Florida Commission on Ethics approves joint stipulation with Sheriff Enrique Toney

At a public meeting of the Florida Commission on Ethics, commissioners voted to approve a joint stipulation resolving consolidated complaints 22-041 and 22-115 against Broward County Sheriff Enrique Toney.

The stipulation, presented by commission staff, notes that Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) investigation and subsequent administrative hearing had resulted in a single proven sub-allegation related to a February 2019 driver’s license issue. The respondent, Sheriff Enrique Toney, stipulated to that single allegation and agreed to accept a public censure and reprimand to resolve the matter before the ethics commission.

General Counsel Steve Zukowski gave commissioners an overview of a 2024 statutory change that affects how the commission considers stipulations. "If you are entertaining a motion to reject the stipulation," Zukowski said, "that motion cannot pass unless two-thirds of the members present for the meeting have voted in support of that motion." He explained that approval still requires a simple majority and that the change creates scenarios where a stipulation could neither be approved nor rejected if the votes fall between those thresholds.

Respondent’s counsel Steven Webster addressed the commission before the vote, describing repeated investigations into Sheriff Toney following his 2019 appointment and arguing the evidence supported the limited stipulation now before the commission. "They have literally wasted thousands and thousands of dollars investigating every aspect of his life," Webster said, and asked the commission to adopt the proposed settlement as "consistent with what the division of administrative hearings ultimately determined and with what [the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission] adopted."

After questions from commissioners and discussion of the case history and prior proceedings before DOAH and the Standards Commission, a commissioner moved to adopt the proposed joint stipulation. The motion was seconded and the commission voted to approve the joint stipulation; the transcript records the motion passing without recorded opposition.

The commission’s action resolves the ethics matter before it; should either party later pursue different remedies allowed by law (for example, filing with the division of administrative hearings where applicable), those processes would be separate from this approved stipulation.

Ending

The commission proceeded to other agenda items after approving the joint stipulation. No further sanctions or monetary penalties were announced in this meeting record beyond the public censure and reprimand described in the stipulation.