St. Lucie County - Wednesday December 6, 2023: The St. Lucie County Republican Party has called on Governor DeSantis to rescind the appointment of Keith Pearson as County Sheriff, following the abrupt resignation of former Sheriff Ken Mascara last Friday.
In a late afternoon news conference Wednesday, County GOP Chairman Kenny Nail called it a matter of "grave concern" and questioned the motivation behind "the appointment of a corrupt Sheriff by our estimated Governor.”
At the news conference Nail was surrounded by other members of the County GOP as he held up a copy of a Florida Department of Law Enforcement report on Pearson’s alleged involvement in a ghost campaign to help former Sheriff Mascara get re-elect in 2020.
“This FDLE report," said Nail "called for the prosecution of Keith Pearson stemming from criminal activity.”
Nail said the County GOP called the news conference after getting no response from the Governor’s office about their concerns. “We have contacted the Governor’s Office, sent numerous letters, numerous phone calls, and they have gone un-answered.”
And Nail doesn’t believe Pearson only found out about his appointment last Friday.
Nail: “I believe that what he has said in the media is a lie."
Reporter: “What lie?”
Nail: “Knowing that he was going to be elected as Sheriff 30-minutes before the announcement of the departure of Ken Mascara.”
Reporter: “Hours?”
Nail: “I’m sure that he knew this was going to happen on the 15th, the 15th of November.”
Nail did not say exactly what he thought happened on the 15th, but cited what he called "speculation" about the Governor's recent visit to the County.
"The Governor was here on November 15th for a fund raiser, and shortly after that I know Mr. Pearson was in the room, and I believe shortly after that something was done.”
The County GOP is now calling for an investigation to find out what that something was. “The Republican Executive Committee of St. Lucie County calls upon the Governor, Ron DeSantis, to open an ethics investigation," said Nail. "And we demand the immediate removal of Sheriff Keith Pearson.”