Governor Ron DeSantis has suspended a second North Florida public official from office over fraud. Liberty County Supervisor of Elections Gina McDowell has been removed from office over accusations of fraud and misconduct.
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, McDowell is accused of using more than $40,000 in office money for personal expenses not associated with official business. She tried to conceal the transactions by misrepresenting how the money was spent in public records. The scheme occurred over several years.
A second person, McDowell’s boyfriend Nolan Kobe Pigott, was also charged. He’s facing one count of organized scheme to defraud. McDowell is facing the same charge as well as two counts of official misconduct. The organized scheme to defraud charge is a 2nd degree felony. The official misconduct charges are 3rd degree felonies.
McDowell was arrested and booked into the Liberty County Jail Friday.
The arrests come two weeks after Wakulla County’s Property Appraiser was arrested and suspended from office following a similar investigation of fraud.
Brad Harvey is facing felony charges after FDLE Investigators found he overpaid himself by $176,000 over three years and racked up nearly $27,000 in fraudulent charges to the Property Appraisers office credit card.
Second Judicial Circuit State Attorney Jack Campbell’s Office is prosecuting both cases.
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