Florida governor suspends Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Kissimmee Mayor Eva Jacqulyn “Jackie” Espinosa after she became involved in an investigation into alleged violations of the state ethics law and following her arrest on allegations of fraud and grand theft. Vice Mayor Angela Eady will take over as mayor of Kissimmee until Espinosa’s suspension is lifted or her term ends. The suspension comes amid multiple investigations involving Espinosa tied to the Boost 2.0 economic grant program—an issue that has led to both ethics allegations and criminal charges against the mayor. Details of the scandal involving the mayor The Puerto Rican mayor was arrested on Oct. 21 on fraud charges related to grants that businesses linked to her and her family members received through the Boost 2.0 program, which was funded with federal dollars to help small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, prosecutors said. Jail records indicate she faced charges of grand theft between $20,000 and $100,000, as w