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Partners in this endeavor include The Palm Beach County Sherriff’s Office (PBSO), Boynton Beach police and the Palm Beach County School District police, each of which contribute one full-time investigator to work with a group of prosecutors to fight public corruption. The PBSO also provides one part-time investigator. The unit will fight public corruption and bring more accountability and transparency to those in public office, something Mayor Muoio says has been “a top priority since day one” of her term, which began four years ago. The team, reporting to Aronberg, will work in a proactive, rather than reactive, manner.“The mission of the joint operation is to disrupt, dismantle and render ineffective any person or group of persons who are involved in any form of public corruption or crime that involves or is related to the integrity of a public official or elected official,” Mayor Jeri Muoio said at a news conference at the state attorney’s office.
Muoio spoke about the City of West Palm Beach’s fight for law and order, noting her office’s dedicated ethics officer who provides, among other things, employee training, as well as a full-time auditor on-staff. Participation in the Public Corruption Task Force is another way the organization has managed to distance itself from the nickname “Corruption County,” bestowed upon it by the national press five years ago, as elected officials were imprisoned for corruption.
Re-Elect Jeri Muoio's campaign manager, Rick Asnani, is taking the corruption issue front and center with the mayoral election mere days away, revisiting her opponent’s decisions about associating with and supporting two men convicted of financial felonies.
West Palm Beach City Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell wrote letters to judges on behalf of two men, former City Commissioner Jim Exline and Delray Beach resident Christopher Vigliotti, seeking leniency, in 2007 and 2004, respectively.
Exline, a friend since he and Mitchell attended Florida State University (FSU) together in the 1980s, pleaded guilty to cheating the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He failed to report real estate consulting income on his tax returns and was sentenced to 10 months in prison, followed by a year’s probation and $3,000 fine. He has been supporting Mitchell’s mayoral bid.
Vigliotti pleaded guilty to helping mastermind an $8.5 million mortgage scam, and was convicted of racketeering, conspiracy and multiple counts of grand theft. Mitchell penned a letter on city stationary, asking the judge not to revoke bond and surprised prosecutors when she also attended his bond hearing. While out on bond, Vigliotti was caught attempting to flee the country to Germany to avoid his trial and was arrested at the Miami International Airport .
“Mitchell used her power and influence to go out of her way on different occasions to ask for special favors for people that committed murder, stole millions and were guilty of fraud,” said Asnani. “This is not ok, especially for someone looking for public trust and a strong Mayor.”
Mitchell, a commissioner since 2002, left in the middle of her current term to run for Mayor and and has four more years that she can serve as Commissioner before being termed out.
The City of West Palm Beach General Election will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 between the hours of 7:00 am and 7:00 p.m. On the ballot for mayor are Geraldine “Jeri” Muoio (Incumbent) and Kimberly Mitchell.
Release ID: 76182
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