Agents raid DeBary City Hall, search for evidence city manager broke Sunshine Law

DEBARY, Fla. — Tens of thousands of emails are in the hands of state investigators after agents raided DeBary City Hall looking for evidence the city manager broke the Sunshine Law.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents and the State Attorney’s Office officials left with copies of 37,000 emails Wednesday.

A search warrant cited probable cause that DeBary City Manager Dan Parrott violated open government law by improperly conducting public business my email.

Parrott wouldn’t speak to Channel 9 on camera, but said on the phone that it all leads back to the city’s controversial push for a land deal, that would allow it to develop 100 acres of conservation land near the SunRail station.

He said a complaint by a DeBary residents sparked the State Attorney’s Office and FDLE’s search.

He said it was retaliation for his failure to back down on what’s become a heated topic.

Parrott claims only five of the 37,000 email are related to the land issue, and will show that he did not break the law.

The warrant only covered emails between the city manager and city council members, not Mayor Clint Johnson.

But Channel 9 uncovered a public records request filed by the mayor a week ago, looking for the same records.

In that request, the mayor writes to Parrott, “It has come to my attention that you have repeatedly sent emails to the council and not included the elected mayor.”

Parrot responded with, “That’s almost 1,000 messages.”

Clint’s attorney said Clint could not comment on the raid, because he is in the middle of own fight with the city council to keep his office.

The council is expected to decide next month if Clint should forfeit his position due to accusations he violated the city’s charter by ordering around staff, which is not allowed.

Cox Media Group