An otherwise limited and routine Flagler County Commission meeting this morning was punctuated on three occasions by comments or discussion about Commissioner Joe Mullins’s behavior on his Facebook page, and a request from three residents that he be “censured” by the County Commission. But Dave Sullivan, the newly installed chairman of the commission, said he would not allow the matter to become commission business.
“I’m not going to allow the board to discuss that directly,” Sullivan said. “I consider it mostly a private matter. This board will never agree to any form of census [he meant censorship], of keeping information from the public, of any type of controlling information. However, we always want to use good language and take into consideration that people may have different views. But as far as the board goes and unless the rest of the board differs with me, I’m just not going to allow us to discuss that here at the board because I consider it to be a private matter.”
None of the board members challenged Sullivan’s decision or asked to speak just then, but moments later Mullins said he would “always exercise my First Amendment right. I don’t try to take it from anyone. I just want it to be fair, I want it to be a situation to where both sides of the story are told, and I damn sure don’t want to be intimidated by anyone.” He alleged, without examples, that there’d been “a lot of dialogue and intimidation,” before switching to talking about the president. But when he said he’s always respected the president, whoever was in office, and segued into speaking about “socialism” not being something he preaches or likes, Sullivan stopped him: “I asked that we not further discuss it because it’s not an issue I want the board to get involved in,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan did not hide his exasperation with the issue in an interview after the meeting. “The person to stop it is Joe, he just stops responding, it’ll begin to end the situation,” Sullivan said, referring to Mullins’s back-and-forth instigations with commenters on his Facebook page. “It’s not an easy thing to handle because I don’t want to limit people’s expression, but I do think when he sits there as a board member, I do have the ability to restrict him. I don’t know. It’s not a good situation.”
Sullivan said he was intent not only on stopping any discussion about Mullins’s dealings on his own Facebook page, but also about Mullins’s more recent intimations that he wanted some sort of regulation or “policy” about local media–matters on which neither Mullins nor the commission have a say.
“Other Counties are taking action to identify credible news outlets and a stron [sic.] policy for everyone to follow,” Mullins wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday. Mullins often makes unsupported statements. There are no local governments “taking action” that way. At most, larger state and federal agencies at times provide credentials to enable access to certain sensitive areas, but otherwise no local government has the authority to regulate news organizations’ work in any way, let alone define news organizations, as Mullins–who has taken to calling FlaglerLive “fake news”–intimated he wanted to do.
Mullins at the end of the meeting today again alluded cryptically to taking such steps: “Hearing some of the media stuff, it’s probably time to look at some of this media stuff a little closer and how we go about it and what we do, qualifying it, that’s something maybe in the future we need to look at.”
Other commissioners are intent on preventing that.
“I would not be interested in having that discussion, period. Unless Al told us differently, I think our policies are just fine,” Commissioner Donald O’Brien said after the meeting. “Commissioners can sit up there and say anything they want, they can say it on social media, they can say it at a public meeting, they can say it in an email, they can say it in an OpEd, it doesn’t mean I agree with it.”
“Most of this mishegoss–that’s a yiddish term–is just what it is: it’s nonsense. It just reinforces to me why so many normal people don’t participate in social media.”
O’Brien had been especially irritated by the discussion during the meeting, after hearing public comments and getting a sense of the issue, about which he said he’d known almost nothing beforehand. “A lot of this discussion I felt like I walked in in the middle of the movie, right in the middle and didn’t know what the heck was going on,” O’Brien said. “There’s also an opinion out there that most of this mishegoss–that’s a yiddish term–is just what it is: it’s nonsense. It just reinforces to me why so many normal people don’t participate in social media, because it’s just nonsense. I just wanted to say that. It’s frustrating that we have to waste a lot of time.”
Sullivan echoed O’Brien, stressing that no county policies would change, especially regatrding the county’s relationship with media. “I did not want to force the commission at an official meeting to have to address an issue like censorship and that kind of thing,” Sullivan said. “I don’t think anyone else on the board has any desire to do anything that would restrict freedom of the press, and if all of a sudden we came up with a rule along those lines I think it would be quickly challenged.”
