Ex-commissioner criticizes Stuart for mailer featuring cops

Days after winning a close race for re-election, Orlando District 3 Commissioner Robert Stuart faced criticism during Monday’s City Council meeting from the woman he replaced in office more than a decade ago.

Former Commissioner Vicki Vargo asked the City Council to reprimand Stuart over mailers sent by a political committee that featured images of Orlando Police officers in uniform.

“The failure to respond gives the impression of approval by the city of Orlando for this conduct,” Vargo said.

After the meeting, Stuart said he’d done nothing wrong.

He said the photos were from Facebook and that he did not provide them to the Realtors Political Advocacy Committee, which sent the mailers.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Buddy Dyer, Cassandra Lafser, said in an email there was “not a violation” of city policy, which bars employees from participating in a campaign while in uniform. The photos, she said, were taken for city purposes — not political use.

The Realtors group did not respond to a call seeking comment.

Vargo served on the City Council from 2000 until 2006, when Stuart defeated her in a runoff vote.

On Monday, she said she feared that using photos of uniformed police in campaign advertisements would be abused in future Orlando elections.

Stuart prevailed 51 percent to 49 percent in last week’s election to defeat attorney Asima Azam and win a fourth term in office.