Penalty decided for Manatee Commissioner Baugh who violated ethics in vaccine rollout

The Florida Ethics Commission voted Friday morning to accept Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh’s proposed settlement over scheduling herself an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine site she helped organize.

Baugh, a Republican who has served on the Manatee County Commission since 2012, has been ordered to pay an $8,000 fine and accept a public reprimand from the nine-member board.

The Lakewood Ranch official faced ethics complaints after staff said she ordered them to schedule appointments for herself and four other people.

In a case that made national headlines at the time, Baugh sent an email to county staff with the personal information for herself, a Lakewood Ranch developer and two former neighbors.

According to interviews with investigators, staff understood the list to be a clear directive to ensure those people received a COVID-19 vaccine.

“In all fairness, I made a mistake, which I wholeheartedly understand,” Baugh said Friday. “I was asked to have a vaccine clinic in Lakewood Ranch. Again, I realize it shouldn’t have probably happened the way it did, but I was doing what I thought at the time was right thing to do.”

Lakewood Ranch vaccine controversy

The February 2021 event that Baugh helped organize at Premier Sports Campus limited vaccine availability to two Lakewood Ranch ZIP codes — two of Manatee County’s richest and whitest.

Manatee County residents outside of those ZIP codes were not eligible for an appointment at the pop-up clinic, which provided 3,200 doses of the vaccine over three days.

At the time, more than 100,000 people were in the county’s vaccine waiting pool, but limiting the vaccine to two ZIP codes reduced the number of eligible residents to about 7,000 people.

That limitation was imposed by Baugh and not the DeSantis administration, according to interviews conducted by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. The choice led to widespread criticism from residents and fellow board members.

“You are a friend and I love you, but I think you’ve made a terrible mistake here,” Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said at the time.

Staff members told investigators that popularity among local voters in her district factored into Baugh’s decision.

“She wanted to do that because she said the people in her district would love her,” former County Administrator Cheri Coryea said in an interview with the sheriff’s office.

Baugh represents Lakewood Ranch and other parts of eastern Manatee County on the Manatee Board of County Commissioners.

Florida ethics board issues ruling

Ethics commissioners agreed that Baugh’s decision to restrict vaccines went against Manatee County’s policy.

“I have a major problem with that,” Ethics Commissioner Wengay Newton, who represented parts of Manatee County in the Florida House of Representatives said at the time. “But for being an elected official, she never would have been on that list, unless she won the lottery.”

In a brief statement to the board, Baugh apologized for her actions and called it a learning experience.

“This has been a major experience for me — one that I’ve learned a lot from. It’s been a tough experience for Manatee County,” Baugh said Friday in a brief statement to the ethics board. “I always have tried to be a good commissioner.”

Elizabeth Miller, who investigated the ethics complaints and worked on the agreement deal with Baugh’s attorney, explained the contents of the agreement.

“(Baugh) admits the violation. She admits that while she was a public officer, she used or attempted to use her official position to secure a special privilege or benefit for herself or others,” said Miller. “Also, she admits that her actions were corrupt.”

Baugh avoids maximum penalty

But some commissioners questioned why they weren’t prepared to levy the maximum agreement. Baugh’s maximum penalty would have been a $20,000 fine or removal from office.

Board members also criticized Baugh for statements she made to local news outlets, arguing that she did not show remorse.

“The fact is that you put your name on the list and the only reason you didn’t get the shot was because it was a public outcry … and that’s unacceptable in a public official,” said Ethics Commissioner Don Gaetz told Baugh. “Leaders sleep on the ground, they don’t sleep in a feather bed when their constituents, their folks or their followers have to sleep on the ground. You sleep on the ground, too. You didn’t.”

“I think this is, to me personally, a travesty. It’s clear what went on here. This was not a mistake or an accident. It was deliberate and calculated and poignant,” Newton said. “For $8,000, I think for the people back in Manatee County, I think it’s a travesty.”

“There’s no way this is a slam dunk. Ray Charles can see what went on here,” he added.

While board members were not totally pleased with the settlement, some said the hit to Baugh’s reputation factored into their decision to approve the agreement.

“It does seem like an appropriate resolution acknowledging that this lady — more than criminal defendants ever would — is going to have to answer to the court of public opinion in her home circuit when this is all said and done, too,” said Ethics Commissioner William Cervone.

Based on public comment from residents who filed the ethics complaints against Baugh, the ethics board also included a stipulation requiring that the $8,000 fine be paid by Baugh and not reimbursed by taxpayers.