Mullins maintains an active Facebook page where he lists himself as a county commissioner, among other things. He discusses county issues and showcases his support for Donald Trump, often through abrasive statements generally demeaning to the opposition, in a style closely cribbed from Trump’s own social media bare-knuckled pugilism. Mullins appears to relish provoking verbal confrontations with readers in comments to his posts, in turn drawing questions from constituents to the county administration about the propriety of his behavior.
“I find your comments on that Facebook page offensive, divisive, and beneath the dignity of the office that you hold. Your comments do not help to bring us together,” Edith Campins, a local resident, told him at this morning’s commission meeting. The comments, she said, “incite violence, and they’re really beneath the office that he holds, and they deserve public condemnation.”
County Attorney Al Hadeed drew a line between the Mullins page and county business–a line he cautioned against crossing. The county does not sponsor, curate, finance, review, comment on, have anything to do with any of the Facebook pages or other personal activities of the county commissioners,” Hadeed said. “Now it is true that by discussing county business on his Facebook page that he maintains personally, he may have other obligations of the law. The only requirement–and I pointed this out to Ms. Jane Gentile Youd, who had posed the same question–and that is, he is not permitted to represent that he is presenting the official county Facebook. He is permitted to talk about public matters on his Facebook, just as commissioners may with their personal email accounts talk about personal matters–I mean public matters. But there are consequences that flow from that choice that is made by the commissioner. It does not violate any rule of the county. Again, provided that there’s no representation that it is the official county position.”
Mike Cocchiola, a local Democratic Party leader, had begun the meeting’s public comment segment by imploring commissioners to focus on local issues. (Mullins’s “Focus on Flagler” ballcap, which he would at times place on the dais, was not in evidence at this meeting.)
“It’s been a fairly tumultuous year,” Cocchiola said. “We’ve had some large issues to deal with, and some of those issues are going into the next year, and the only way we’re going to solve those issues is working together as a community, bringing everybody together, forgetting about outside politics, forgetting about all of that. This is Flagler.” He said he was imploring the commission “to urge that kind of thing, to work together as Flagler, to work together as a community, to keep us local.”
Kathy Austrino, a Realtor who spoke as a representative of the TAGVBear Foundation, a local non-profit that supports children in families facing adversity, spoke of her work for the foundation in preparation for Thanksgiving. She cited “one example of the many times” Mullins referred to Austrino and her work in a ridiculing way. She then cited various Mullins posts deriding Trump opponents or claiming that “we’re coming for you.” (Austrino says she’s a “big ole Trumpkin,” but opposes “division” or intimidation.) Austrino–a supporter of Nate McLaughlin, whom Mullins defeated a year ago–read from a three-page statement she then handed off to Jilli Nel, because of time constraints during the public comment segment.
The two women at the beginning and end of the meeting went through variously insulting and demeaning Mullins statements from his Facebook page (referring to one resident–the sole provider, disabled mother of three who works at a fast-food restaurant–as “Cheesburger Chelsea,” telling a former county commission candidate to “please shut your bitter mouth”) before listing a series of requests of the commission, among them the request to “censure” Mullins. They also asked to see proof that Sullivan and County Administrator Jerry Cameron had paid for the tickets to a recent University of Florida football game, where they were featured in selfies with Mullins. (Both said they paid their own way. Sullivan said his ticket was in the $250 range. Cameron said he would make the documentation available publicly.)
Sullivan, a friend of Mullins’s, acknowledged in the interview after the meeting: “He put me in a very difficult position.”
The commission was expected to take one step that could silence Mullins–at least in so far as his social media activity during county commission meetings is concerned: the commission is considering prohibition commissioners’ use of cell phones during meetings. Two weeks ago the Observer’s Brian McMillan reported that Mullins was posting “a pro-Trump meme on Facebook,” drawing rebukes from readers telling him to focus on the commission meeting. Mullins subsequently told the Observer that the Trump meme “was actually scheduled by his marketing team in advance.”
FlaglerLive relies on a strong core of donors. But they’re just a fraction of the 25,000 readers who daily depend on FlaglerLive for reliable, fearless reporting and analysis you cannot get anywhere else. If you’re still on the sidelines, we need you to join the Friends of FlaglerLive today. Elections, storms, the latest catastrophe - when dependable and factual local reporting will be more essential than ever, take a stand for integrity and have a direct voice in fostering serious journalism in your community. As little as $10 makes a difference, or better still, become a monthly donor: Become a "Friend of" FlaglerLive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit news organization. Donations are tax deductible. Think of it as buying a "scoop", in every sense of the term!
