Jeffrey Schweers | Tallahassee Democrat

Hali Tauxe/Democrat

City commissioners reacted with shock and dismay to an FBI search warrant that lays out details of the federal government’s influence-peddling case against City Commissioner Scott Maddox.

And they said they hoped it marks the beginning of the end of a more than two-year investigation, with two commissioners saying Maddox should consider stepping down.

The 21-page warrant lays out an elaborate pay-to-play scheme where Maddox allegedly received tens of thousands of dollars in payments from clients seeking to do business with the city through his longtime friend and business associate Paige Carter-Smith, owner and manager of Governance Services.

Among the clients were the Uber ride-sharing company and FBI undercover agents posing as developers and a medical marijuana entrepreneur, according to the warrant.

“None of it’s good, obviously,” Commissioner Nancy Miller said. “It’s not good for Scott. It’s not good for Paige and it’s certainly not good for the city as a whole.”

More on the search warrant:

Hali Tauxe/Democrat

Miller said she and Carter-Smith are friends and have worked together at the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority, where Carter-Smith is executive director.

“This is a huge shock,” Miller said. “I’ve talked to her since all this started, and she is keeping her distance.”

Miller said she also was concerned that two commissioners — herself and Gil Ziffer — and Mayor Andrew Gillum will no longer be on the dais after November, and that Maddox is not up for re-election until 2020.

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“All of this is just a tragedy for the city, which is running pretty well under the circumstances,” Miller said.





After reading the search warrant on tallahassee.com, Ziffer said the allegations were serious enough to merit Maddox's resignation.

CHRONICLING THE CASE

Hali Tauxe/Democrat

“If I were commissioner Maddox I would be thinking what’s best for my family and the city,” Ziffer said. “Resigning his seat should be a primary consideration.”

City Commissioner Curtis Richardson said Maddox can no longer provide effective leadership, but that it was up to him to consider stepping down.

”If it were me I think I would step down, so I can spend time with my family and deal with this,” he said.

If Maddox were to resign, the remaining commissioners would have 20 days to appoint a replacement.

A cloud of speculation has loomed around City Hall since subpoenas issued in June revealed a federal probe of the city and the Community Redevelopment Agency, as well as developers and business people doing business with the city.

A third subpoena issued in September named Maddox, Carter-Smith, Governance, and two other current and former associates.

“As I have said from day one, any wrongdoing found in city hall should be uncovered and any individuals involved held accountable,” said Mayor Andrew Gillum, who also said he met with the FBI and they told him he was not a target of the investigation. “As Tallahasseeans, we are all troubled by what we’ve read, and are hopeful for a just and speedy conclusion to this unfortunate matter.”

Hali Tauxe/Democrat

Gillum, who is running for governor, returned a $10,000 campaign donation from Governance Services.

"After reading today’s reporting we decided to return their check," campaign spokesman Geoff Burgan said. "Tallahassee needs to move forward, as do we, from this unfortunate situation."

At last week’s City Hall meeting, Gillum referred to the investigation as a monkey on the commission’s back that derailed a move to hire Deputy Attorney Cassandra Jackson as City Attorney.

“The shoes are starting to drop,” Richardson said. “As I said at the meeting, whoever did something illegal or inappropriate would be dealt with in a matter of time, whether it was tomorrow or a year from now or five years from now. And here we are.”

Richardson said he hoped the search warrant signaled “the beginning of the end," and that anyone else involved will come to light so the city can move forward.

"So many good things are being done in this city. I hate that it’s being clouded by what’s happening here,” he said.

Commissioners also were surprised hearing about the backroom machinations over the city's ride-sharing ordinance.

“I didn’t realize there was that much influence behind the scenes being executed,” Richardson said.

THE UBER BACK STORY:

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He remembered having discussions with Justin Day, a lobbyist for Uber, as well as John Camillo, president of Yellow Cab, but never talked to Carter-Smith, he said.

The search warrant does not mention any other public official, but a June 11, 2015, email from an Uber employee to Carter-Smith references Commissioner Miller: “@paige, you have [Commissioner Nancy Miller] and Maddox on lock, correct?”

Miller told the Democrat she had had no prior discussion with Carter-Smith about Uber and didn’t even know she was representing the ride-sharing company.

“Nobody has me locked in,” Miller said.

When it came to the rideshare ordinance, Miller said she didn’t know how she was going to vote until she had heard from both the ride-sharing and taxicab companies at the public hearing two years ago.

“I didn’t make up my mind until I really listened and worked it out at the commission meeting,” she said.