DeSantis-appointed ethics official may have defied ethics rules: report

14 August 2023

Florida Commission on Ethics chairperson Glenton "Glen" Gilzean Jr., who was appointed by Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, is under scrutiny for possibly violating the commission's ethics rules, Miami Herald reports.

This comes after ex-President Donald Trump's allies at Make America Great Again Inc. filed a 15-page complain earlier this year addressed to Gilzean, "with the Florida Commission on Ethics formally accusing" DeSantis "of violating state ethics and election laws with his 'shadow presidential campaign.'"

Miami Herald reports that according to watchdog Florida Bullfrog, Gilzean may have also violated the ethics commission's rules.

Per Miami Herald, "State statute says members appointed to the state's top ethics commission may not 'hold any public employment.'"

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However, while serving as leader of the commission, "Gilzean in May also took on another role, as the new administrator of the DeSantis-controlled Central Florida Tourism Oversight district — a special district formerly known as Reedy Creek that governs and manages taxes for Walt Disney World and two surrounding cities," Miami Herald reports.

Furthermore, Gilzean earns $400,000 in the new role.

According to the report, "The state Constitution defines a 'public officer' as, among other things, '... an elected special district officer in a special district with ad valorem taxing authority, or a person serving as a secretary, an executive director, or other agency head of a department of the executive branch of state government."

The news outlet notes, "It's not clear if Gilzean's role constitutes public employment, but if it does, it seems that Gilzean would be in violation of the commission rules," Democrat and DeSantis-appointee "Jim Waldman, another member of the ethics commission" said.

Miami Herald's full report is available at this link.

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