Reader Interactions
Comments
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Brian says
Oh boohooboohoo – poor snowflakes shedding more liberal tears. Maybe Sullivan can create a safe space in the council chambers, complete with unicorns and teddybears.
Chelsea Hawk says
Thank you for writing all of this up. It might just be social media, and meaningless in its own way, but we deserve better from our representatives than Joe Mullins. He and his supporters can insult and name call all they want, and yes, it gets heated from both sides, but this man is a public official and if he can’t be professional when he’s dealing with the public, then maybe he needs to find another job.
Steve says
Let him speak, the more he does the more foolish he sounds and looks. Go do another shady Real Estate deal with your buddies. Keep winning lol
Kathy Austrino says
Here is the 147 pages that I brought with me.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/103atoyHoe1TUgJpBkjCaW0gLpe0A-ETE/view?usp=drivesdk
Percy's mother says
No one is going to read it. Important only to the writer of the 147 pages.
How much time was spent putting 147 pages together when that time could have been spent doing something constructive?
All for naught. What did it accomplish?
Jane Gentile-Youd says
My heartfelt thanks to all who took their precious time today to speak out expressing their frustration and anger at Commissioner Joe Mullin’s behavior , (even though they spoke mainly to ‘deaf ears’) . Every word uttered by each speaker was not only from the heart, unfortunately every word was ( is) true.
There is nothing gentleman like about Joe Mullins; he uses his wealth to try to enrich his importance like his rambling about his business ventures and today added his trip to the Bahamas regarding a truck WE, the county, not him, are donating as a county ( and as stated by a resident he will probably deduct this jaunt as a ‘business’ expense).
Mullin’s attempt to’ extinguish’ FlaglerLive.com by ‘pulling his account ads’ for daring to share Joe’s most recent irrational and sick , almost threatening comments, will hopefully have the complete opposite effect of an increase of avid readerships. I am so indebted to Flagler Live and to Pierre for facts and details that most of us don’t have the ability to get our own hands on. Flagler Live is not a major corporation – it is a husband and wife team of very dedicated citizens who have chosen a very rocky road to pursue because of their high morals and values and their desire to see our world go in the right direction.
Finally, before I forget, is my utter dismay that the county attorney has never once sent an official e-mail, or publicly stated until today that the county has ‘no control’ over a commissioner’s actions – even though threats signed by Mr. Mullins as a County Commissioner have been sent via county e-mail to several residents, separate and apart from his FaceBook page, a/k/a his’ SPACE BOOK’ page postings. Mr. Hadeed has the power, he has the right and he certainly has the proof to contact Governor DeSantis who is the sole person with the power to strip Mullins of his taxpayer funded ‘game show’ total failure ( my opinion) of a county commissioner.
I have lots of homework to do beginning with efforts for those of us in Florida who live in ‘non’ Charter Counties, like Flagler, to be able to re-call a sitting elected official via petition afforded only to Charter Counties ( like Miami-Dade) where several re-calls were successful, including one for the then mayor. The thought of having to stomach for 3 more years a 5 year old making decisions regarding my health, welfare , safety and quality of life is a potential ‘illness’ not covered under my medical insurance.
Pierre – sometimes I disagree with your semi editorials but when it comes down to what really matters, issues affecting my county, I am so grateful to you and Flagler Live.
Trump's Sharpie says
Commissioner Mullins – proof that money doesn’t buy class or brains.
My days of not taking him seriously seem to have come to a middle.
Layla says
This serves to demonstrate why it is so important to check these candidates out before you vote. Elections have serious consequences and we all know how to Google. The behavior which Mr. Mullins exhibits here was known about before he was elected. Many still refuse to believe it, yet here it is. When he could be supportive, he chooses instead to denigrate or to self promote. I thought there were sunshine laws prohibiting the socializing of two commissioners, but I guess I must be wrong about that. Mr. Cameron, it looks to me like it is time to replace you. I don’t think people are feeling very comfortable about any of this.
Mary Fusco says
Sorry, but all elected officials, including our President, need to get off of social media and take care of business. They need to grow up. It is really rather juvenile.
