False Accusations Lead to Ethics Complaint Filed Against Commissioner

HERNANDO – The divide within Hernando County's Republican Party has never been greater and that's led to one of the most vicious election cycles the County has ever seen.

Things were quiet until mudslinging began in the last few weeks and that's because the establishment incumbents have noticed growing support for their opponents in three very contentious races. Republicans Marvin Baynham, Ryan Amsler, and Joe Puglia are vying for the District 3 and District 1 Commissioner seats, and Office of Sheriff, respectively. If the incumbents do not hold on to those seats, the establishment risks losing power over the county.

Candidate Marvin Baynham

Baynham and Amsler have taken the brunt of most of the attacks, with mailers distributed to voters containing outrageous accusations that are not true or not confirmed. Political Action Committees (PACs) have been responsible for most of the attacks, which many believe is the work of Senator Blaise Ingoglia who "grooms" and "appoints" candidates to serve in critical offices. Four out of five County Commissioners, two School Board members, the County Clerk, the Supervisor of Elections, and several other elected offices are all directly associated with Ingoglia.

Sen. Blaise Ingoglia and Gov. Ron DeSantis

Voters received several mailers accusing Baynham of being a Marxist, Democrat who supports late-term abortions. Another ad showed Baynham wearing a Biden/Harris hat and t-shirt, which turned out to be an AI-generated false accusation. When Baynham made a public statement claiming his own party forged his signature on a petition for late-term abortion, Sheriff Al Nienhuis sent two detectives to his home at the behest of the Republican Executive Committee (REC). Supporters of Baynham say it was nothing less than a "Gestapo" tactic to try and intimidate Baynham in the hopes that he would drop out of the race.

Commissioners Beth Narverud and John Allocco

Beth Narverud has remained relatively quiet until just the last week, and that's when voters began receiving mailers containing false accusations about her opponent. Amsler says he's been accused of recently moving to Hernando County, being endorsed by the Democrat Party, and making disparaging comments about Narverud's cancer diagnoses. All of which have been confirmed to be completely false. As a matter of fact, Amsler has run a very clean campaign and hasn't made a single derogatory statement about Narverud since joining the race.

Candidate Ryan Amsler

On Saturday, R News received a press release from an unknown source, announcing that an ethics complaint had been filed against Narverud for making false statements about Amsler. The statement reads as follows:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 17, 2024

Hernando County Commissioner Under Investigation Following Ethics Complaint

Brooksville, Florida - The Hernando County Commission has been thrust into the spotlight as one of its members, Commissioner Beth Narverud, is under investigation following an ethics complaint filed by several concerned citizens.

The complaint alleges that Commissioner Narverud maliciously spread false and damaging statements about her opponent Ryan Amsler, who is also a candidate for Hernando County Commission in the upcoming 2024 election. These allegations, which surfaced during the campaign, are claimed to be baseless and designed to discredit Amsler and influence the election's outcome.

False statements knowingly made by Narverud include claiming that Amsler recently moved to Hernando County, that he was endorsed by the Democratic party, and that he made disparaging comments about her cancer diagnosis. These statements, made in a series of campaign mailers, could be a violation of Florida Statute § 104.271(2).

Amsler stated, "These kinds of malicious tactics have no place in our community. We must hold our elected officials to the highest standards of integrity, and I trust that the investigation set forth by concerned citizens will bring the truth to light. I will cooperate fully as needed."

The Florida Commission on Ethics, the body responsible for investigating such complaints, has received the complaint and will be reviewing the allegations to determine if there has been a violation of Florida's Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees.

Commissioner Narverud has not commented on the investigation.

The investigation process, which could take several months, may result in penalties if the Commissioner is found in violation of the ethical standards. Furthermore, it could nullify the results of the August 20th primary.

The Hernando County community is encouraged to follow developments closely as this investigation progresses. The Commission's commitment to transparency and accountability remains steadfast, and it is imperative that all public servants uphold the values expected of them by the citizens of Hernando County.

As the election approaches, both campaigns are now under increased scrutiny. Voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on these developments at the polls as early voting began August 10, 2024.

Sheriff Nienhuis has been under fire for claiming "crime is down," hiding information about recent shootings, and ignoring an illegal slaughterhouse for several years. In just the last few days, Narverud offered her endorsement of Nienhuis, which many see as desperation on the part of the Nienhuis camp to draw support for his re-election. Narverud and Nienhuis pushed to hand over Animal Shelter operations to the Sheriff's Office until the slaughterhouse debacle forced them to shelve the plan. Only time will tell if the lies and false accusations will be enough to save the embattled incumbents.

The polls opened at 7:00 a.m. this morning and will close at 7:00 p.m. this evening for the Primary Election.