Matlow no longer in race for Florida Democratic Party Chairman

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A little over two weeks after putting his name in the running to lead the Florida Democratic Party a Tallahassee city commissioner has now withdrawn his name.

Jeremy Matlow, seat 3 on the city commission, said he got into the race initially after seeing “an abuse of power” from Florida Republicans.

“Over the last couple of weeks however, we’ve seen some alarming parallels in city government,” Matlow said.

Matlow said revelations of City Manager Reese Goad blocking staff level access to public documents has become an issue that “needs my undivided attention over the next month.”

Matlow said a treasurer clerk’s employee with the city had his public records access revoked “by the city manager.”

“We have an imminently qualified attorney who makes her opinions based on the law and we had our city manager directly challenge those opinions,” Matlow said. “This is a huge overreach of authority and to our checks and balances of government.”

Matlow said he raised the issue at the last city commission meeting.

“Was he consulting with outside attorneys to challenge the city attorney on legal guidance,” Matlow asked Goad during the previous meeting. “And he didn’t really give solid answers so we really don’t know what the motivation was.”

Right now it is not clear why the one treasurer clerk’s employee had access revoked. But Matlow said he believes rejecting legal guidance from the city attorney puts the entire commission in danger of a liability.

“You can be sued personally and be held liable if you don’t follow the law and the legal guidance given,” Matlow said.

WCTV reached out to City Manager Reese Goad for comment on the situation. In a statement provided to WCTV, Goad said “I have no comment about this political theater by Jeremy or his political aspirations.”