JT says
Well said Mary. Likewise for BOCCs meetings…. this should should be a problem solving forum. Unfortunately within, are non-productive pulpit events…attacks on Commissioners and our Attorney by the some of the public. We spin our wheels on what was said , when they said it, who went to a football game -did you pay for your ticket? Really? Tax dollars hard at work? Not!
We are out of control, and severely impact the ability of these elected officials to do their jobs. And, when attacked, they will defend their rights as citizens too.
These are OUR elected officials who need to focus on the many problems this County has…infrastructure, responsible economic growth , strategic partnerships for the future. Come on Flagler County citizens, let the elected officials do their job!
Respectfully submitted….
PA says
I would just like to say that due to a media that refuses to speak the truth, or give allotted time to every politician, regardless of media views –
Sometimes the only way to speak to the public is through these social networks –
Fredrick says
Seriously… this is what the council wants to spend its time on? and this is what people of the county want to waste time with? If you don’t like what he says, and you are “offended” stay off his Facebook page. It’s your choice to go there.
Kathy Austrino says
I rarely go to his. Thursday, Thanksgiving, he came on mine.
Fredrick says
Apparently “rarely” is what got you started. You tried to troll the “Troll” and when the “Troll” strikes you get offended. People like that will always strike back and stay at it. They want a response from you. Ignore it and it will go away. Welcome to the world.
Me says
Awesome!!! Best comment ever
Bill says
That is way to simple of a answer for many to comprehend.
Percy's mother says
What a bunch of petty stupidity, AND waste of time during a commission meeting.
Why are people wasting their time reading Joe Mullins’ Facebook posts if what he writes upsets them so much (which in itself is laughable . . . getting upset over a social media post).
Is Kathy Austrino, a realtor, an adult person? Why is she getting all bent out of shape over Joe Mullins? One would imagine if Ms. Austrino, a realtor, is so very busy running a nonprofit, she wouldn’t have time to spend in a commission meeting crying about what Joe Mullins is doing or not doing on Facebook.
What a bunch of immature, supposed adults. Get over it and attend to your own business people.
Name (required) says
Well, Narcissists love narcissists as it shows,
and On “fake news,” it’s best summarized by Agent K, Men in Black…
“A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals. Fifteen hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat. And fifteen minutes ago, you knew that people were alone on this planet. Imagine what you’ll know tomorrow.“
Lynn Hendrickson says
I am a Rockefeller Republican. I was a Registered Republican for 44 years until the 2016 election when the Republican Party DIED. I am one of the highly educated suburban Women that the Media talks about all the time that has been lost to the Republican Party. Commissioner Mullin’s words convinces me that it WILL be FOREVER. There is no room in any County, City, or State in this Nation for the kind of HATE that Commissioner Mullins SPEWS OUT!. When I worked, I was required to check my politics at the door. If I had demonstrated any bias to any candidate or party, I would have been fired. During my 30+ years, I never ever had a supervisor discuss politics, party, or candidate with me. During my 30+ years, I have met several prominent politicians including Mayors Bloomberg(R) and Koch(D), House of Representatives Peter King(R), and Nita Lowey(D) and never did they ever speak or communicate the way Commissioner Mullins communicates to his constituents. His words are UNACCEPTABLE as an elected official regardless of whether they are on his PUBLIC or PRIVATE FACEBOOK PAGE. High School Children in Flagler County have been ARRESTED with the same kind of THREATS that Commissioner Mullins used! Where is Sheriff Staly on these threats?
Steve Robinson says
It’s heartening to hear the voices of citizens who took the time to come to the commission meeting to perform a basic, civic duty: Defending a free press. It’s especially gratifying to know that at least some of these voices belong to people who admit to sharing Mullins’s political views, but condemn his rhetoric and his mindless bullying. And it’s encouraging that Mullins’s fellow commissioners are clearly disgusted by his behavior, even though they are somewhat constrained in their ability to take corrective action. The folks who spoke out at today’s meeting covered most of the bases, but I’ll add this: Mullins only sees Flagler as a “Trump county,” and while the county certainly voted by a wide margin for Trump–and, sadly, will probably do so again–a county commissioner, once he is elected, represents everyone. The goals and aspirations and, yes, the opinions, of all his constituents need to be respected, if he is to be taken seriously. His absurd behavior to this point draws a self-portrait of a ridiculous man who is impossible to take seriously.
