Peaceful Paths Executive Director subpoenaed by Florida House Speaker

February 18, 2020

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Theresa Beachy of Gainesville was among 13 people who were issued subpoenas yesterday to appear before the Public Integrity & Ethics Committee (“the Committee”) of the Florida House of Representatives on Monday, February 24.

House Speaker Jose Oliva issued the subpoenas to the 13 people who are currently or formerly associated with the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV), which is being investigated by the Committee for paying over $7 million to its former CEO, Tiffany Carr, over the past 3 years. The Committee was also concerned that directors of local domestic violence organizations, which receive money from FCADV, were on the board of FCADV because this could represent a conflict of interest. Beachy, the Treasurer of FCADV, is the Executive Director of Peaceful Paths, the certified domestic violence center that serves Alachua, Bradford, and Union counties. Beachy is listed as the organization’s Secretary in its 2019 report to the Florida Secretary of State. The report provided to the Committee stated that she was on the Finance Committee and Executive Committee in 2017-18 and Chairperson of the Finance Committee in 2016-17.

The subpoenas require the employees and board members to appear before the committee for questioning on February 24. Beachy has been asked to appear at 1:00 p.m.

The House will also vote on HB1087 on Wednesday, which will remove FCADV’s status as a single-source recipient for all state domestic violence funds.

The following were subpoenaed for both the 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. sessions (board positions are as listed in the 2019 Annual Report):

Angela Diaz-Vidaillet, 1st VC, VP, Miami, FL
Shandra Fernandez-Kvam, Treasurer, Tallahassee, FL
Melody Keeth, Chairman, Palm Bay, FL
Laurel Lynch, Director, Bradenton, FL

The following were subpoenaed for the 1:00 p.m. session:

Theresa Beachy, Secretary, Gainesville, FL
Penny Morrill, Director, Dade City, FL
Sherrie Schwab, Director, Bartow, FL
Kelly Sinn, Dade City, FL
Sandra Barnett, FCADV, Tallahassee, FL
Tiffany Carr, CEO, Tallahassee, FL
Patricia Duarte, FCADV. Tallahassee, FL
Donna Fagan, 2nd VIC, VP, Lake City, FL
Lorna Taylor, Director, Tampa, FL

Gabe Kaimowitz is not in anybody pocket (No campaign fund) and he certainly is not obligated to the mullet wrapper. He has no computation against saying what the mayor and the commissioners don’t want to hear. When most are elected, they can no longer say “east side”. If change is desired Gabe is the man.