JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A special committee is trying to learn what City Councilwoman LeAnna Cumber knew about the failed JEA sale, and why she did not disclose information about her husband’s involvement with a company that was bidding on JEA.
But, the committee can’t turn over the investigation into the city’s ethics commission 30 days before an election if it involves a candidate. And since LeAnna Cumber is running for mayor, they now have to wait until after the election.
The vice chair of the council committee looking onto Cumber said they did learn some new information. “We’ve learned that Councilwoman Cumber’s husband was significantly more involved than we even thought,” City Councilman Nick Howland said. “Which just further exacerbates the issue about why it was not disclosed in councilwoman Cumber’s disclosure in March 2021. So that’s the issue.”
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Howland said they want the city’s ethics commission to investigate, but they just learned that can’t happen right away. City rules say the ethics commission can’t take on those complaints about candidates 30 days prior to an election.
Some, including LeAnna Cumber, have said the entire purpose of this committee was a campaign ploy, because some members, including Nick Howland, support another candidate for mayor.
Howland disagrees, “I don’t factor the election into this at all. We learned information about wrongdoing that needed to be investigated.” Howland continued, “So, I said it before, it’s always right to seek the truth. And that’s what we’re doing with a special investigatory committee.”
Cumber did not participate in this current investigation. But, through her attorney, she said the reason she didn’t disclose information about her husband’s involvement in the original investigation is because the FBI told her not to.
Howland said he contacted the FBI to learn if that’s true and says he was told the FBI can’t confirm or deny that because it’s an ongoing investigation. There is still a federal criminal case against two former JEA executives over their role in the attempt to sell the utility.
The special committee will now turn in its request to the ethics commission the day after the election. Howland said they just want to make sure council members in the future cooperate.