Trailer Bob says
Bingo Steve. As a lifelong Republican, I cannot condone behavior and commentary as inappropriate as has been brought up in these comments, from an elected official. There was a much higher ethical bar for elected officials when I was a politician up north. I personally believed and performed likewise that I was elected to represent the voters…all of them, regardless of party affiliation. If you want to be different and actually do what you are elected to so, as I did, you can still be different AND have a little fun along the way (like my only wearing sandals at meetings, not always creating controversy or contempt towards the “other side”, and actually always remembering that THE PEOPLE of my district elected me to do THEIR business.
In this county I see not only the damage done by opening mouth before putting brain in gear, but also the laziness of many elected officials who seem to think this is only a way to get another paycheck , while doing very little that is demanded by the residents, regardless of whether they voted for you or not, are Republican, Democrat, or any other part for that matter. When in office I have a saying…”people are what we work for, not party. Yes there are differences in the various political parties, but at the end of the day, we were elected to WORK for the PEOPLE and always do the right thing for the PEOPLE, even if we didn’t always totally agree or understand the voters positions on issues. We need to bring respect and responsibility back into our politics, so next time you vote, take the time to understand the candidates and what they really believe in rather than treating your voting rights as a party game. Pick the best people who will make you proud and who will fight like hell for Flagler County. This is NOT a Monopoly game. The people, we the people, deserve better. Remember that on election day and also try to find out who the candidate are, what they believe in, and not so much about the party they ended up being a part of. I voted mostly Republican in the last election, yet I am far from pleased with the results as well as the circus I have to read about lately. It is embarrassing, to say the least.
Percy's mother says
I’m not upset about what Joe Mullins posts on his Facebook and/or any other social media because I don’t waste my time participating in it.
How about getting off social media, going out and actually LIVING and then there won’t be anything to get so upset about
No one is forcing you people to read Joe Mullins’ social media posts.
This is all incredibly laughable.
Fredrick says
Applause!!
Willy Boy says
Bought a bunch of signs, stuck ’em in the ground at intersections and Voila! He’s elected. Makes sense.
palmcoaster says
Mullins getting back at the media that thank God keeps us informed of all the criminal activities taking place today, is just one more copy cat form of Trumpomaniacs.
Dedicated American says
Hey You Guys….do you all notice how Mullins addresses commissioners and voters. “ HEY YOU GUYS “. Sad to say he certainly is not a polished person. He supposedly represents the western part of our county and the residents of Plantation Bay. Mullins could have been the deciding vote to stop ICI, Mori Housanni from opening up a new 69 acres with over 300 more homes being built that will add to more problems with their questionable utility. Mullins voted YES on the Development. And he is suppose to represent the Plantation Bay residents??? Follow the money donated to his campaign fund and also Greg Hansen’s. He has struck out twice now let’s see where he takes his baggage and goes next.
William Moya says
Not only do we have a flock of county commissioners of the retrograde persuasion, but in Mullins, a full fledged fascist cloned in the same cloth as a mini-Trump. I was somewhat disappointed at Mike response, who is a friend and my leader, I sincerely hope that my allegiance does not damage his reputation, after all we are democrats, children of the Age of Reason, and not automatons goose stepping into oblivion.
CB from PC says
I look at visiting Mullins’s
Facebook page like going to a Porn site. If it offends you, don’t “visit”.
Mullins was paying and supporting Flaglerlive in SPITE of it’s Anti-Trump, Anti-Republican, Pro-Liberal bent. He stopped.
There is an old saying “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you”.
There is a local upcoming election. VOTE ALL THESE INCUMBENTS OUT. In other words, drain this cesspool.
Julie says
Read the article again! They will not silence Joe because his social media is his own private business as they stated! If you don’t agree or like what Joe puts on social media then block him! There are many of us that do agree with him and share his politcal views!! Just like the liberals we the conservative have the right to free speech!
Layla says
Joe Mullins, the gift that keeps on giving. I remember when media used to vet these candidates.
jack says
He and his supporters can insult and name call all they want, and yes, it gets heated from both sides, but this man is a public official and if he can’t be professional when he’s dealing with the public, then maybe he needs to find another job.
Thomas says
Voters get what the vote for. They should have perceived thay Mullins is a con artist