Justice Begins in Tallahassee.
View Records Just Released in the FBI Public Corruption Case.
Following Friday’s verdict on five out of nine counts against Tallahassee developer JT Burnette, the government has released thousands of text, transcript and photographic exhibits that were part of the case against Burnette.
We’ve included the records at the bottom of this article, and compiled the highlights of them below.
Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below if you find anything interesting.
TAKEAWAYS
See the four checks to Governance Inc., a lobbying firm controlled by former City Commissioner Scott Maddox and his girlfriend Paige Carter-Smith that changed Tallahassee political history forever.
The checks, written by a fictitious FBI agent ran front company, Southern Pine Development, the four checks total represented a $10,000 retainer between the FBI agents and Maddox.
(Source: Attachment 9, page 31)
Text messages suggest Scott Maddox orchestrated Rick Minor exiting the race for City Commission Seat 1 in 2016.
“Did you talk to Rick Minor? :)” Burnette texted.
“Yes, he is deciding tonight” Maddox replied.
“Nice work” Burnette said.
One day later, Minor and Pugh withdrew from the race for City Commission Seat 1. Maddox at the time was running for Leon County Superintendent of Schools, before withdrawing from the race to run for re-election to his seat on the City Commission.
(Source: Page 32 of Attachment 10)
Transcript from the undercover recordings at Las Vegas Strip Club.
(Source page 92 of Attachment 15)
At almost 1 AM in a Vegas Strip Club, Maddox and Burnette pitch the sale of public land to UC FBI agents, discussing how to make sure that their company wins the RFP.
Maddox, on Myers Park.
(Source Page 154 of Attachment 15)
“Thick as thieves,”
Burnette directs FBI to retain Will Butler due to his close relationship with County Administrator Vince Long.
(Source Page 18 of Attachment 16)
“[Drew Jones] is effectively is the guy sitting in the back of every commission meeting and texting exactly what the outcome will be”
(Source Page 66, Attachment 16)
“Drew runs the campaign of everybody who wins an election (inaudible). Well, when somebody tells you they want to run, it’s a simple question: Is VancoreJones repping, right?”
“If they’re not, I’m out.” Burnette told federal investigators.
“Look, there’ s two people who kind of – if you go to a commission meeting, there’s two people there that nobody knows that are texting every commissioner and basically saying where you stand in the line” Burnette speaking of Jones and Butler.
Burnette discussing the plan to develop Myer’s Park, the public fallout around Myer’s Park plan becoming public, and how Drew Jones was brought in to fix it by Rick Fernandez.
(Source Page 143, Attachment 16)
“What I tell people about a lobbyist all the time is I’m not like when you hire a lobbyist or as a lobbyist when I give campaign contributions, I am not buying a vote. I’m creating a relationship that allows you to tell your story,” said Paige Carter-Smith.
“you went to Vegas with J.T. How can you vote on any of his shit?” UC Sweets asked.
“No. I said I will look at depending on each whatever the vote is, I’ll look at it when it comes up. I think you’re gonna be fine. I think you’re gonna be fine.” Maddox replied.
“That’s a must” Burnette replied to suggestions from undercover FBI agents that they order little people dancers in Vegas.
“[former Leon County Commissioner] Bryan Desloge is actually now the president… of the Florida I’m sorry — the National League of Counties, or something”…”So he’s got a lot of pull on the local level with Vince, because he gives Vince some access”
The moment Mike Sweets met Scott Maddox, captured on undercover FBI recording devices.
(Source Page 94. Attachment 26. ourtallahassee.com/wp-content/upl…)
“So, Vancore Jones is…” Mike Sweets asked.
“The one with the real juice” Burnette replied.
“Yeah, They’re, so, they are the ones you pay $15,000 [a month].”
(Source Page 122, Attachment 26. ourtallahassee.com/wp-content/upl…)
GOVERNMENT EXHIBITS
📋
Government Exhibit 1
EXHIBIT LIST KEY —
Use this to find which evidence number you want to look at, and then cross reference which exhibit range attachment below it falls into.
These are large files and based viewed on Desktop/Laptop and not on mobile.
Please leave anything interesting you find in the comment section below!
# 2 Govt Exhibits 4-91h
Contains many undercover recording transcripts between UC Sweets, Burnette.
# 3 Govt Exhibits 92a-92d
City Commission Meeting Minutes
# 4 Govt Exhibits 92f-93f
Transcripts of City Commission Meetings.
# 5 Govt Exhibits 94-118
City Commission Meeting Transcripts. Towards the end of the document are corporate emails between previous owner of DoubleTree and Burnette.
# 6 Govt Exhibit 121 (pgs 1-38)
DoubleTree Purchase/Sale Agreement Contract Documents
# 7 Govt Exhibit 121s (pgs 39-62) thru 145
DoubleTree Purchase/Sale Agreement Contract Documents Continued
# 8 Govt Exhibits 146-171
KaiserKane/Governance Lobbying Contract Details. Towards the end of the document, text messages taken by the FBI are available.
# 9 Govt Exhibits 172-187
Photographs of Checks written to Governance Inc., Paige Carter-Smith and Scott Maddox lobbying firm on page 31.
# 10 Govt Exhibit 201
Text messages between Scott Maddox and JT Burnette.
# 11 Govt Exhibits 203-405
Some texts between Burnette and Mike Sweets. Plea agreement with Paige Carter-Smith. E-mails between McKibbon and City of Tallahassee. UC Miller and Burnette from September 20-21, 2016. Discussion of VancoreJones, Fallschase deal. Welaunee. Transcript from November 11th, 2016.
# 12 Govt Exhibits 406-410
McKibbon hotel conversation between Maddox, Carter-Smith, and Burnette.
# 13 Def Exhibits 4-27
City Commission Meeting Minutes.
# 14 Def Exhibits 30-107
KaiserKane notes, DoubleTree sale assessment e-mails.
# 15 Def Exhibits 109-230
Las Vegas Recording Begins on Page 92. Discussion of Myers Park Development, how to rig an RFP for UC FBI agents to buy the City owned property.
# 16 Def Exhibits 232-346
Page 46 begins an undercover recording from 12/1/2015 where Burnette discusses how to get things done in Tallahassee with Will Butler and Drew Jones.
# 17 Def Exhibits 348-392
Emails, Text Messages and UC transcripts of meetings between Burnette and FBI. Fallschase, Myers Park. Killearn Estates.
# 18 Def Exhibits 397-625j
Tallahassee/Leon County Comp Plan Meeting. Phone activity and phone call spreadsheets between Maddox and Burnette.
# 19 Def Exhibit 625k (pgs 1-59)
More phone activity and phone calls spreadsheet logs.
# 20 Def Exhibit 625k (pgs 60-120)
More phone activity and phone calls spreadsheet logs.
# 21 Def Exhibit 625k (pgs 121-189)
More phone activity and phone calls spreadsheet logs.
# 22 Def Exhibit 625k (pgs 190-254)
More phone activity and phone calls spreadsheet logs.
# 23 Def Exhibit 625k (pgs 255-277)
More phone activity and phone calls spreadsheet logs.
# 24 Def Exhibits 625l-625m
More phone activity and phone calls spreadsheet logs.
# 25 Def Exhibits 625n-647
More phone activity and phone calls spreadsheet logs. City Commission Meeting minutes about Imagine Tallahassee, and Imagine Tallahassee internal documents.
# 26 Def Exhibits 664-973)
Text message communications between McKibbon group representatives and Burnette. Vegas Transcripts resume on page 61.
One Response
Thank you for publishing this account. And for all your good work on behalf of our Tallahassee.