ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — St. Johns County Airport Authority Board Chair Reba Ludlow and members Dennis Clarke and Len Tucker have been charged with second-degree misdemeanors for allegedly violating the state’s Sunshine Laws.
All could face up to 60 days in jail if found guilty, and a fine of up to $500.
The charging documents detail several alleged occasions where various combinations of the three members met privately to discuss official board business.
In one account, current Northeast Florida Regional Airport Interim Executive Director Courtney Pittman recalled an alleged meeting between himself, Clarke, and Ludlow in February.
In it, he claimed Ludlow suggested they needed to be careful to avoid being seen by a staff member who had regularly warned them about Sunshine Law violations.
Clarke allegedly responded they didn’t need to worry because “it’s just a slap on the wrist and a fine”.
The document says Ludlow remarked that the Sheriff’s Office had tried before, “but they cannot get anything out of her,” as she and Clarke shared a laugh.
“Doing this willingly and almost laughing about along the way, I mean, that just looks terrible to the public,” said Ben Wilcox with Integrity Florida.
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Action News Jax first told you in February when the Douglas Law Firm withdrew its representation of the board and alleged two members had ignored the firm’s warnings that their behavior likely violated Florida’s open government laws.
Then in March, we told you when Chair Ludlow refused to recuse herself from a vote on whether to open an internal investigation into the potential Sunshine Law violations the firm had accused her of committing.
The motion died on a 2-2 vote, with only Tucker recusing himself.
Clarke, who was also charged Friday, joined Ludlow in voting no to kill the measure.
In response to the charges filed Friday, board member Jennifer Liotta is calling for the resignation of her three accused colleagues.
“Their continued presence is untenable and airport governance is broken. To protect the integrity of the Airport Authority and restore public trust, Ludlow, Tucker, and Clarke must resign immediately,” said Liotta.
Wilcox noted that while Sunshine Law penalties may not be steep, members charged could be suspended from office by the Governor pending the results of their cases.
If convicted, they could be permanently removed from their posts.
But Wilcox added that the Governor does have some discretion in these cases.
“But we’ll see, and I think it would be entirely appropriate for him to suspend these board members, appoint replacements until their case is resolved in the court,” said Wilcox.
Bobby Block with the Florida First Amendment Foundation explained that Florida’s open government laws are designed to instill trust in the public.
“The law is about, if people are left to their own devices, okay, and are able to do everything behind closed doors, the public is not going to know who is scratching whose back, what the trade-offs for these deals are,” said Block.
Member Tucker is also facing a third-degree felony charge for witness tampering.
In Pittman’s testimony, he claimed Tucker met him at MacCool’s Irish Pub in May.
During the alleged meeting, Pittman recalled Tucker significantly encroaching on his personal space, making Pittman feel Tucker was trying to influence his testimony, even at one point saying, “He felt the conversation might become violent”.
Wilcox argued that beyond the repercussions for the accused members, the charges could also harm the airport more broadly.
“Businesses need to have confidence that this board is acting appropriately. The public needs to have confidence that the board is acting appropriately and fairly, and if that confidence is lost, then the public is not going to have confidence in how this board manages the airport,” said Wilcox.
Block suggested the mere fact the officials were charged speaks volumes, as he argued the state’s Sunshine Laws are ignored and violations go unpunished far too often.
“I think that sends a message and a ripple across the state, and I really hope that it does, that you just can’t color outside the lines when it comes to violating the public’s trust,” said Block.
Action News Jax did reach out to the Governor’s Office asking if he plans to suspend the three board members.
We have not heard back.
We also reached out to attorneys representing Ludlow and Clarke, but did not yet receive a response.
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