Former Tallahassee City Manager Rick Fernandez is being charged with violating state ethics laws. Fernandez was fired after it was revealed he accepted Florida State University football tickets as a gift.
The Florida Commission on Ethics unanimously found probable cause in a complaint made by City Hall gadfly Erwin Jackson.
Jackson says his complaint dealt with the tickets, and a nearly $5,000 discount the Edison Restaurant gave to Fernandez. Adam Corey, a former lobbyist who owned the Edison at the time, also gave Fernandez the tickets.
"They determined that Adam Corey had given to Fernandez, and Fernandez had accepted, 16 of these booster box football seats," Jackson said.
Fernandez, who was not present at the hearing, has the opportunity to appeal. The Commission cast its vote in a closed-door meeting. It has not yet released specifics on the charges and will make those details available mid-week.
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