FORT PIERCE — Local leaders and elected officials are reacting to the arrest of City Commissioner James Taylor, charged with 24 felony counts related to child exploitation.
Here’s what they’ve had to say:
St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro
At a news conference shortly after his office made the arrest, St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro addressed Taylor’s position as an elected official.
“Obviously in this case he is a public official, but nobody is above the law, and this case is going to be handled with the utmost integrity and transparency and relentless follow up that we do here at the Sheriff’s Office,” Del Toro said.
Fort Pierce City Hall
Fort Pierce Marketing and Communications Manager Kaitlyn Ballard issued a statement on behalf of the city.
“The city of Fort Pierce is aware of the recent arrest of Commissioner James Taylor. We understand that this development may raise concerns within our community, and we want to reassure our residents that we remain committed to serving the public with integrity, transparency and accountability,” Ballard wrote. “While this matter is serious, it is important to recognize that the City Commission operates as a unified governing body. City functions will continue without disruption. Our dedicated staff remains focused on delivering essential services, maintaining public trust and upholding the mission and values that guide the city of Fort Pierce.”
Th.e city will make no additional comments at this time, Ballard said.
Neither City Manager Richard Chess, Mayor Linda Hudson nor commissioners Arnold Gaines and Curtis Johnson responded to requests for comment.
Commissioner Michael Broderick
For his part, City Commissioner Michael Broderick said he would like to see Taylor resign. But there still are things he and his fellow commissioners don’t know.
“It’s a very unfortunate set of circumstances. It’s very unfortunate for the families involved. It’s very unfortunate for the city of Fort Pierce,” Broderick said. “We need to wait for the process to play itself out to find out all of the facts.”
State Rep. Toby Overdorf
In a statement, state Rep. Toby Overdorf, R-Palm City, called on Gov. Ron DeSantis to suspend Taylor from the City Commission immediately, calling Taylor a “monster.” Overdorf is a member of the Governor’s Task Force Against Human Trafficking.
“The arrest of Fort Pierce City Commissioner James Taylor for 24 felony counts of child exploitation is beyond sickening — a disgusting betrayal that chills the soul,” Overdorf wrote.
“There is no room in our state for this filth — justice must be swift and unrelenting!” he also wrote.
The governor’s communications office did not respond to requests to comment.
Wicker Perlis is TCPalm’s Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at wicker.perlis@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: “Monster”: Officials react to James Taylor arrest; one calls for suspension by governor
Reporting by Wicker Perlis, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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