Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa’s attorney has filed motions to dismiss three counts, request a stay, and disqualify the special prosecutor in the impeachment case against her. The case involves allegations that Espinosa retained public money without disclosing her personal interests in the city’s BOOST 2.0 small-business grant program.

Impeachment Proceedings

A special prosecutor found probable cause to pursue impeachment of Espinosa for allegedly retaining public money without disclosing her personal interests. The report alleged that Espinosa had retained public money without disclosing her personal interests, even though the city attorney advised that accepting it created a prohibited conflict of interest.

Espinosa’s attorney stated that no articles of impeachment should be filed against the mayor before the city commission adopts constitutionally sufficient procedures. The mayor had asked a state appeals court in May to block the court-ordered investigation, arguing that only Florida’s ethics commission — not a local judge or special prosecutor — had the authority to handle the matter.

Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.