If you'll recall for a certain time frame in 2010, it seemed like the Hillsborough County Commission was paralyzed, meeting seemingly every other week to discuss whether to fire County Administrator Pat Bean and County Attorney Renee Lee for their offering to give themselves a 1% pay raise in 2007.

County Commissioner Kevin Beckner called on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to look into those raises in October of 2009, and ultimately the Board of County Commissioners canned Ms. Bean her last June.  They retained County Attorney Renee Lee, who, unlike Bean, had her own section of supporters attend BOCC meetings lending moral support to her while her continued employment with the County was on the line.

Hillsborough County State Attorney Mark Ober decided just last week upon receiving the FLDE's report that he would opt not to file any file any charges against Pat Bean.  However that report does paint a fairly damning portrait of Renee Lee, reporting that she was the "anonymous man" that she told County Commissioners was requesting a public information request of e-mails to determine the breadth of the state investigation, you know, the so-called "snooper" checking out e-mails.  From the FDLE report:

February 2, 2007 1401 hours

Lee sent the following email to Bean and Hill subject titled “Extra Mile Award”:

After attending the Budget kick off meeting this morning Beth (Novak) reminded

me that a provision in my contract allows me to receive the award…see page 10,

Section  E. Hillsborough agrees to make available to the attorney such other

benefits that are not specifically covered by this agreement as they now exist,

and may be amended from time to time, for other employees of Hillsborough. . .

Thank you for the award.   FDLE Special Agents interviewed Novak who did not

remember “reminding” Lee about a “provision in her contract” and found the

content of this email unusual as Novak had no prior legal training or experience.

32. Michelle Sekouri, Executive Assistant to the County Administrator followed Bean

into Bean’s office on an unrelated matter, after a meeting at which Lee was not

present.  Sekouri was present when Hill walked into Bean’s office holding up a

piece of paper and asked Bean, ‘Did you see this?’  Sekouri testified Bean

advised she had not seen what Sekouri believed to be the aforementioned email

from Lee, dated February 02, 2007 subject titled,” Extra Mile Award.” Sekouri

testified Hill advised Bean that Lee wanted the one percent salary increase. Bean

was surprised at this news.  Bean and Hill then engaged in discussion regarding

Bean and Garrity’s eligibility for the award.  Bean advised Hill to get with the

human resources department in order to resolve the matter.  Sekouri testified she

recalled details regarding the event because she could not forget the look of

surprise on Bean’s face.

There is also this in the report:

”February 26, 2007

The accountant for Lee, Kathy Taylor noticed Williams signature where Jim

Norman would normally sign, indicating BOCC approval of Lee’s salary increase.

Taylor does not say anything to anyone but Novak and they both remark in an

email correspondence, this date and, in part, “oh well.”  Novak advised she made

the remark because Lee was always “pushing the financial envelope” regarding

salary, outside counsel expenses and spending issues in the County Attorney’s

Office. Taylor and Novak advised they did not feel ‘it was their place’ to say

anything. Both later acknowledged a fear of Lee’s position and influential power.

This article appears in Feb 10-16, 2011.