Commissioner Bill Segal, (District 5) in responding to Orange County mayoral candidate Teresa Jacobs’ charges that he has violated ethics rules, said he has nothing to hide.
Segal, who is also running for Orange County Mayor, was asked directly by WFTV whether he was trying to hide anything.
“Absolutely not. My life is an open book,” Segal replied.
In a follow-up question, asked why he didn’t disclosed the names of his business associates, Segal replied, “I didn’t design the forms, nor did I fill them out”.
Last night, in a move that was unprecedented, Segal released five years of his personal tax returns, calling on his opponents to do the same thing.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Segal said, “Four times a year I file a financial disclosure with the county. My CPA prepares the form in consultation with the County Attorney”. He added that on his next form he would provide additional details on the entities listed, information which goes over and beyond what is required by law.
Jacobs said that Segal, in the past year, has failed to disclose his current and recent business partnerships, as the law requires. She has asked Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty to instruct the County Attorney’s Office to conduct and inquiry into whether Segal failed to comply with current disclosure requirements.
“Teresa Jacobs is trying to tarnish my good name with desperate, baseless political attacks, ” Segal said. “While she slings mud, I will continue to talk about the best ways to bring new jobs here and make our neighborhoods stronger.”
