Controversial St. Augustine, Florida Mayor JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR. has invited his fellow Commissioners to violate Sunshine laws by traveling to Spain with him for a meeting of the U.S.-Spain Council in September 5-7.
At the June 23, 2014 City Commission meeting, BOLES breathlessly announced that former Senator Robert Graham had contacted the U.S.-Spain Council in hopes of inviting the new King of Spain, Felipe VI.
You would have thought BOLES had just hung the moon.
He did so on the first day of qualifying for the 2014 elections, when two opponents filed to run against him.
As you can see on the videotape, available here: www.cosatvcom (July 23, 2014item 2, 0:57),
Mayor BOLES announced that he is going to Spain at his "own expense," inviting others to do the same.
He did not ask for guidance.
I gently questioned the expenditure and the Sunshine violation. www.cosatvcom(July 23, 2014item 4, 15:00)
No one responded.
No one.
No one ever voted to authorize the trip.
Mayor BOLES just announced it.
As Mayor, BOLES occupies a ceremonial position as meeting chair under Florida law and our City Charter.
He is not a "strong mayor," as in larger Florida cities (or Chicago).
But BOLES did not respect his colleagues.
He presented them with a fait accompli.
L'etat c'est moi?
"It's nice to be the King," in Mel Brooks' words ("History of the World, Part II).
It's nice to be the Mayor.
BOLES further announced that he would like all of his fellow Commissioners to to with him.
He invited them to violate our Florida Sunshine laws.
If they do, they my face prosecution, removal and a Sunshine lawsuit.
In 2010, Mayor BOLES and three other City Commissioners planned to go to Spain for a "business meeting."
The law firm of Holland & Knight, representing eighteen (18) of us, pro bono, made an Open Records request.
The Mayor dropped out, as did every single other City Commissioner (other than one, who was defeated for re-election two years later, coming in fourth in a four-way race, with some 12% of the vote).
Our State's Attorney, Ralph Joseph Larizza, sponsored a Sunshine and Open Records continuing legal education program in 2011, conducted by a law professor, captured the mood of the legal community: laughter erupted at the aborted Spanish trip by the city of St. Augustine. YOU CAN'T GO TO SPAIN AND AVOID AND EVADE THE SUNSHINE LAWS. (Two of 32 slides resulted in laughter at our City -- the other was about the First America Foundation, which BOLES proposed be an end-run around the Sunshine and Open Records laws for the 450th -- it received $275,000 in City money, fizzed, returning some $175,000 after wasting $100,000 and raising not one dime of private money).
Despite the history of lawbreaking, Mayor BOLES must think short memories.
Mayor BOLES thinks he can invite Commissioners to violate Sunshine laws with immunity and impunity.
Mayor BOLES thinks going to Spain with this lobbyist's group may result in the King of Spain coming, and so misled the St. Augustine Record: http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2014-06-24/king-spain-expected-st-augustine#.U9QQqxawhhA
Well, perhaps.
The prior King of Spain once visited here. But that was before the Spanish economy tanked.
Rather than dealing with the Spanish Embassy or the State Department, BOLES is believing in the U.S.-Spain Council.
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
In fact, the U.S.-Spain Council is headquartered in a lobbyist's residence in Falls Church, Virginia.
http://usspaincouncil.org/index.php
Closely connected is D&P Creative Strategies and Poder PAC, a political action committee that raises funds for Latinas, Hispanic Democratic women.
http://dpcreativestrategies.com/about/team/
The U.S.-Spain Council is nominally chaired by a politician, with the current chair being U.S. Senator Timothy Kaine (D-Va.) and past Chairs including former Governor and Senator Robert Graham (D-Florida) and disgraced Senator Mel Martinez a/k/a "Melquíades Rafael Martínez Ruíz"(R-Florida).
http://cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com/2009/08/senator-mel-martinez-resigns-why-who.html
The U.S. Spain Council claims several dozen corporate members, to wit:
AES Corporation
Airbnb
Amrop Seeliger y Conde
AT&T
The Boeing Company
CA Missions Foundation
Citigroup
Coca-Cola Company
Deloitte & Touche
Dentons, LLP
DLA Piper
EADS CASA North America
Goldman Sachs
Greenberg Traurig
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
Herbalife, Ltd.
Hogan Lovells
Hunton & Williams LLP
Hewlett Packard
Johnson & Johnson
MasTec
McLarty Associates
Medtronic
Microsoft
Talgo, Inc.
TotalBank
Walmart
Western Union
Not clear what the dues for or what the purpose of the U.S.-Spain Council might be.
See link below for photo of the private residence where the U.S.-Spain Council is located.http://www.trulia.com/homes/Virginia/Falls_Church/sold/1000363829-3520-Maple-Ct-Falls-Church-VA-22041
Mayor BOLES candidly said he "had never heard" of the U.S.-Spain Council before.
Neither had anyone else in this town.
Mayor BOLES said in baby-talk that it is "a big convention" with "lots of families" and that Senator Timothy Kane (D-Va.), "the Chairman … is the chair this year."
Oh, bother.
Here we go again.
To get Felipe VI, the new King of Spain to visit, save money. Call US Ambassador James Costos and his partner, Michael Smith. (34)-91-587-2240; Fax: 91-587-2303.
http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/06/30/inenglish/1404129631_938515.html
There are rules for the mayor and his cronies and rules for everyone else. Book him on Malaysia Air. What does Boles and the commission hope to accomplish that they can't do on Skype? Use the technology we have, don't abuse the taxpayers and the coffers. No more trips to Spain that violate the Sunshine Law! 8 Years is Enough.
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