Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
DeSantis hints he may fire sheriff
Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis hinted Monday that he is weighing possible replacements for Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel.
DeSantis, a Republican, didn’t reveal his plans for the embattled sheriff during a news conference ahead of his inauguration, but he promised there will be “executive actions on potentially a number of local officials” shortly after he takes office Tuesday.
“As you look at different folks who have been mentioned as people who could potentially be
suspended, the goal is not to [be] like, oh this person is politically different,” DeSantis said when asked if he is going to suspend Israel. “If you are going to do it, get somebody in there who is going to do a good job. That second part kind of gets lost. Who are you going to put in?”
DeSantis said during the campaign he would have suspended Israel had he been governor during the Feb. 14 Parkland massacre that left 17 people dead. Since winning the election, DeSantis has evaded questions on the issue, instead saying he’ll take personnel actions but not specifying if Israel will be removed.
A DeSantis spokeswoman did not immediately return a phone message seeking clarification.
A state commission investigating the shooting faulted Israel’s agency for a variety of lapses that included fumbled tips, deputies who were slow to respond and inadequate training. Israel has maintained he did nothing that
would warrant his suspension. Stuart Kaplan, an attorney speaking on the sheriff’s behalf, said Israel will contest a suspension.
“He is steadfast in believing he has been elected to serve Broward County and will remain so until such time as there’s a new elected sheriff,” Kaplan said.
The governor can suspend officials for a variety of reasons, including neglect of duty, incompetence and malfeasance. Typically, governors have suspended officials who have been charged criminally. Israel could request a trial before the Florida Senate to seek reinstatement.
DeSantis promised he’ll
move swiftly once he becomes governor.
“We’ll definitely have some actions on a number of different fronts. You may be surprised at some of the fronts we are looking at right now in that respect.”
The Broward Sheriff’s Office has paid Miami lawyer Ben Kuehne nearly $30,000 for legal services, according to agency records.
Kuehne said he’s assisting with Parkland shooting-related matters, but he declined to say if a possible suspension is part of his scope of work. A sheriff’s spokeswoman declined to release a detailed billing, citing an exemption in the public records law for “litigation strategy.”
Kuehne helped to get former Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi reinstated after he was suspended by Gov. Rick Scott. Pizzi was arrested on federal bribery charges in 2013 and acquitted a year later. Kuehne also worked on presidential contender Al Gore’s legal team during the 2000 recount. His firm Kuehne Davis Law specializes in criminal and civil defense, along with election law.
Kaplan said he is not getting paid with tax dollars for his legal advice, and he’s a friend of the sheriff ’s.