ORLANDO, Fla. – The chairman of the Florida Commission on Ethics resigned Tuesday, putting to rest concerns about his position in light of his $400,000-a-year job as administrator for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
Glenton Gilzean submitted his resignation to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office saying that “prudence dictates that I discontinue serving in one of the two positions.”
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”While serving as a member and Chairman of the Florida Commission on Ethics, I was committed to safeguarding the standards of conduct for officers and employees of the state of Florida. I am proud of our work, and I will always be grateful for the confidence the Governor demonstrated in me by affording me the privilege to serve. It has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Gilzean wrote.
Gilzean was appointed to the Florida Commission on Ethics by DeSantis in 2019.
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Earlier this year he took the job as administrator for the CFTOD, the agency overseeing Walt Disney World property which was remade by the Florida Legislature earlier this year with a board of supervisors appointed by the governor.
However, amid media scrutiny, the commission’s general counsel issued a legal opinion earlier this month, saying that since Gilzean is drawing a salary with the CFTOD, he is a public employee and therefore is not allowed to serve on the commission, according to Florida law.
In his letter, Gilzean said when he first learned of the administrator position, he discussed the job with commission staff, including the commission’s general counsel, to find out if there was any conflict of interest. He said he was told of no potential issues.
“At the time of accepting my position at the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, it was my understanding that there was no issue in continuing to serve as a member of the Florida Commission on Ethics,” Gilzean wrote.
Gilzean also criticized general counsel in the letter for releasing its legal opinion to the media, saying the memorandum “mischaracterized previous communications I had with him while seeking legal advice.”
“Regardless of the intention behind these actions, they should serve as a clear warning to any other Commissioners who may be put in a situation where they need to seek legal advice or guidance related to their Board service from Commission staff,” Gilzean wrote.
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