By CAROL KENT SMITH
The State Attorney’s Office has confirmed that an investigation regarding accusations the Holmes County Development Commission (HCDC) violated Florida’s Sunshine Law has resulted in second-degree misdemeanor charges for two members of its board.
The investigation, opened last October, stemmed from alleged private discussions regarding officer nominees for the upcoming year.
State Attorney Larry Basford confirmed his office direct filed complaints charging Stephanie Smith Cloud with one Sunshine Law Violation, and HCDC Executive Director Joe Rone with Conspiracy to Commit a Sunshine Law Violation.
According to affidavits filed with the Holmes County Courthouse, investigators state there was a “clear violation of Sunshine Law.”
“The Executive Director, Joe Rone and the Development Commission member, Stephanie Cloud, have been warned many times that the Development Commission did fall under Sunshine Law, and they needed to conduct business accordingly,” wrote the investigator in the report.
The report went on to state Rone committed a Sunshine Law violation by providing Cloud with a list of names of potential officer candidates and told her to contact other board members and discuss these names and nominations. After receiving the directive from Rone, Cloud
contacted other members of the nominating committee and discussed the names and nominations, speaking to more than one member about the list and leaving a voicemail on another member’s phone talking about the list.
According to court documents, this was conducted outside of the public setting and no meeting minutes were kept and confirmed through emails, individual statements, and public records. Investigators further stated that Rone and Cloud each said this was “common practice among the board.”
Both Cloud and Rone were issued a Notice to Appear and have arraignment dates set for Thursday, July 10.
Staff Report 
Terra Maples 