Controversial Osceola Co. Clerk of Courts plans to run again

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Osceola County Clerk of Courts Armando Ramirez told Channel 9's Jorge Estevez he plans to run again.

The announcement comes after a recent incident where he allegedly called Sheriff’s deputies on a woman he had just fired.

Estevez spoke with Ramirez Thursday because he wanted to clarify the actions of his office.

Ramirez told Estevez that he was forced to make tough decisions and he does not answer to his detractors, just to voters who put him in office.

“I feel relieved, because she was undermining my administration with her dereliction of duty,” Ramirez said of the employee he fired.

The latest incident was detailed in a Sheriff’s office report involving former employee Lynn Greenwood, who was fired after more than 20 years of service in the finance department.

“[She] was not doing her job, not performing bank reconciliations, the basic elementary things people should do,” Ramirez said.

He did not give exact details as to why she was fired but insisted it was justified.

He told WFTV he was not in the office when she was dismissed.

Ramirez's staff, with his approval, called deputies when they thought she was leaving the building after being dismissed, with documents in her bag.

“I must protect the documents. I cannot allow anyone to take documents that don't belong to them outside the building,” Ramirez said.

Attorney Ken Komara was representing Greenwood at the time of the search.

"There was no cause to search her as she was leaving,” Komara said.

The Sheriff’s Office report states Greenwood had two checks made out to vendors.

Greenwood is one of three recent firings from Ramirez's office, none of whom was Hispanic.

"I look for academic credit entail and skill. I do not care if they are from any race or color or ethnicity," Ramirez said.

Ramirez told Estevez he did not see a pattern related to the employees he has hired and fired.

WFTV