Lee County GOP chair Jonathan Martin faces battery investigation over meeting dispute

Jonathan Martin, the chairman of the Lee County Republican Party and the sole GOP candidate for the 33rd State Senate seat, is under investigation for battery.

Gov. Ron DeSantis released an executive order Wednesday transferring the investigation to the 12th Judicial Circuit, after local state attorney Amira Fox reported a conflict of interest because a member of Martin's family works for her office.

Tara Jenner, a Lee County GOP committee member, told The News-Press that her son filed the complaint that led to the investigation, following a confrontation with Martin at a Republican Executive Committee meeting in May.

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“I spoke yesterday with an individual at the state attorney’s office here in Fort Myers that it was transferred to Sarasota because of a conflict of interest," Jenner said in an interview Saturday.

Martin — who is with the Parvey and Cavenago Law Firm in Fort Myers — issued a statement Saturday night in response to the investigation.

"This is politically motivated as the complaint was filed a month after the REC meeting by an individual who filed paperwork to run against me immediately after I announced my run for state Senate and after receiving the Governor’s endorsement," Martin said in an email to The News-Press.

"These are baseless allegations. I look forward to being cleared and moving forward with the important work of the Senate and supporting the Governor’s agenda."

Fox's office did not immediately return requests for comment. The News-Press made a public records request to the Lee County Sheriff's Office for information on the alleged incident in June, which is still listed as "in progress."

What happened at the meeting?

Jenner said she brought her 18-year-old son to the meeting in May and asked him to livestream the proceedings from her cell phone while she attended. Partway through the meeting, Martin approached her son, told him he could not film because he was not a committee member, grabbed at the phone and physically guided him toward the exit, Jenner said.

“He didn’t hit my son, he firmly grabbed him and maneuvered him," she said.

Jenner said she asked Martin for a public apology and to meet with her with witnesses present, but did not receive a positive response. On June 15, after DeSantis endorsed Martin to replace departing 33rd District State Senator Raymond Rodrigues, her son filed a complaint with the Lee County Sheriff's Office, Jenner said.

“It wasn’t until frankly he was proclaimed the coronated senator that I thought no, this can’t go without being identified," she said.

Jenner then attempted to run against Martin in the senate primary, but told The News-Press she did not qualify after failing to sign all the necessary paperwork.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lee County, Florida Republican chairman faces battery investigation