Nearly eight years after Tallahassee Reports printed a narrative about Gary Yordon skirting the town’s lobbyist registration ordinance, Yordon verified the information within the report throughout his testimony as we speak at the general public corruption trial of J.T Burnette.
In 2013, in an try to keep away from revealing his connection to Scott Maddox and Governance – a Maddox managed lobbying agency, Yordon failed to register as a lobbyist whereas representing the McKibbon Lodge Group.
When confronted by metropolis officers, Yordon registered beneath a enterprise named The Zachary Group. On the time, state enterprise data indicated the enterprise had been inactive since 1999.
Right now, beneath oath, Yordon testified in federal courtroom that he participated in a scheme by the lobbyist registration to conceal his reference to Maddox and Governance to keep away from a battle of curiosity.
Additionally, Yordon famous the transfer was supposed to keep away from criticism from Dr. Erwin Jackson who was commonly talking earlier than the town fee about unethical conduct.
Yordon stated that his $25,000 lobbying price and $3,000 a month retainer price paid by McKibbon went from The Zachary Group to Governance “instantly.”
TR’s authentic story is included under.
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Mckibbon Lodge Group Advisor Communicated with Employees With out Registering as a Metropolis Lobbyist
September 5, 2013
Tallahassee Reports has realized that the marketing consultant retained by the Mckibbon Lodge Group (MHG) – who has enterprise earlier than the Metropolis Fee – had communications with Metropolis workers on MHG points and was not a registered lobbyist with the Metropolis of Tallahassee.
Tallahassee Reports requested a listing of registered lobbyists on August 16, 2013. Click on right here to see a listing of registered lobbyists as of August 19, 2013. The checklist exhibits nobody registered to characterize MHG.
Tallahassee Reports was advised by two Metropolis of Tallahassee staff that Gary Yordon had contacted them on behalf of the MHG and mentioned points associated to MHG’s venture earlier than August 19, 2013. Tallahassee Reports has beforehand written in regards to the MHG venture right here.
The Metropolis Fee voted on points associated to MHG on April 24, 2013, the Planning Fee voted on an MHG concern on September third, 2013 and the Metropolis Fee has one other vote scheduled on a MHG concern on October 24, 2013.
In early 20011, the Metropolis of Tallahassee enacted an ordinance that requires the registration of lobbyist. The ordinance defines lobbying as:
communications, whether or not written or oral, by a lobbyist outdoors a duly seen public assembly or listening to on the document with any member or members of the town fee, or any member or members of any decision-making physique beneath the jurisdiction of the town fee, or any metropolis worker, whereby the lobbyist seeks to encourage or affect the passage, defeat, modification or repeal of any merchandise which can be offered for vote earlier than the town fee, or any decision-making physique beneath the jurisdiction of the town fee, or which can be offered for consideration by a metropolis worker as a advice to the town fee or decision-making physique.
As well as, the lobbyist registration type requires the lobbyist to establish who they’re representing and to establish any direct enterprise relationships they’ve with metropolis commissioners and metropolis workers.
4 days after Tallahassee Reports requested a listing of registered lobbyists, Mr. Yordon registered with the Metropolis Tallahassee as a lobbyists for MHG beneath the lobbying agency identify The Zachary Group. See Mr. Yordon’s lobbyist registration type right here.
Tallahassee has realized that “The Zachary Group” shouldn’t be presently registered with the State of Florida as a enterprise entity, and in reality, was dissolved in 1999. As well as, Leon County data present that Mr. Yordon is presently registered as a lobbyist for Governance, representing a number of companies, together with Waste Professional – a metropolis and county vendor.
Why didn’t Mr. Yordon register with the Metropolis as a lobbyists beneath Governance as he did with the Leon County Board of County Commissioners this yr and has prior to now a number of years?
Tallahassee Reports has realized that due to the connection that Governance reportedly has with Metropolis Commissioner Scott Maddox, Mr. Yordon couldn’t register as lobbyist beneath the Governance identify.
It has been reported elsewhere that Mr. Maddox bought his residence to Governance and is presently leasing the house from Governance. As well as, Mr. Maddox reported Governance as a supply of revenue on his 2012 Monetary Disclosure type.
Florida Statutes states that “No public officer or worker of an company shall have or maintain any employment or contractual relationship with any enterprise entity or any company which is topic to the regulation of, or is doing enterprise with, an company of which she or he is an officer or worker..”
The query that Tallahassee Reports is now looking for a solution to is can a lobbyist in a lobbying agency that has a battle with an elected official merely register beneath one other agency identify, whereas nonetheless part of the conflicted agency, and never have to reveal the battle?
If the reply to this query is sure, the Metropolis of Tallahassee’s ordinance for registering lobbyists could not do what it was suppose to do: notify the general public of potential conflicts.
