Charges pending against Seminole County tax collector after altercation

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Charges were pending against Seminole County Tax Collector Ray Valdes Friday after a scuffle at a political event, Altamonte Springs police said.

The incident happened Thursday between Valdes and a political blogger.

Cellphone video of the altercation shows the blogger, Jacob Engels, asking Valdes about allegations of nepotism.

"Did you hire your sister-in-law?" Engels asked.

"You're a liar, and my sister-in-law does not work for (me)," Valdes responded. "You're lying."

At that point in the video, it appears that Valdes reached to grab the blogger's cellphone.

"Give me my phone. Give me my phone," Engels said in the video.

“Mr. Valdes embarrassed himself. He violated an informal code of conduct among elected officials, and now voters will decide whether that matters,” said WFTV Political Analyst Dr. Rick Foglesong.

Engels owns the blog, Seminole County Post, which recently featured articles accusing Valdes of abusing his position and of nepotism, while praising his opponent, Joel Greenberg, who gave a witness statement to police.

“The presence of his opponent suggests that Mr. Valdes was provoked in his response to the blogger, who was asking him these hard questions. Nonetheless, Mr. Valdes clearly overreacted,” Foglesong said.

Foglesong explained that tax collectors have a tendency to stay in office a long time, based on name recognition and endorsements.

Valdes has been at the helm since 1988.

“At minimum, he owes an apology to the questioner, but he also owes an apology, in my judgment, to the people who elected him,” said Foglesong.

9 Investigates reported last month about ethics violations against Valdes when allegations surfaced that he used his office to profit off of the selling of tax certificates.

Police did not specify what charges they were filing against Valdes.

Follow @KRayWFTV on Twitter for more updates on this developing story.

Cox Media Group