Spoke with assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille yesterday on his investigations into the Arts Council of Northwest Florida and Escambia County Commissioner Gene Valentino. Marcille said the Arts Council investigation should be finished in the next week or so and that Valentino’s will done soon after that.
Arts Council of Northwest Florida, which has since ceased to operate, is being investigating for misusing county and city funds, not properly disbursing those funds to arts organizations and falsifying reports to the county and city.
Commissioner Valentino is being investigated over his dealings with contractor Roads, Inc. in regards to a drainage project that Valentino moved to have rebid when Roads claimed that an error in their proposal prevented them from being the low bidder. There is also a question whether or not the commissioner solicited campaign contributions from Roads officials in his county office.