DeSantis Suspends Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa After Her Arrest on Grant Fraud Charges
Gov. Ron DeSantis has suspended Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa, who was arrested in October on grand theft and fraud charges tied to $50,000 in city grants — Vice Mayor Angela Eady now serves as mayor, the city says.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has suspended Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa from office, the city announced in a release early Saturday, following her October arrest on grand theft and fraud charges. Vice Mayor Angela Eady now serves as mayor until the suspension is revoked or Espinosa's term ends, according to FOX 35 Orlando's report of the city's announcement.
Espinosa was arrested on October 21 on charges tied to $50,000 in grants under the city's Business Boost 2.0 program that were awarded to her and to family-owned businesses. The Attorney General's office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement allege she helped create and expand the program, applied for the grants, and ignored ethical concerns raised by city staff. The charges are allegations; Espinosa has not been convicted of any crime in the case.
Eady's move to the mayor's seat leaves her Commission Seat 2 open, to be filled by appointment or special election. The city says day-to-day operations continue normally. Kissimmee is in Osceola County, south of Orlando — the suspension is the latest Florida city hall shaken by a grant-program case this year, and the criminal case now proceeds separately from the city's business.
