BY JENNIFER CABRERA
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – At their December 6 meeting, the Florida Commission on Ethics dismissed ethics complaints against GRU CEO Ed Bielarski and State Attorney Brian Kramer for lack of legal sufficiency.
Complaint against Bielarski
The complaint against Bielarski, made by Robert Mermer, alleged that Bielarski was using utility ratepayer funds to “openly campaign and influence the outcome of an upcoming referendum in clear contravention” of Florida statutes. The complaint stated that GRU mailed out flyers with utility bills in October and also sent out information about the referendum on GRU governance to customers via email; the flyers alerted ratepayers that the referendum would be on the November ballot and, according to the complaint, provided “a comparison of one perspective on the consequences of a Yes versus a No vote.”
The complaint also alleges that Bielarski’s “CEO’s Corner” page on GRU’s website used his “official authority as CEO to influence voters to oppose the referendum. This is a first degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail.”