“He made his heavy involvement in the inner workings and politics of the agency well known to all ranks.” Stermon had high-level security access privileges to JSO facilities for years,” former sheriff’s office candidate Lakesha Burton told First Coast News. “It was common knowledge to not only myself but to many employees that Mr. Kent Stermon with former Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams after he was named “Citizen of the Year” in 2016. In the wake of Stermon’s death, some law enforcement veterans questioned the ethics of his seemingly unchecked access to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. “He was big with everything … in the state party.” “You wouldn’t have Ron DeSantis as governor without Kent Stermon,” Florida politics reporter A.G. In 2018, Politico reported that the then-congressman stayed in a condo co-owned by Stermon after being exiled from his district by redistricting in 2016. Stermon’s ties to the state’s top lawmaker go back several years. On Friday, DeSantis’ office said the governor and his wife were “shocked and saddened to hear of Kent’s passing.” A spokesperson also told Politico that the couple were unaware of the investigation into Stermon’s behavior. Records show that he and his wife made frequent contributions to Florida GOP candidates, including a $50,000 gift to a political action committee tied to DeSantis. ![]() The defense contractor behind Total Military Management, Stermon also sat on the state university system’s Board of Governors. ![]() Stermon’s widow and their young daughter throughout this public ordeal.” “Mayor Curry continues to express deep concern and profound sadness for Mr. “JSO operations are separate from the City of Jacksonville and neither the City, or its Mayor, have any control or input regarding badge access. “The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is an independent, county wide elected office,” the comment read. In a statement to The Post, the Jacksonville Mayor’s Office attempted to distance itself from the situation. He had a swipe access card to the sheriff’s office headquarters and other locations, which he used hundreds of times over the last five years, news station WJXT reported.Ī spokesperson from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office told First Coast News that Stermon’s card was rescinded when Waters took office in late November, and the mega-donor “had been informed” of the decision. Stermon loomed large in local Jacksonville politics, as a generous supporter of Mayor Lenny Curry and former Sheriff Mike Williams. Stermon’s attorney, David Barksdale, did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Waters of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Stermon was the subject of an “active investigation” at the time of his death, but did not provide further details on the nature of the probe. Speaking to the outlet last week, Sheriff T.K. Kent Stermon, of Jacksonville, was found dead in a truck last Thursday. ![]() Stermon was under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct at the time of his death, law enforcement sources told the Times-Union. Shortly after the discovery of his body, police announced they were investigating his death as a suicide. Stermon had been reported missing by his wife, Christie, after his heart monitor stopped earlier that day, the First Coast News reported. Thursday, the Florida Times-Union reported. Kent Stermon, 50, of Jacksonville, was found dead in a truck parked outside the Atlantic Beach post office around 8 p.m. Ron DeSantis with unprecedented access to local authorities and reportedly under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct has died in what is being investigated as a suicide. ![]() Biden: new pollĪ prominent ally of Florida Gov. Trump still has massive GOP primary lead - although he’d be neck and neck vs. Oregon’s decriminalization disaster, DeSantis’ debate game plan and other commentary ‘Take a sledgehammer’ to Vivek, defend Trump: Inside Ron DeSantis’ strategy for upcoming GOP debateĬhristie leapfrogs DeSantis with New Hampshire voters, latest 2024 poll finds
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