Did county administrator Hopes delete public records? Manatee sheriff is investigating
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has opened an investigation to determine whether former County Administrator Scott Hopes violated public records laws in his final days of employment.
In an email to the Bradenton Herald, Randy Warren, a sheriff’s office spokesperson, confirmed the ongoing investigation. Investigators are looking to determine whether Hopes deleted public records before he parted ways as the county’s top executive.
“That complaint is currently being investigated. We aren’t able to release additional details of the investigation right now,” Warren said.
Reached for comment Thursday afternoon, Hopes denied any wrongdoing. He said all of the public records on the devices in question had already been backed up to a cloud service, preserving them for any future requests.
“I’m not worried about it. Nothing was destroyed that was subject to public records,” Hopes said. “They can get all the phone records and emails they want. There are no documents that weren’t backed up.”
Hopes, who previously served as a school board member before being appointed county administrator in April 2021, recently agreed to an abrupt separation agreement. The Manatee County Commission voted unanimously in February to accept his resignation.
Speaking with the Bradenton Herald for the first time since the sudden departure from his role as county administrator, Hopes declined to provide details about why he left the county.
He said “an opportunity” became available that he plans to reveal in the coming weeks.
Why is Hopes under investigation?
In response to a record request about Hopes’ electronic devices, the county provided a timeline of the government’s Information Technology Department’s final interactions with Hopes.
According to county staff, Hopes “wiped” his county-issued iPhone and iPad.
According to the complaint filed with the sheriff’s office, the deletion of the records on Hopes’ electronic devices could be a violation of public record laws.
Speaking with the Herald, Hopes confirmed that he fully erased his devices and suggested he had permission from IT staff. He said the emails, phone call records and other documents still exist online.
Michael Barfield, a Sarasota-based paralegal, forwarded the county’s timeline to the sheriff’s office on Feb. 23, noting that he believes Hopes broke the law by erasing his iPhone and iPad.
“I certainly had questions about the propriety of Dr. Hopes’ actions,” Barfield said in an interview with the Bradenton Herald. “I think there could be potential violations of the Public Records Act.”
Barfield, who filed a public records lawsuit against the county in August, said his tip to the sheriff’s office is separate from the ongoing legal battle with the county.
The sheriff’s office is expected to announce the results of its investigations at a later date.
This story was originally published March 13, 2023 at 6:50 AM.
