Public defender's office staffer barely swipes in at work after salary doubled

Your tax dollars paid for a big raise for a public defender's office staffer; now, sources tell Action News Jax he barely shows up for work.

Action News Jax broke down the number of times Robbie Foster swiped his secure card at the office and found Foster has only swiped 24 out of the past 71 work days.

In November, he only swiped his card on one day.

“Yeah, I lost my badge a while ago and I never bothered to get another one because I have a master key to the office,” said Foster.

When Action News Jax pointed out that Foster swiped in on Dec. 8, he responded, “Well, that’s when I got a new one.”

Foster was unable to say when he lost his card, when he got a new one, or provide proof that it happened.

“It was just passing in the halls, asking someone to do it for me,” said Foster.

We started counting on Sept. 1, the day Foster’s salary nearly doubled from $39,000 to $73,000.

Foster got that raise two days after his boss, Public Defender Matt Shirk, lost the primary election.

Sources tell Action News Jax that Foster, the son of a local judge, also worked on Shirk’s reelection campaign.

“I was given this media – director of communications position, which is the same salary as the previous director of communications,” said Foster.

A record of salary increases at the public defender’s office said his raise was merit-based, not a promotion.

Action News Jax called Shirk and showed up to his office to find out what kind of oversight there is to ensure that employees are showing up to work. Shirk has not responded.

Shirk’s incoming replacement Charlie Cofer expressed concern about Foster’s new salary in an interview for Action News Jax Sunday last week.

“He makes more than all incoming attorneys, just about,” said Cofer. “I anticipate quite a few staffing changes on the administrative side.”

Cofer did not want to comment on Monday about Foster’s attendance.

Cox Media Group