Escambia Commissioner Gene Valentino has a problem. He can’t get his stories straight, according to the PNJ.
We know that he met with Cody Rawson of Roads, Inc in November 2009 in his commissioner office. If Valentino discussed the Maplewoods Drainage bid, then the commissioner may have violated county ordinances regarding the sealed bid process.
Thursday night, Valentino told PNJ reporter Jamie Page that he refused to discuss the $1.7 million project with Rawson and instead asked for Rawson’s campaign support. This created another issue. County Attorney Alison Rogers told the PNJ – “a commissioner cannot knowingly solicit a campaign contribution in his office if it’s on county property.”
Friday morning Valentino calls the PNJ and says that he didn’t ask for campaign support – “I misspoke. There is no way I have solicited campaign support from anyone in my office.”
Friday afternoon Valentino called the PNJ again, he said he had only told Rawson that he wanted to talk to him later about campaign support.
So what did Valentino and Rawson talk about for 45 minutes? Valentino’s economic development plan? Rawson’s catfish pond?
We know that Rawson’s top issue was Maplewood. We know that Valentino was calling 75 to 100 (his words to Page) local contractors, engineers and architects asking for campaign support.
Why did they meet in November 2009? Who called for the meeting? Rawson or Valentino?
Valentino owes the voters an explanation, especially coming on the heels of his motion to rebid the Maplewoods drainage project that clearly benefited Roads Inc.