Florida ethics panel dismisses complaint against Fort Walton Beach councilman Bryce Jeter
Florida ethics panel dismisses complaint against Fort Walton Beach councilman Bryce Jeter Collin Bestor January 29, 2026 9:35 am Fort Walton Beach FORT WALTON BEACH — The Florida Commission on Ethics has dismissed a complaint accusing Fort Walton Beach City Councilmember Bryce Jeter of coercing an incarcerated man into selling his home as a condition of securing his release from jail, concluding that the allegations did not meet the legal requirements to open an ethics investigation. In a four-page public report released Jan. 28, the commission concluded that, even if the allegations were assumed true, they did not demonstrate that Jeter misused his public office or official resources, a necessary element under Florida law for an ethics violation. The dismissal closes the ethics case without addressing broader factual disputes surrounding the property transaction at the center of the complaint. In a statement to Mid Bay News, Jeter said that he is “Always grateful & thankful to see the State of Florida run their due process and come to a professional conclusion where vindication is the result. For multiple decades, I’ve always supported the blighted properties in our community getting cleaned up & becoming safer for all the neighbors & surrounding families.” Ruling limited to legal sufficiency Robinson filed the complaint, alleging that Jeter contacted him while he was incarcerated following a multi-agency drug task force arrest in July 2025 and tied assistance with posting bond to Robinson selling his home at 15 Elm Ave. to JBJ Builders...
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