Bunnell, FL – A Flagler County commissioner is cleared by the state after the county’s former elections chief tried to have him removed from the county’s canvassing board.
In an opinion released late Monday by the Florida Division of Elections, Kimberle Weeks didn’t have the ability to replace George Hanns on the 3-person board when she sought to have him removed for allegedly endorsing a candidate in the November 2014 election.
“The county canvassing board does not have the authority to disqualify or remove one of its members or to determine who will serve as the permanent replacement for a disqualified member,” wrote Florida Division of Elections Director Maria I. Matthews.
Matthews also wrote that Hanns wasn’t disqualified from serving on the canvassing board because he didn’t intentionally mean to endorse FCC candidate Frank Meeker.
Weeks – also a member of the canvassing board at the time – argued that Hanns had to go because Meeker quoted him in an election mailer sent to around 1,000 voters, a quote that Hanns late claimed was incorrectly credited to him.
Meeker admitted after sending the mailer that Hanns’ quote was an error and sent out a follow-up mailer saying as much to voters. He also reported it to the Florida Division of Elections.
In a press release sent by Flagler County on Tuesday, Hanns said he was “vindicated” and that the ruling gives “clarity” to the issue.
“I am pleased that this opinion has been issued and my integrity fully restored,” Hanns noted. “At the time of my removal, I felt it was wrong but I didn’t contest it because I was trying to keep things harmonious.”
The opinion also noted that it was ultimately up to the courts to decide if any of the 3 canvassing board members – set by statute as a county judge appointed by the chief circuit judge, the supervisor of elections and the chairperson of the board of county commissioners – had an issue that disqualified them from service on that board.
Weeks resigned her position last January and was arrested in May for allegedly illegally recording a conversation between Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed and FCC Commissioner Charlie Erickson without their knowledge.
George Hanns (photo courtesy Flagler County)
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.