The FBI is in the process of interviewing six of the seven members of the Fort Myers City Council, as well as the city manager and other high ranking officials.
Michael Flanders, one of the councilmen recently interviewed, said he wasn’t told what prompted the investigation.
“The FBI and US Attorney said first of all, one of the things they do in their jobs is look at political corruption,” he explained. “Then they asked some questions about some particular projects. They said they had some inquiries into some projects and they wanted to ask council members and city staff questions about it.”
Flanders said investigators asked about a five-year-old riverfront hotel development project, the city’s purchase of property owned by a Fort Myers businessman and the recent firing of Harborside Event Center director Rose Rundle.
Rundle, who managed the city’s Harborside Event Center, was fired last month after an investigation revealed bad management practices.
The News Press reported Flanders added items to Monday’s City Council meeting to discuss Rundle’s firing. One item would give her a chance to respond to charges of mismanagement directed against her.
