ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Airport Authority now finds itself without legal counsel.
Douglas Law Firm, which previously represented the Airport Authority, sent a letter addressed to the Board of Directors on Feb. 20. The letter claims Chairman of the Board Reba Ludlow and board member Len Tucker committed a “pattern of violations” under Florida Sunshine Law.
The law firm added Ludlow and Tucker failed to “disclose conflicts of interest” and committed “other ethical violations.”
The letter stated the violations related to Florida Statute 286.011 “Public Meetings and Records” and Florida Statute 112.3143(3)(a) “Voting Conflicts.”
The firm called the violations “alarming (and) concerning” and said they have created a conflict of interest that require the firm to drop the Airport Authority as a client.
In response, the St. Johns County Airport Authority distributed a press release, confirming they “had been made aware” of the law firm withdrawing and saying the matter would be addressed at the next regularly scheduled board meeting.
The airport’s website indicates the 10 a.m. meeting for Monday, Feb. 24, was canceled. The next scheduled board meeting, as of right now, won’t take place until March 10.
The Airport Authority’s news release also said, “This matter has no impact on the day-to-day operations of the Airport.
But St. Johns County Airport Authority Board Member Jennifer Liotta told News4JAX she is seriously concerned and is calling for an “independent investigation.”
She released the following statement to News4JAX:
I believe the press release improperly minimizes the issues at hand. The Authority’s General Counsel office advised on much more than just ‘governance and compliance.’ It is a serious matter that the airport does not have a General Counsel, especially in light of the allegations contained in the Douglas Law Firm withdrawl letter.
Instead of addressing these serious allegations, the Authority’s press release suggests that everything is fine. That is simply not the appropriate response. A meeting has already been cancelled which has disrupted the business of the Authority. The Airport is deprived of a General Counsel and potential criminal activity directly related to the Aiport is going unaddressed. These are all harmful to the Airport and are not business as usual.
Issuing press releases is not a substitute for accountability. The St. Johns County Airport Authority must take immediate steps to ensure public trust is not compromised. The priority right now must be launching an independent investigation into these allegations."
Jennifer Liotta, St. Johns County Airport Authority Board Member
