It appears that Manatee County has launched a formal investigation into the actions of county employee Kurt Mattingly. As detailed in an earlier Manatee Herald article, Kurt Mattingly, a candidate for Palmetto City Commissioner, sent texts to a county vendor with an invitation to his political campaign fundraiser. The vendor then sent a check to the Mattingly campaign.
People familiar with the issue say that a formal investigation has been initiated by Manatee County because of concerns that Mattingly may have been campaigning for office while on the clock for the county. This is obviously not ethical but it may be illegal and could lead to his termination as a county employee.
Bob Spencer
Publisher
Manatee Herald
publisher@manateeherald.com
