Former Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie pleaded guilty Thursday morning to two misdemeanors in the public corruption case against her.
Nearly three years ago, Haynie was charged with four felonies and three misdemeanors related to votes involving properties owned by Investments Limited. Conviction on all counts could have meant 23 years in prison.
Instead, Haynie will serve 12 months of probation for each of the two misdemeanors. Those terms will run concurrently. She also must pay a $1,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service.
One count is misuse of office. The other is failure to disclose a potential financial benefit. They relate to criminal violations of the county ethics code. Prosecutors dropped the four felony charges, which alleged that Haynie sold votes in return for favors.
“This never should have been a corruption case,” said Haynie’s attorney, Bruce Zimet. Former Gov. Rick Scott suspended Haynie after her arrest in April 2018. Her term expired in March 2020. She cannot run for public office while on probation.
I’ll have much more in my Tuesday post.
