Florida: Ethics Complaints Filed Against Ten Police Chiefs by Florida Carry Inc.

DATE:  April 6, 2015
TO:       USF & NRA Members and Friends
FROM: Marion P. Hammer
             USF Executive Director
             NRA Past President

An article in the Sarasota Herald Tribune by Lee Williams on 4/3/15 revealed that on Monday, March 30, a group called Florida Carry Inc., filed formal complaints with the Florida Commission on Ethics against ten (10) state university police chiefs.  The complaints were filed through their general counsel.  Read the article here:

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20150403/ARTICLE/150409907/2416/NEWS?p=all&tc=pgall

The complaints allege that the ten state university police chiefs violated state law section 11.061.   The law says:

(1) Any person employed by ... the state or community college or state university who seeks to encourage the passage, defeat, or modification of any legislation by personal appearance or attendance before the House of Representatives or the Senate, or any committee thereof, shall, prior thereto, register as a lobbyist with the joint legislative office on a form to be provided by the joint legislative office in the same manner as any other lobbyist is required to register, whether by rule of either house or otherwise."

The law is clear, and the police chiefs, on their appearance cards, said they were not registered to lobby.  Further they clearly marked their cards that they were lobbying against the legislation.

Read the complete section of law here:  Florida Statutes 11.061

The complaints also allege the university chiefs made the trips to the Capitol while on duty on state time and used state funds and resources for the trips to testify before the legislative committees against the SB-176 and HB-4005, called "campus carry bill."

The bills uphold Second Amendment rights and allow adults 21 years of age or older who are licensed to carry concealed firearms to carry on university and college campuses for lawful self-defense.

Below is a list of the ten police chiefs against whom Florida Carry Inc. filed complaints:

• Chief Darren Baxley, University of Florida
• Chief Terrence Calloway, Florida A&M University
• Chief David Hendry, University of South Florida
• Chief William Hope, Florida Polytechnic University
• Chief Linda Stump-Kernick, University of Florida
• Chief Charles Lowe, Florida Atlantic University
• Chief Frank Mackesy, University of North Florida
• Chief David Perry, Florida State University
• Deputy Chief Jim Russell, Florida State University
• Chief J.D. Withrow, University of South Florida