DeSantis suspends Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa after arrest; vice mayor takes over, city says

Gov. Ron DeSantis has suspended Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa from office, and Vice Mayor Angela Eady has taken over as mayor, the city told news outlets.¹² WFTV, which read the text of Executive Order 26-226 supplied to it, reported that the order was signed Oct. 30 and stamped as filed with the Department of State at 2:47 p.m. that day.³ The city shared the order with WKMG News 6 on Oct. 31 and put out a news release about the suspension at midnight, News 6 and Fox 35 reported.⁴¹

According to WFTV, the order takes effect immediately and removes Espinosa from her duties as mayor and as holder of City Commission Seat 5, and cuts off her pay, allowances and other privileges of the office while it lasts. It holds until the governor issues another order or the law provides otherwise, and it does not remove her permanently. WFTV also reported that the order asks the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to help with the transition.³

The criminal case

The order says Espinosa, who it says was elected in November 2024, was arrested Oct. 21 on two felony counts, grand theft (section 812.014(2)(b)(1), Florida Statutes) and scheme to defraud (section 817.034(4)(a)(1)), WFTV reported. The outlet noted that the charges are accusations and do not establish guilt, and that the text it received left out the warrant, affidavit and charging document the order lists as attachments.³

News 6 reported that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement made the arrest and that Espinosa is accused of using her position to obtain COVID-19 relief grants for her businesses and her family’s, a combined $50,000 through the city’s BOOST 2.0 program. It reported that she denies the accusation and says the program’s money was earmarked well before she took office.⁴ Judge Hal C. Epperson set bond at $70,000, Spectrum News 13 reported.⁵ Fox 35 reported that she posted bond and has a next court date of Dec. 1.⁶

“Mayor Espinosa maintains her innocence,” her attorney said in a statement Fox 35 published.⁶ In a statement to News 6, the attorney said the state must prove criminal intent and that Espinosa deserves “the presumption of innocence.” News 6 reported that it had contacted her defense team and had not heard back.⁴

Who runs the city

Eady holds the job until the suspension is lifted or the mayoral term runs out, whichever is sooner, Positively Osceola reported.² The city’s website lists Eady as vice mayor and as holder of Seat 2 since 2022; she also served on the commission from 2016 to 2020.⁷

Seat 2 is temporarily vacant as a result, under Section 25 of the City Charter. Remaining commissioners are to fill it by majority vote, and the appointee would not be vice mayor; without an appointment, the charter calls for a special election, Positively Osceola and Fox 35 reported. No timeline had been announced, Positively Osceola reported.²¹

In a message to residents Oct. 31, Eady said all share the goal of “a stronger, safer, more prosperous city,” News 6 reported.⁴

What the records do not show

• SignalData could not open the executive order or the court file for this report, so the order’s contents here come from outlets that read it, chiefly WFTV.
• WFTV reported that the order text it received leaves open what Espinosa is alleged to have done, how much money is at issue and whether the accusations are tied to her official duties.³
• The reports describe the second charge differently: “scheme to defraud” in WFTV, “organized scheme to defraud” in News 6.³⁴
• None of the reports SignalData read gives the date the current mayoral term ends.
• No court has ruled on the charges in any report SignalData read.