Brevard County - Wednesday August 10, 2022: A Brevard County prosecutor has told the Florida Today newspaper that County Sheriff Wayne Ivy offered his help in getting her a job if she canceled her race for elected office in order to give the Sheriff's favored candidate a better shot at winning.
Prosecutor Kimberly Musselman reportedly told the paper that Sheriff Ivey asked her to bow out of her race for county judge and endorse a candidate backed by him. She says the sheriff told her he could use his influence to help her become the district's top prosecutor. After she refused, Ivey urged some of her biggest donors to drop their support, according to Florida Today.
Sheriff Ivey is a republican who is serving his second term as Sheriff of Brevard County.
Two other candidates for public office in Brevard County have made similar allegations against Ivey, according to Florida Today.
Cocoa Beach police officer Chris Hattaway told the paper that Sheriff Ivey asked him to cancel his candidacy for county commission in order to give former state Rep. Tom Goodson a better shot at the seat. And Shawn Overdorf, a former school resource officer, said he too was ask by the Sheriff to step aside from his race for school board. In exchange, both candidates were offered jobs in Goodson's office, if he won, Florida Today reported.
In an email response to a WQCS request for comment, Deputy Sheriff Tod Goodman, the spokesman for Brevard County Sheriff's Office, said: "We are not commenting at this time."