LeAnna Cumber’s lawyer says Mayor Lenny Curry behind ‘manufactured controversy’ over JEA dealings

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In 47 days, Jacksonville voters will go to the polls to elect a new mayor, and while there are seven candidates running for the spot, most of the attention lately has been on two Republicans — LeAnna Cumber and Daniel Davis.

The focus has been on their dealings with the attempted sale of JEA.

On Wednesday, Jacksonville City Council President Terrance Freeman said he plans to reopen a special investigatory committee on the attempted sale of JEA after emails and text messages that contradict statements by sitting Councilwoman Cumber recently surfaced.

Reactions are still pouring in. Some have called this the “silly season” during campaigns when the dirt is flying. That has been playing out in political ads, but now the city council is getting involved with its own investigation and it’s raising eyebrows from other candidates from both parties asking, why now?

The renewed interest in Cumber and JEA has prompted Cumber to fire back saying this is all coming down now because of Mayor Lenny Curry.

She said Curry wants to see Davis as the next mayor and she believes the mayor’s office has pull over Freeman.

A response from attorney Daniel Nunn, who represents Cumber, reads:

“This manufactured controversy exposes the lengths to which Mayor Curry and his chosen successor will go to win. As a lawyer who investigated the JEA scandal, I found no misconduct by any member of the City Council. If the SIC is to be re-opened, it should also explore the non-disclosure by Chamber employee Aaron Bowman, the job offer to Garrett Dennis, and what the administration knew about it. There is other information that has not yet been made public if the SIC Re-convenes.”

The mayor’s office responded Thursday to that with this statement, “Political campaigns say a lot of things but here are the facts: media reports reflect that a Councilmember either lied to her colleagues or erroneously reported a conflict of interest. Another Councilmember requested a Council investigation, and the Council President agreed. The mayor has no role in any of these decisions of city council.”

Cumber did not stop there. She also criticized current city councilman Aaron Bowman for choosing not to talk to the council during its original investigation.

Bowman fired back in this written statement: “I am disgusted that my colleague or their legal representation would attack my character. Unfortunately, politics bring out the worst behavior in people trying to get in positions that they are not well suited.”

News4JAX checked with each candidate for mayor about their reaction to this investigation.

“I am as concerned as anyone over the news reports suggesting LeAnna and Husein Cumber have not been truthful about their involvement in the JEA scandal. That LeAnna Cumber would publicly demand transparency while harboring such contempt for the truth is an egregious violation of the public trust that deserves to be investigated,” Davis said in a statement to News4JAX.

Democrat Donna Deegan also weighed in.

“Political theater aside, I would say that Cumber and Davis are two sides of the same coin when it comes to this issue. Both are involved in the same sort of backroom dealing,” Deegan said.

Fellow Democrat candidate Audrey Gibson had no comment.

Current council member and candidate for mayor Al Ferraro said, “It’s political. Other important issues are being ignored.”

“It’s long overdue. It’s corruption at its best,” Republican candidate Frank Keasler said about the investigation.

“The JEA investigation should cast a wide net to include the current administration, present and former Council members, Jax Chamber members, JEA Board members, and everyone with whom Zahn meet to discuss the sale of JEA Fiasco. If the investigation does not cast a wide net, then it would appear that it is politically motivated rather than a truth-seeking expedition,” said candidate Omega Allen, who is not affiliated with any party.

The first meeting of the council investigative committee will be Feb. 8 at 8:30 a.m.