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Orange County Reaches Settlement in "Textgate" Case

January 14, 2014 | WMFE - Orange County has agreed to pay $90,000 to settle a civil suit over text messages sent during a public hearing and later deleted. The messages were sent during a 2012 hearing concerning a proposed ballot measure requiring employers to provide paid sick time.

Citizens for a Greater Orange County will accept the payment and drop the suit in the "textgate" case. 

Laura Johns of Organize Now, one of the groups  that led the sick time campaign, says the issue isn't over for them.  

"We do have an election coming up. A lot of those who were involved in this, in the textgate scandal, are up for election and do have opponents. And we hope that voters will keep this mind, and we definitely will keep this in mind come election day." 

State Attorney Jeff Ashton last year found Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and county commissioners broke Florida law by deleting the messages. 

He said the messages were public record and recommended $500 fines. 

The mayor and commissioners say the messages did not influence their vote against putting the sick time measure on the ballot.

 

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