Florida governor suspends Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Kissimmee Mayor Eva Jacqulyn “Jackie” Espinosa after she became involved in an investigation into alleged violations of the state ethics law and following her arrest on allegations of fraud and grand theft.

Vice Mayor Angela Eady will take over as mayor of Kissimmee until Espinosa’s suspension is lifted or her term ends.

The suspension comes amid multiple investigations involving Espinosa tied to the Boost 2.0 economic grant program—an issue that has led to both ethics allegations and criminal charges against the mayor.

Details of the scandal involving the mayor

The Puerto Rican mayor was arrested on Oct. 21 on fraud charges related to grants that businesses linked to her and her family members received through the Boost 2.0 program, which was funded with federal dollars to help small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, prosecutors said.

Jail records indicate she faced charges of grand theft between $20,000 and $100,000, as well as organized fraud of $50,000 or more. In Florida, those offenses can carry sentences of up to 15 and 30 years in prison, respectively.

Then, on Oct. 23, the Florida Commission on Ethics accepted a settlement submitted by Espinosa and her legal team, in which the then-mayor admitted to violating the state ethics law.

As part of the agreement, Espinosa must pay a $2,000 fine to the Commission and issue a public apology, according to a five-page document her defense filed with the agency on Sept. 16.

The agreement seeks to resolve the complaint filed with the Florida Commission on Ethics related to the Boost 2.0 program.

Read the suspension document here

This story was translated from Spanish with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool. An NBC6 digital editor reviewed the translation.