More Questions Raised About Orange County Tax Collector & High Paid Lobbyist

Controversial Tax Collector Scott Randolph talks with high paid lobbyist Angel de la Portilla at the Feb 25th County Commission meeting. (WFTV)

WFTV 9 Investigates continued digging into Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph‘s use of public funds to hire a high paid lobbyist yesterday. They finally got Randolph on camera, along with comments from Commissioner Fred Brummer and Mayor Teresa Jacobs. And now even more questions are being raised.

WFTV’s Karla Ray directly questioned Randolph about his $5,000/month lobbyist, Angel de la Portilla. Randolph fumbled through saying de la Portilla was just “educating commissioners on the potential legal pitfalls to potential changes” to his position. But there was more to this story.

Ray’s story exposes that Angel de la Portilla testified to the County Commission’s task force last June and asked to keep the Tax Collector office an elected position. This was a major change in tune for the lobbyist who was the former lead advocate for consolidation of the tax office. But Angel de la Portilla also never disclosed he was a lobbyist for Randolph at the time.

In fact, the contract between Scott Randolph and Angel de la Portilla was executed just days before the June task force meeting. The Tax Collector office even shows a $10,000 expense to the lobbyist on June 11, 2013 with the description “Efficiency Task Force.”

Well, that’s easy enough to put together now.

No wonder Commissioner Brummer was upset. And watch for the long, awkward pause from Mayor Jacobs when WFTV’s Ray asks her if Randolph’s use of the high paid lobbyist was appropriate. Jacobs wiggles out of it saying the voters should decide, but earlier in a statement on the issue she said: ”Orange County has a long history of working together in a productive manner with our constitutional officers. The recent process with Mr. Randolph has proven to be the exception.”

Finally, the story notes that Randolph is paying another lobbyist with public funds right now for work in Tallahassee. Randolph hired Lindstrom Consulting, Inc. at a rate of $5,000/month to lobby in Tallahassee. But Ray also points out that all Florida Tax Collectors are already represented by a state association, which hires its own lobbyists.