The complaint against Brannon alleges that he used his clout as a commissioner to protect the investment of a business partner.
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/brannon-45275-commissioner-walton.htmlAccording to Graves’ complaint, C. Wayne Jones, then a partner with Brannon in a business called Freeport Group LLC, paid nearly $7 million in 2006 for 77 lots in a subdivision called Driftwood Estates at Sandestin. At the time, “the neighborhood was and had been mired down in legal muck and building moratoriums,” Graves’ complaint claims.
It states that former County Commissioner Cindy Meadows, in whose district Driftwood Estates was located, sought legal action to “hold the developer responsible” for the mess.
Brannon cast a tie-breaking vote to prevent the legal action from going forward, Graves said in the complaint.
“All the participation by Brannon was very beneficial to Jones, as had a moratorium or lawsuit or state enforcement been enacted, Jones’ almost seven million dollar investment would have been dead in the water for an unknown period of time or possibly permanently,” the complaint states.
The complaint also states that in 2009 Brannon thwarted an attempt by Greater Driftwood Estates Homeowners Association President Alan Osborne to discuss the alleged voting conflict at a public meeting.
In a private meeting later, according to the complaint, Brannon assured homeowners that Freeport Group LLC “was the only company I am involved in that is associated with Mr. Jones.”
Although Graves and Osborne declined to comment on the specifics of the case, the motivation to file the ethics complaint came in September, when the complaint states, “a package was dropped off with the Driftwood Homeowners Association president.”
The package, the complaint said, contained “closing documents and checks that clearly make Brannon’s statements about his relationship with Jones false.”
According to the complaint, the documents indicate Brannon and Jones both made $1.3 million in 2004 as partners in the purchase and sale of a piece of property.
“How do you forget you owned a large parcel of land with someone that doubled in value in less than six weeks?” Graves asks in the complaint.