BRAD HARVEY SET TO GO TO TRIAL IN LATE JULY

Former property appraiser charged with taking hundreds of thousands from office in overpayments

Brad Harvey

By WILLIAM SNOWDEN Editor

Former Wakulla County Property Appraiser Brad Harvey is set for criminal trial in late July.
Harvey faces felony charges for overpaying himself more than $209,000 during two years in office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Andrew Deneen, who is reportedly seeking prison time for Harvey if he is convicted.
Gov. Ron DeSantis removed Harvey from office in 2020 after the criminal charges were filed.
Harvey is represented in the case by Tallahassee attorney Shelly Thomas.
In January, the state Commission on Ethics ordered Harvey to pay a civil penalty of $40,000 plus make more than $200,000 restitution to the county, as well as face public censure and reprimand.
The case was initially under Wakulla Chief Prosecutor Brian Miller, but he recused himself citing that both he and Harvey were members of the Rotary Club of Wakulla. The investigation into finances of the property appraiser’s office were initiated after the Rotary Club became concerned about missing money from a gun raffle fundraiser – and Harvey was the club treasurer. (Miller has since been elected Wakulla County judge.)
A whistleblower in the property appraiser’s office reported to law enforcement suspicions that Harvey was overpaying himself and misusing the office credit card.
The newspaper was aware of the suspicions of financial improprieties and, along with another interested party, began making public requests and writing news stories about it. Later public record requests indicated that Harvey continued overpaying himself even after he knew he was under investigation by FDLE.
Asked by the newspaper to provide justification for the overpayments, Harvey pointed to a supplement he had received when he was chief deputy under the prior property appraiser for work done on Fire and Solid Waste tax rolls. He seemed to think he was still entitled to the supplement – though the total amount of overpayment far exceeded the supplement.
Harvey’s statutory salary was $103,000 in 2016 when he was elected. It increased to $107,500 the next year and again to $108,336 in 2018.
Harvey had done payroll and other office financials as chief deputy under former appraiser Donnie Sparkman, but Harvey continued those duties when he took over the office, with no oversight.
The county auditing firm did not uncover the problems until after Harvey was removed from office.
Records indicate that among the personal expenses Harvey charged to the office were expensive off-road tires and other improvements on his personal truck; and more than $3,000 for a family cruise to celebrate his daughter’s high school graduation.
When Ed Brimner took office as property appraiser two years ago, he handed off much of the financial work of his office to Clerk of Courts and County Comptroller Greg James, noting at the time that it would give more transparency and public confidence to his office.