x
Breaking News
More () »

City Councilmember calls for DOJ investigation into Mayor's Office

Letter to U.S. Attorney cites recent reports of "undue influence" in the procurement process

A Jacksonville City Councilmember has asked the Department of Justice to open an investigation into Mayor Lenny Curry’s administration.

Garrett Dennis, an outspoken critic of the mayor, sent a letter citing “serious concerns” about allegations of procurement fraud.

The letter follows reporting by our news partner the Florida Times-Union that the head of the Kids Hope Alliance felt pressured to award city grants to some of the mayor’s political allies.

Dennis’ letter references what he calls a history of allegations of Curry staff using inappropriate tactics to exert influence.

“There have long been allegations of Curry, [top staffers Brian] Hughes and [Sam] Mousa using undue influence, threats and retaliation to get preferential treatment for select individuals, organizations and companies. It is imperative that these allegations be thoroughly investigated, and that appropriate action be taken if crimes have occurred.”

The letter comes on the heels of a similar request last week made by the Duval County Democratic Party.

First Coast News reached out to the Mayor’s Office for comment. Spokesperson Nikki Kimbleton sent this statement:

“As usual, this Councilmember is putting his quest for headlines before the facts. All KHA grant recipients, including those who received money from the Stop the Violence grants, were in 100 percent compliance with the laws and regulations that guide the procurement and contracting process. Applications, scoring and awards were all done in a public and transparent process. The records related to every dollar are available for anyone to review and, again, demonstrate complete adherence to the law. Any suggestion otherwise is false and is clearly so because of the public records.”  

Before You Leave, Check This Out