by a board member Tony Nelson.

Nelson has since resigned from the board, and the FBI continues to investigate several port contracts with which he's involved along with other former port employees.

Also, the FBI began last month looking into St. Johns County Commissioner Thomas Manuel.

While the FBI said it could not speak to specifics, special agent in charge James Casey said, "I think it's fair to say that there are public corruption cases going on in all the FBI divisions across the country, and Jacksonville is one of them. So, there are likely investigations here."
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