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Florida Commission on Ethics to Vote on Baugh Settlement Agreement Next Week

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TALLAHASSEE – On Friday, Jan. 27, the Florida Commission on Ethics will take final action in the matter of alleged ethics violations by Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh for her part in "Vaccinegate." The ethics commission will consider and vote to approve or reject, the joint stipulation (settlement) agreed to between Baugh and the state advocate. The meeting will be held in Tallahassee.

An administrative hearing was previously scheduled for early November 2022, after the Florida Commission on Ethics found probable cause that Baugh violated Section 112.313(6) of the Florida Statutes, which deals with standards of conduct for public officers, employees of agencies, and local government attorneys. The administrative hearing was intended to hear witnesses and evidence in the matter but was canceled after the settlement agreement was reached.

If the ethics commission were to approve the settlement, Baugh would pay an $8,000 fine and receive public censure and reprimand for violating state law "by using or attempting to use her public position and/or resources to deviate from Manatee County's COVID-19 vaccine distribution policy to serve specific individuals and zip codes at a state-operated pop-up vaccine site." Baugh would also need to admit to "the facts as set forth in the Report of Investigation."

Friday’s Commission on Ethics meeting will be accessible to the public via live stream. The meeting agenda can be accessed on the COE’s website and a link to a video of the meeting will also appear on the website once the meeting has convened–as well as on YouTube .

In the weeks surrounding the settlement having been reported publicly, Baugh appeared confident that the ethics commission would finalize it once it returned for approval.

In late October, the Herald Tribune quoted Baugh as having said, "I'm glad it's over" in response to a settlement having been reached between herself and the state's advocate.

In November, Baugh gave a lengthy interview to The Observer detailing her side of the story and decisions she made which ultimately led to 18 separate ethics complaints being filed against her. When asked by The Observerwhether it was difficult for the commissioner to hear that the Florida Commission on Ethics had found probable cause in the complaints against here, Baugh told The Observer, "It was obvious that it was an orchestrated bottom line."

The Florida Commission on Ethics is comprised of nine commissioners and any determinations made on the settlement will be decided by a majority vote of the commission. The commissioners can decide to approve the joint stipulation and terms as currently written, expand upon or add terms, or the commission has the authority to deny approval of any settlement at all.

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