Baugh’s COVID Vaccine FL Ethics Case Settlement On Jan. Agenda: State

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — The joint terms of a proposed settlement between Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh and the Florida Commission on Ethics will be discussed at the agency’s Jan. 27 meeting.

Baugh was accused of misusing her position to host a February 2021 pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Lakewood Ranch that was only available to those living in the county’s wealthiest ZIP codes, which are in her district.

A joint stipulation agreed upon by George Levesque, Baugh’s attorney, and Elizabeth A. Miller, an advocate for the Florida Commission on Ethics, will be approved or not approved by the commission in January. (Read the full joint stipulation below.)

According to the stipulation, if approved, Baugh will admit to violating the state’s Code of Ethics. She’ll also be fined $8,000 and face a public censure and reprimand.

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• Manatee Commissioner Settles FL Ethics Case For COVID-19 Vaccine Event

Baugh hasn’t responded to Patch’s request for comment about the settlement. When she does, this story will be updated.

She told Patch in a December 2021 email, “I am looking forward to the next stage of this probe to bring truth and perspective to these allegations and clearing my name!”

Millie Fulford, complaint coordinator for the commission, told Patch that if the joint stipulation is adopted, it will be forwarded to Gov. Ron DeSantis to issue an executive order.

If the joint stipulation is rejected by the commission, Miller and Baugh’s legal team can renegotiate the terms or it might be sent to the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings for a recommendation, Fulford said.

Handpicking the ZIP codes for the vaccine distribution event bypassed Manatee County's vaccine lottery system that was in place at the time. Baugh also created a VIP list for the clinic, which included her name, though she ultimately didn't receive the vaccine at that event.

Eighteen ethics complaints were filed against the commissioner following the event.

In December 2021, the FCE found “probable cause” to move the months-long investigation to trial.

“Probable cause was found to believe Ms. Baugh violated the constitutional amendment prohibiting the abuse of office to obtain a disproportionate benefit by placing her own name at the top of Manatee County's randomly selected list of recipients to receive a COVID-19 vaccination,” the commission said in a news release. “In addition, probable cause was found to believe Ms. Baugh misused her position or public resources to assign vaccine distribution priority to serve specific individuals and zip codes, contrary to Manatee County's COVID-19 vaccination policy.”

In July of this year, Baugh’s lawyer requested a 60-day continuance of the final hearing so they could have more time for deposing witnesses. Administrative law Judge Linzie F. Bogan. granted the request, and it was rescheduled for November.

On Oct. 31 – the day before she was supposed to appear in court – Baugh settled her charges with the state of Florida. A motion was filed with the FDAH to cancel her Nov. 1 hearing before Bogan.

According to the motion filed by Miller, Baugh and the commission “have reached a settlement in principle. The parties wish to forego a final hearing at the Division of Administrative Hearings in these consolidated cases.”

A criminal complaint was also filed against Baugh in February 2021, alleging that she violated three Florida state statutes regarding misuse of public position, official misconduct and misuse of confidential information.

After a four-month investigation, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office "concluded that none of Baugh's actions rose to the level of a crime,” a news release from the agency said.

Read the full joint stipulation in Baugh's ethics case: