JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Dozens of new communications have been obtained by the City Council Special Investigatory Committee looking into Councilmember and Republican Mayoral Candidate LeAnna Cumber’s husband’s involvement in a bid during the failed sale of JEA.
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The emails and texts submitted to the special committee show Councilmember Cumber’s husband, Husein, was involved in decisions related to JEA Public Power Partner’s bid to operate the utility down to the level of dictating the dress of the woman set to deliver the final proposal to JEA headquarters.
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The committee’s main task is to determine whether the Councilmember intentionally deceived the initial committee that investigated the failed sale by not disclosing Husein’s involvement with the bidder on a conflict-of-interest form.
“He was leading the charge. It was not disclosed. That is almost indisputable,” Committee Vice Chairman Nick Howland (R-Group 3 At-Large) said.
The committee is also charged with determining whether that involvement influenced Cumber’s votes on council during the sale.
A timeline attached to the documents provided to the committee alleges Cumber voted in support of the city absorbing JEA’s employee pension debt, voted against hiring outside legal help to advice the council on the proposed sale and announced a meeting to potentially exert the authority of council to complete potential negotiations on the sale.
Related Story: New evidence uncovered into LeAnna Cumber and allegations of conflict of interest with JEA
They’re all moves the documents asserts the JEA PPP bid benefited from.
A letter submitted by Cumber’s attorney argues she always supported protecting JEA pensions, believed the legal team selected was unqualified, and that the meeting she called for never actually occurred.
The letter also points out the documents submitted to council came from Mayoral candidate Daniel Davis’ communications director, Erin Isaac, who also worked on the JEA PPP bid.
“It is ironic that the individual running Daniel Davis’ campaign was the one receiving payment for efforts to privatize JEA while Mr. Husein Cumber was receiving no pay to keep JEA publicly owned. It was Mr. Cumber who resigned from the JEA Board because of the ongoing chicanery,” Cumber’s attorney Daniel Bean wrote.
Accusations claiming the committee is being used as a political weapon in the mayor’s race have surrounded it since its inception.
But Committee Vice Chair Nick Howland, who is a supporter of Daniel Davis, argues that’s not the case.
Related Story: Jacksonville councilmembers raise concerns about investigation into Councilmember LeAnna Cumber
“I think who I support in the race is irrelevant. I think the political thing would have been to ignore or delay these credible allegations that Mr. Beuerlein and Mr. Stofan surfaced on January 27th just because there’s an election going on,” Howland said.
Cumber has argued she didn’t disclose her husband’s involvement with the bid because he was working as an FBI informant in the investigation into JEA leadership.
The special committee plans to ask the FBI to confirm that claim.
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It will meet again next month and issue a report, which it plans to refer to an outside entity for further investigation.
