Glen Gilzean has resigned from the Florida Commission on Ethics in order to keep his $400,000 per year job as executive director of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, according to WESH 2 News.
What’s Happening:
- Gilzean’s resignation comes after a legal opinion was released, determining he should not hold that post and serve as Florida’s ethics commission chairman.
- State law does not allow public employees to serve on the government watchdog panel, Steven Zuilkowski, the ethics commission’s general counsel, wrote in the analysis.
- Gilzean handed in his resignation letter Tuesday, which WESH 2 News obtained a copy of. It reads, in part:
- "It recently came to my attention that my position as District Administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District may not be compatible with my position as a member and Chairman of the Florida Commission on Ethics. After reviewing the matter with legal counsel, I have decided that prudence dictates that I discontinue serving in one of the two positions. Therefore, I respectfully tender my resignation from the Florida Commission on Ethics, effective immediately."
- Despite asking for the opinion himself, Gilzean stated that the ethics commission “weaponized” their memo.
- Gilzean was first appointed to the ethics commission in August 2019, and was named the district administrator of the CFTOD on May 10th of this year.
- The district’s five board members, who approved the hiring, are also appointed by the governor.