State Attorney’s Office Slams Nassau Candidate Carlos Slay’s “Reckless Disregard for Truth”

Media Release from DaigleCreative.com

June 15, 2016 9:47 a.m.

The State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit harshly rebuked Carlos Slay, candidate for Nassau County Tax Collector, in a June 7 letter calling Slay’s frivolous allegations against incumbent John Drew “without merit” and saying the attacks includes a “reckless disregard for the truth.”

Further, SAO Senior Nassau County Division Chief Stephen Siegel warned Slay that his accusations against Drew could constitute a violation of Florida Statutes that prohibit “false or malicious charges against an opposing candidate.” The crime is a third degree felony that could result in fines and/or disqualification from the Tax Collector’s race, Siegel wrote.

Siegel’s letter comes in response to a seemingly endless series of increasingly inflammatory accusations that Slay has made against Drew since the beginning of the campaign. These charges have included attacks on Drew as well as on members of his family and other elected officials in Nassau County. Drew has consistently denied the allegations and called on Slay to apologize for the malicious and false attack campaign. The SAO went a step further.

Siegel wrote that Slay’s accusations “are little more than a circuitous impermissible stacking of inferences and innuendo… The Nassau County Tax Collector's Office has been independently audited for the last seven years by certified public accountants. On each occasion the auditing firm concluded the Tax Collector complied with his statutory requirements as set forth by Florida law. The claims of financial mismanagement or improper use of Tax Collector funds are refuted by years of successive audits determining lawful compliance by the Tax Collector. The audits are public record and I trust you would have reviewed them before making your claims. Similarly, your claims regarding inappropriate expenditures and improper credit card usage are without merit.”

Drew said he hoped the SAO’s opinion would finally bring a welcomed relief from the extremely personal and despicable mudslinging campaign Slay has mounted against him since late last year.

“I would like to think that the State Attorney’s opinion will end these cowardly false attacks, but knowing Carlos Slay and those he’s working for in this race, I’m afraid it will not,” Drew said. “It is truly sad that it’s come to this, but I trust that Nassau County voters on August 30 will send Slay and his handlers a strong message about this type of dirty political character assassination attempts.”

The complete letter from the State Attorney may be viewed below: