Speaking on Tuesday morning for the first time since being charged with three felony counts one week ago, suspended Orange County Commissioner Mildred Fernandez professed her innocence. Fernandez said that she would fight all charges and let FDLE prove its case.
“I merely and solemnly swear that any and all charges brought against me are false,” Fernandez said, cfnews 13 reports.
On April 27th Fernandez was arrested and charged on three felony counts–bribery, grand theft and accepting unlawful campaign contributions–at her campaign headquarters in East Orlando.
“I will fight all accusations brought against me and make the FDLE meet its burden of proof,” Fernandez said, speaking at her first press conference since her arrest. “I will continue to serve in any capacity that God will allow me too.”
At the heart of the bribery charges is Fernandez’ acceptance of campaign contributions in exchange for her agreeing to fast track a building project proposed by Mr. Jose “Pepe” Vasquez. Fernandez is also charged with accepting campaign amounts over the $5,000 limit and failing to report contributions by their due date, thus committing an act of grand theft form her own campaign.
In an exclusive interview several weeks ago with West Orlando News Online, Fernandez, who was also a mayoral candidate in the Orange County race, in discussing the government budget said “one of the things that we need to do is make sure that we are using the tax payers money appropriately.” She also wanted to make the operations of the Orange County government “more efficient and transparent.”
