News4JAX by Vic Micolucci
September 6, 2018
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two members of the Jacksonville City Council appear to be the focus of an ethics investigation by the State Attorney’s Office, the News4Jax I-TEAM learned Wednesday.
The I-TEAM was told the investigation centers on possible violations of the Florida Sunshine Law and that two council members have accused each other of ethics violations.
City Councilman Matt Schellenberg said he was questioned by investigators, but is not the target of the investigation. He said he spoke to two detectives last week — one from the State Attorney’s Office and one from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
“They had 10 different questions all related to the Sunshine Law, Schellenberg said. “(They asked) if I had violated it, if I had known of anybody that violated it, if I had heard rumors about anybody violating (it) and did I think that there’s a group that might have violated it. I didn’t know any of that stuff.”
Schellenberg said the detectives also asked to look at his email and phone records, and they asked him to sign a piece of paper indicating he was being truthful.
News4Jax reached out to the State Attorney’s Office for comment on the investigation. It issued a statement reading:
Our office does not comment on investigations and it does not identify the target of any investigation.
The Sunshine Law is a series of laws designed to guarantee that the public has access to the public records of governmental bodies in Florida.
It applies to any gathering of two or more members of the same board to discuss some matter which may come before that board for action. It requires that: