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Florida mayor resigns with mass email to residents alleging corruption in small-town government

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A Florida mayor abruptly resigned after outlining a pattern of “corruptive behavior” throughout the small town’s government in an explosive letter to all its residents last Friday.

“What is going on with this small town is all wrong,” now-former Madeira Beach Mayor Jim Rostek told Fox 13 on Wednesday. “I am sorry that I have to walk away. It is for my health. Please keep up the fight. I will always try to have your back. Please continue to do what’s right.”

Rostek’s allegations pointed to City Manager Robin Ignacio Gomez and his “discretionary” and “discriminatory” code enforcement, per the June 14 letter reviewed by Fox News Digital. 

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Madeira Beach, Florida, Mayor Jim Rostek resigned on Friday and sent a letter accusing his city government of “corruptive practices” to all the community’s residents. (Fox 13 Tampa)

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“I am sorry to leave. But with a city manager as such, I cannot be or have any part of Gomez’s corrupt behavior, talking in circles, lies, preferential treatment of ‘some’ or discriminatory enforcement practices. As well as the everyday wasting of the tax-payers’ money and trying to justify it,” Rostek wrote. “In the end, some will go up to the pearly gates and some won’t. I will always do what is ethical and correct, others not so much.”

Gomez allegedly ignored Rostek’s requests to establish a life jacket policy, a smoking policy and a formal prohibition on cellphone usage for municipal employees who are operating city boats and vehicles, the resigning mayor claimed.

“I had a resident take pictures of the code enforcement boat, with people riding around on it doing their job, I guess, no life jackets on,” Rostek added. “The smoking policy … I see one or two of them smoking in city vehicles. There’s federal law about that stuff. He refuses to implement policy.”

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Madeira Beach, Florida, Mayor Jim Rostek described himself as a stickler for ethics and safety, and said that contending with the alleged mismanagement caused him recurring health issues.

Madeira Beach, Florida, Mayor Jim Rostek described himself as a stickler for ethics and safety, and said that contending with the alleged mismanagement caused him recurring health issues. (Google Maps)

Rostek complained that he had seen city sanitation workers holding onto the back of a truck with one hand and texting with the other. 

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“Gomez is very well-liked by employees because, in my mind, it’s ‘Camp Run Amok,’” he said. “We’re supposed to set an example for the public.”

Rostek also alleges that his former colleagues practiced technically legal but unethical financial techniques. They avoided commission approval on projects totaling over $30,000 by negotiating multiple line-item contracts at lesser amounts instead of issuing a Request for Proposals, he claims.

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Madeira Beach City Manager Robin Gomez.

Madeira Beach (Florida) City Manager Robin Gomez had his contract renewed until 2028 by the city’s commission this week. (City of Madeira Beach)

Attached to the June 14 email was a separation agreement between Gomez and the city of Clarkston, Georgia. The document, dated Sept. 7, 2021, outlines Gomez’s voluntary resignation as city manager there and states that he and city officials cannot discuss his career there with other parties. 

Rostek explained to Fox 13 that he is a stickler for ethics, safety and the city’s liability, and that his stress in contending with his former colleagues resulted in multiple health scares. 

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“I told him, ‘talk is cheap,’” Rostek said. “I said, ‘you need to have policy to back up what you’ve told them, because when it comes time for a lawsuit, we’re not going to have any ammunition to substantiate,’” he told the outlet. “If you don’t get the small things right, what about the big things?”

“God only knows what else is going on,” he continued. “You don’t know what you don’t know until you start looking and digging deeper.”

Anne-Marie Brooks, a former District 4 commissioner for Madeira Beach, replaced Rostek after his resignation.

Anne-Marie Brooks, a former District 4 commissioner for Madeira Beach, replaced Rostek after his resignation. (City of Madeira Beach)

In an email to Fox 13, Gomez denied Rostek’s assertions. 

“While entitled to his opinions, the city has provided answers and resolutions to the comments although not completely supported/agreed/understood by Mr. Rostek,” Gomez wrote. “It is unfortunate that the disagreements and misunderstandings of city processes and policies by Mr. Rostek led him to state/list claims of corruption, which are simply baseless and false.”

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“We continue to perform our daily tasks and responsibilities pursuant to federal, state, county and city laws/ordinances/statutes in the most ethical manner,” he continued.

Anne-Marie Brooks, previously a city commissioner, has stepped up as Madeira Beach’s mayor in Rostek’s absence. 

Gomez wrote that city administrators would hold a special meeting to fill her now-vacant seat on the commission next week. 

Commissioners just voted to restore Gomez’s contract until 2028, according to TBN Weekly. 

Meanwhile, Rostek told Fox 13 that he hopes “someone at the state level makes contact with [him]” about the alleged corruption in the small town. 

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Southeast

Florida woman intentionally ran over boyfriend with car while he was holding their toddler: sheriff

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A Florida woman is behind bars after intentionally running over her boyfriend and their 16-month-old son during an argument on Monday, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Grady Judd on Tuesday said the incident began when Aaliyah Ross, 27, was arguing with her boyfriend inside her home. The boyfriend – who is the father of the 16-month-old – decided he needed to step outside to calm down, and took the child out with him. But instead of calming down, he threw a cinder block at Ross’ car.

Ross became angry and put two other children – a 4-year-old and a 6-month-old – in her car before getting into the driver’s seat, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay.

She then “lunged” her car toward her boyfriend and the toddler one time before driving toward them again and running both of them over, Judd said.

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Aaliyah Ross, 27, is facing multiple charges after running over her boyfriend while he was holding their 16-month-old child, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. (Orange County Sheriff’s Office)

Ross kept driving until she crashed her car into a neighbor’s house, Judd said. She then grabbed her wounded son and took him back to her house while her boyfriend went to the hospital to be treated for injuries.

She allegedly left the child, who Judd said is in “critical condition,” at her home alone and appeared to make her way to her sister’s home in Orlando, where she was later arrested by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

The boyfriend went back home to grab him and they both went to the hospital, according to Judd. The other two young children were also located, and their custody plan is being evaluated by the Florida Department of Children and Families.

“Obviously, we’re not impressed with her conduct. She has clearly violated all kinds of laws of the state of Florida,” Judd said.

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The boyfriend was treated for bruising to his lungs and body and has been released from the hospital, FOX 13 reported. The toddler suffered numerous injuries, including a broken left shoulder and collarbone, broken ribs, a partially collapsed lung and abrasions and bruising on his body.

He remains hospitalized in Tampa, Judd said.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described Aaliyah Ross, 27, as a “crazy woman” when announcing her arrest for allegedly running over her boyfriend and their 16-month-old son. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)

Orange County Jail records show Ross was booked on Tuesday on the following charges: simple domestic battery, hit-and-run resulting in property damage, aggravated battery, child neglect without bodily harm and aggravated child abuse.

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When interviewed by investigators, Ross allegedly said there have been multiple times in the past when she pretended she was going to run over her boyfriend, but would swerve at the last second to avoid hitting him. She also said she assumed he would have moved out of the way, according to FOX 13.

“You’re talking about crazy? Here’s a crazy woman,” Judd said while holding up a picture of Ross’ mugshot.

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Trump demands Fani Willis' disqualification over 'misconduct' in opening brief to appeals court

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Lawyers for former President Trump have filed the opening brief in their appeal of a court order in hopes of disqualifying District Attorney Fani Willis from the sweeping electioneering case against him in Georgia. 

“The brief persuasively argues that the trial court should have dismissed the case and disqualified DA Willis for her forensic misconduct and the appearance of impropriety between her and former Special Assistant DA Wade, who was her lover and taxpayer-funded financial benefactor,” Steve Sadow, lead attorney for Trump, said in a statement. 

“We are optimistic that the Court will favorably decide the appeal in our favor.”

The Georgia Court of Appeals agreed to hear arguments on Oct. 4 in the appeal by Trump and his co-defendants to have embattled Willis disqualified from the case due to an “improper” affair with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks to the media after winning the Democratic primary on May 21, 2024, in Buckhead, Georgia. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

“Should a prosecutor be disqualified for intentionally and repeatedly violating ethical and professional canons to prejudice defendants for personal or political gain? Yes,” the brief argues.  

“Is disqualification necessary when a prosecutor testifies falsely, conceals misconduct, and creates ‘an odor of mendacity’ that results in a ‘significant appearance of impropriety?’ Undoubtedly so. If this prosecutor deflects attention from her misconduct by claiming on national television that the defendants are dishonest racists for bringing the truthful accusations to light, could anyone have confidence in the impartiality of the prosecutor’s actions? Absolutely not,” it states.

The appeals court paused activity in the case against Trump, all but eliminating any opportunity for Willis to try the former president before the election in November. 

TRUMP’S APPEAL TO DISQUALIFY FANI WILLIS FROM GA CASE GETS OCTOBER HEARING DATE

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Willis filed a motion to dismiss that appeal earlier this month, saying the lower court found there was no sufficient evidence to support their claims that Willis has a conflict of interest, and says that there is “no basis” to appeal Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee’s March ruling allowing Willis to stay on the case.

Trump’s lawyer called the motion a “last ditch effort to stop any appellate review of [her] misconduct.”

Trump was indicted in August along with 18 co-defendants out of the yearslong criminal investigation led by Willis and state prosecutors in Georgia into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state.

The charges include violating the Georgia RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act; solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer; conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; conspiracy to commit false statements and writings; conspiracy to commit filing false documents; conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; and filing false documents.

Since then, Willis has struggled to avoid roadblocks in her efforts to try Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, before the election.

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McAfee in March dismissed six of the charges and said the state failed to allege sufficient detail for six counts of “solicitation of violation of oath by public officer.” 

Fani Willis

District Attorney Fani Willis during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 1, 2024, in Atlanta. (Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)

In February, Michael Roman, a GOP operative and co-defendant in the case, dropped bombshell accusations that Willis had an “improper” affair with Wade, whom she hired to help prosecute the case in November 2021. 

Other co-defendants made similar allegations, and said she financially benefited from her relationship with him by taking lavish vacations together. 

Both Wade and Willis denied they were in a romantic relationship prior to his hiring and said the couple would split the costs of their shared travels; Willis said she reimbursed Wade for her share of the trips in cash.

After evidentiary hearings held in February, Judge McAfee ordered that Wade had to be removed in order to keep Willis from disqualification in the Trump election interference case.

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“[T]he established record now highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team – an appearance that must be removed through the State’s selection of one of two options,” he wrote, adding that Willis and her whole office can choose to step aside, or Wade can withdraw from the case.

Wade subsequently resigned from his post as special prosecutor.

In his March order, McAfee said while Willis’ “reimbursement practice” was “unusual and the lack of any documentary corroboration understandably concerning,” he ultimately decided that the defendants did not present “sufficient evidence” that expenses weren’t “roughly divided evenly.” 

He also said “the evidence demonstrated that the financial gain flowing from her relationship with Wade was not a motivating factor on the part of the District Attorney to indict and prosecute this case.”

“[T]he Court finds that the record made at the evidentiary hearing established that the District Attorney’s prosecution is encumbered by an appearance of impropriety,” McAfee wrote in his order.

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GEORGIA PROSECUTOR FANI WILLIS APPEALS AFTER JUDGE DROPS MULTIPLE TRUMP CHARGES

Nathan Wade

Nathan Wade arrives before Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks after winning the Democratic primary on May 21, 2024, in Buckhead, Georgia. (AP)

“As the case moves forward, reasonable members of the public could easily be left to wonder whether the financial exchanges have continued resulting in some form of benefit to the District Attorney, or even whether the romantic relationship has resumed.”

“Put differently, an outsider could reasonably think that the District Attorney is not exercising her independent professional judgment totally free of any compromising influences. As long as Wade remains on the case, this unnecessary perception will persist,” he said.

When the defense in March submitted a joint motion for a Certificate of Immediate Review, McAfee said his Order on the Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss and Disqualify the Fulton County District Attorney issued March 15 “is of such importance to the case that immediate review should be had” and allowed the defendants to ask the Georgia appeals court for an opportunity to appeal, which the court granted last month.

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Biden officials pushed to drop age limit on trans surgeries for minors: report

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Health officials in the Biden administration urged an international transgender health nonprofit to omit the age limit in its guidelines for transgender surgical procedures for adolescents – and succeeded – according to recently unsealed court documents.

The documents, first reported on by The New York Times, revealed that staff for Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services, pushed the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to drop the age minimum requirement altogether to avoid seeing conservative lawmakers work to put such age restrictions into law.

The 2021 draft guidelines suggested 17 for genital surgeries or hysterectomies, 16 for breast augmentation or facial surgeries, 15 for mastectomies and 14 for hormonal treatments. However, the finalized WPATH 2022 guidelines did not include any age limit, the Times reported.

After publication, the White House told Fox: “The Administration does not support surgery for minors.”

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Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Rachel Levine. (Caroline Brehman-Pool/Getty Images)

Excerpts of emails within WPATH’s advisory group were included in legal filings for a federal lawsuit challenging Alabama’s ban on transgender surgeries for minors, as released by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. The lawsuit was filed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of five transgender children and their families, the Times reported.

One email from a member of the WPATH guideline development group described a conversation with Sarah Boateng, then-Levine’s chief of staff. According to the email, Boateng was confident that specifying ages under 18 could lead to “devastating legislation for trans care.” 

“She wonders if the specific ages can be taken out,” the excerpt read.

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Transgender pride flag waving on pole

Transgender treatments for minors have become a major culture war in the U.S. (ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images)

Levine “was very concerned that having ages (mainly for surgery) will affect access to care for trans youth and maybe adults, too,” another email read. 

“Apparently the situation in the U.S.A. is terrible and she and the Biden administration worried that having ages in the document will make matters worse. She asked us to remove them.”

James Cantor, a psychologist and critic of adolescent transgender procedures, filed the excerpts from the emails as evidence in support of Alabama’s federal lawsuit, the Times reported. No emails from Levine’s office specifically were released.

These emails, part of his report, suggest that WPATH made decisions influenced by politics rather than science in developing its transgender guidelines.

The Times reported that the plaintiffs in the case are attempting to prevent Cantor from testifying. 

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WOMEN UNDER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S TITLE IX CHANGES FACE THE ‘EVISCERATION OF LEGAL WOMANHOOD,’ EXPERTS SAY

People protesting with "protect trans kids" signs

Protesters of Kentucky Senate Bill SB150, known as the Transgender Health Bill, cheer on speakers during a rally on the lawn of the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky, on March 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Transgender procedures and treatments for children have become a hot button issue in the country’s culture war. More than a dozen states in the U.S. have enacted bans on surgical procedures and hormonal prescriptions for transgender youth. 

Idaho, North Dakota, Florida, Oklahoma and Alabama have passed laws making it a felony to perform sex changes on children. Several blue states, meanwhile, have enacted “sanctuary state” laws in recent years shielding medical providers from facing penalties for conducting transgender procedures on adolescents. 

 

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