Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony faces disciplinary action over driver's license omission
FORT LAUDERDALE - Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony faces disciplinary action from the state for reportedly failing to disclose that his Pennsylvania driver's license had been suspended when he applied for a Florida license in 2019.
Meeting in Lake Mary, just north of Orlando, the Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission handed down the punishment on Thursday in the wake of a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation which found Tony omitted important information while applying for a Florida driver's license.
The FDLE had recommended a six-month suspension of Tony's law enforcement license. An administrative law judge had recommended 18 months' probation, ethics training and a reprimand.
"The Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission is an independent body. FDLE's role in the CJSTC is to review materials and provide a recommendation, but it is merely a recommendation. There are many instances when the CJSTC deviates from recommendations from FDLE or any other body," FDLE said in a written statement.
In the end, the commission only gave Tony a written reprimand. In a statement, Tony said the punishment he received is actually a counseling letter, which is considered a less severe corrective measure.
"Sheriff Tony would like to clarify that the Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission does not issue "written reprimands," as that term has been used; rather, the Commission issues counseling letters. Thank you, Sheriff Tony has no further comment regarding today's Commission meeting," the statement read.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation
The FDLE investigation found that when Tony applied for a Florida driver's license, he didn't disclose that his license had been suspended while living in Pennsylvania.
During the commission hearing, Tony's attorney tried to get that tossed out by challenging the testimony of the clerk that questioned Tony about his driving history but that didn't stick.
"There's no way we can dismiss based on the mountain of evidence we have," said commission member Jeffrey Pearson.
Tony's lawyer then asked the commission to only reprimand the sheriff. The commission granted that request.
"If the governor had any issue with what he was doing, he would have been removed. So, at this point, I would second any motion for a written reprimand," said commission member Christopher Nebbeling.
Tony is still fighting separate allegations of lying about his criminal history when being appointed as sheriff and while applying to become a Coral Springs police officer.