Bad Week for Baugh

This week, Manatee County Commission Chair Vanessa Baugh was caught fibbing ...again–multiple times, in fact. The star of the Vaccinegate has become embroiled in so many controversies they’re actually becoming difficult to keep straight, even for those who follow local government quite closely.

Given Commissioner Baugh’s adamant refusal to heed deafening, bipartisan calls from the community for her resignation, fellow commissioners’ unwillingness to risk their precious majority by holding her accountable, and the fact that she’s not up for reelection until 2024, it’s hard to imagine what kind of record she may accumulate before it’s all said and done.

In other words, if there’s a bad government Hall of Fame, she’ll likely be inducted on the first ballot.

On Wednesday, TBT reported that Baugh’s many public statements regarding her role in the scandal known as Vaccinegate–in which the chair directed county staff to restrict a COVID vaccine pop up event to just two-zip codes in her district–had been contradicted by public records included in a 113-page report from the Manatee County Sherrif’s Office.

The report was the result of a criminal investigation into whether Baugh had violated Florida statutes or Manatee County ordinances in unilaterally deciding to limit the potential pool of those chosen through the county’s lottery system to residents of two of the richest, whitest, and most Republican zip codes in the county–both comprised exclusively of her constituents–or in ordering county staff to add herself and four others to the list of those who’d won, essentially gaming the system to benefit friends and supporters.

While Baugh and her supporters focused on the fact that MCSO concluded that it could find no laws that had been broken, anyone who reads the report will see that it is in no way a vindication–not even close. In fact, it’s pretty much the opposite, with interviews and email correspondence depicting a public official who very deliberately sought to benefit herself and those who could help her by abusing her authority as a commissioner.

The investigation report seems to deliberately leave the door open for the state attorney’s office to seek charges in noting that "evidence obtained during the course of this investigation clearly indicates Commissioner Baugh, a public servant, knowingly and intentionally attempted to obtain a benefit for herself and others É" and that, "one might surmise," Baugh had been attempting to curry political favor with the Governor, her constituents, and some on the "VIP" list.

It seems, however, that because the investigation ultimately found no direct evidence of Baugh receiving any tangible benefit for her misdeeds, no charges were recommended. That is, unfortunately, too often the case whenever still spectacular corruption falls short of a bag of cash or wiring of funds to an offshore account in a very explicit quid pro quo. State Attorney Ed Brodsky’s office has long been criticized for its reluctance to target white-collar crime, as well as for going easy on highly-placed Republicans, as in the case of Bob Waechter.

As for the Florida Commission on Ethics, don’t hold your breath. Yes, it’s going to be even more difficult for that body to find that there is no evidence of wrongdoing, but it has proven itself up to the task, even on more difficult jobs. If there were ever a more toothless body, it likely belonged to an anteater. When it comes to recourse, there is, of course, the Manatee County Commission. No, I’m not serious.

What the investigation did show was that Baugh violated board policy, most notably by directing county staff. However, the majority has dug in its heels on the issue, despite the caught red-handed nature of Baugh’s transgressions. You see, a county commissioner’s authority is limited to policymaking and that’s only when they’re part of the majority on any voting issue.

As commissioners have noted, a chair's role is largely ceremonial and limited (beyond special short-term powers authorized by the board's vote, such as negotiating a contract) to running the meetings. Beyond a majority vote to set policy or hire and fire the two employees under the board’s direct purview–the county attorney and county administrator–commissioners, like most public officials elected to represent citizens in a governmental body, have little to no authority.

Baugh clearly has not understood that reality, as evidenced by her answer, "I'm the chair, is the chair not good enough?" when Manatee County Director of Public Safety Jacob Saur asked who he could speak to at the state to seek guidance concerning the county’s ability to limit the vaccine lottery pool for an event directed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, according to Saur's testimony during the investigation.

But again, if you’re waiting for the board to take action on Baugh, you'd better be prepared to wait a long time. The word infinity comes to mind. Shame is apparently an antiquated notion, as the answer to the question of how bad would things have to get before commissioners in the new majority risked their grip on power doesn’t seem to exist.

Prior to Vaccinegate, Baugh was caught up in the controversy regarding the new majority's plan to fire former county administrator Cheri Coryea. During the first meeting after the new board had been sworn in, an agenda item added at the last minute at Baugh’s request which would have modified board policy and procedures to essentially allow a board majority to add an item for consideration at any time whether it was a voting meeting or work session was presented by the commissioner, who then clumsily read a proposal she didn’t seem to understand and couldn’t answer questions about. To be fair, Baugh has seemed easily confused by such matters since being elected in 2012.

In this instance, however, the county attorney’s office seemed at least every bit as confused by its language as Baugh herself. Nevertheless, the item still passed 4-3, yet it was never made available as a public record, in accordance with Florida statutes. Shortly afterward, during the same meeting, newly sworn-in Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge moved to fire then-County Administrator Cheri Coryea, which gave the impression that Baugh’s action was either intended to ensure that Van Ostenbridge would be able to do so (County Attorney Bill Clague said it would not have been) or as a response to the fact that he couldn’t do it during a work session two days earlier when it could have been lauded as having been done "on our very first day" as the new board.

The once-approved policy that the public was never able to inspect was eventually repealed by the board, but not before Baugh had been asked several times whether she was, in fact, the one who had authored it. Each time, Baugh confidently asserted that she had.

While under oath during her deposition for a public records suit filed by paralegal Michael Barfield, however, Baugh admitted that she had not in fact written the draft ordinance. This was no surprise. In fact, I’d written at the time that it was clearly fed to her by someone else and other elements of Barfield’s suit revealed that it is not uncommon for the majority to get suggestions from their benefactors when it comes to setting policy. But having her finally admit that she deliberately lied to her fellow board members after asking for their vote seemed like a new low, one that might have to be dealt with. Alas, no dice.

These are different times. The days when politicians could be shamed into relinquishing power after such transgressions have clearly passed. Unless they get the metal bracelets slapped on before getting perp-walked off to a federal correctional institution, non-apology apologies have become the status quo. So, I wouldn't count on Baugh doing what's best for the community she serves. Power is far too expensive to buy these days. And the people who've invested in stacking the board with such politicians aren't willing to see it get washed down the drain over things like the credibility of our local government.

Dennis "Mitch" Maley is an editor and columnist for The Bradenton Times and the host of ourweekly podcast. He is also the host ofPunk Rock Politixon YouTube. With over two decades of experience as a journalist, he has covered Manatee County governmentsince 2010. He is a graduate of Shippensburg University and later served as a Captain in the U.S. Army. Clickherefor his bio. His latest book, Burn Black Wall Street Burn, is availablehere.