Florida Commission on Ethics rescinds $1,500 disclosure fine for former Palm Beach County employee

The Florida Commission on Ethics voted unanimously to rescind a default order and waive a $1,500 fine imposed for a late 2021 Form 1 filing, the commission chair announced at a special meeting called after the First District Court of Appeal granted the panel 30 days of concurrent jurisdiction.

The action centers on a former Palm Beach County water resources coordinator who left county employment in March 2022 and, according to commission staff, did not receive notices the office sent to his former work address. Assistant General Counsel Braden Schaefer told commissioners the appellant had filed Form 1 for prior years but failed to file the 2021 form by the July 1, 2022 due date; the 60‑day penalty‑free grace period ended Sept. 1, 2022, after which a $25‑per‑day statutory penalty accrued up to the statutory maximum of $1,500.

"The background on this appeal is somewhat unique," Schaefer said. "It's traveled kind of an unusual road to get before you all today, but the good news is the legal analysis here, I think, is fairly straightforward." He described three notices sent before the grace period expired — an initial notice from the Palm Beach County supervisor of elections, a certified‑mail notice, and a postcard from the commission — all sent to the appellant's county office at 301 North Olive Avenue in West Palm Beach.

After the grace…