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State Attorney: No Wrongdoing By Commission; Grand Jury To Investigate Valentino

The State Attorney’s Office has found that no crime was committed by the Escambia County Commission when a drainage contract was rebid last year, but allegations of improper solicitation of campaign funds against Commissioner Gene Valentino will be presented to an Escambia County Grand Jury for their consideration.

When bids were opened on November 18, 2009, for a Maplewoods drainage project, Gulf Equipment Company of Mobile was low bidder at  $1,768,621. Road, Inc. of Cantonment’s bid was $22,982.26 more. The county’s purchasing department recommended to the Escambia County Commission that they approve the Gulf Equipment bid.

Six days later, on November 24, Valentino admits that he met for about 45 minutes in his office with Roads, Inc. officials, including the company’s president Cody Rawson and Russell Weaver. Valentino tells the daily newspaper that he met with Rawson to ask for campaign support, but retracts that statement but does not explain what was discussed in the meeting.

Roads, Inc. officials then contacted commissioners Kevin White, Grover Robinson and Wilson Robertson, telling them that they could correct a mistake on their bid and save the county $100,000.

Valentino made a motion on January 7 to rebid the project because of errors made by county staff. County Administrator Bob McLaughlin and staff members object. The motion passed 4-1, with Commissioner Marie Young against.

A week later, January 14, White made a motion at a Committee of the Whole meeting to reverse the rebid. White, Robinson and Robertson apologized, while Valentino points blame at county staff and the bid process. The vote to reverse the rebid and award the contract to Gulf Equipment was ratified at the January 21 meeting.

“Commissioner White began to question his decision,” Gregory Marcille, assistant State Attorney write in his findings. “There was considerable public concern as a result of media reports. Much of this concern revolved around Commissioner Valentino and his meeting with Cody Rawson and Russell Weaver and alleged discussions of political support.”

“We will present the issues involving Commissioner Gene Valentino and his alleged solicitation of political support to the Grand Jury for their consideration,” Marcille said.

The commission later approved a new set of rules to prevent any attempted contractor influence.  Now, commissioners can sanction or even disqualify bidders that attempt to influence the board or any county employee in the time between the receipt of a sealed bid and the contract award date. The Purchasing Department already had a similar  internal policy, but now it is an official county-wide policy.

Contractors that violate the policy could see a contracted terminated or even suspension from future bids on county projects. The lobbying policy does not impact a contractor’s other lobbying efforts during zoning procedures, proposal requests or letters of interest on a project.

To read the entire report from the State Attorney’s Office, click here.