Scott Maddox, Bribery, Florida 2023

Former Tallahassee City Commissioner Sentenced for Years-Long Bribery Scheme

A former Tallahassee City Commissioner has been sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a bribery scheme that lasted for years. Scott Maddox, 51, and his former business partner Paige Carter-Smith, 46, were found guilty of conspiring to use Maddox’s power as a sitting City Commissioner to extract bribes from Tallahassee companies with business in front of the City Commission.

According to court documents, Maddox received payments from Governance, a government consulting and lobbying company, in exchange for favorable treatment on issues that were before the City Commission. The payments were made in either monthly installments or lump sums by several companies.

Maddox and Carter-Smith each pleaded guilty to two counts of honest-services fraud and one count of conspiring to interfere with the lawful function of the IRS. They were also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $76,763 and $115,619, respectively, and ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $70,000.

The indictment against Maddox and Carter-Smith was returned in December 2018, and a superseding indictment was returned in May 2019, adding a third defendant, John Thomas Burnette. Burnette was convicted on one count of extortion, two counts of honest services mail fraud, one count of the use of a facility in interstate commerce to facilitate bribery, and one count of making false statements.

“Today’s sentences are a result of our tireless efforts to pursue justice for those who put their trust in their elected representatives,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. “We will never cease working to ensure that both public officials who fail the citizens of their community by accepting bribes, and those who pay bribes, are held accountable.”

The democratic system on which our country was founded relies on the consent and trust of the governed. Our citizens deserve and expect that their elected representatives will honor their oath – acting in the public’s interest, rather than accepting bribes and payments out of fear or favor. Today’s sentences acknowledge betrayal of the public trust, the resulting erosion of confidence in our democratic process, and should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would seek to illegally profit from public service.

Defendant: Scott Maddox

Criminal Charges: Honest-services fraud, conspiring to interfere with the lawful function of the IRS

City and State: Tallahassee, Florida

Exact Date: May 4, 2023

Sentence or Outcome: 5 years in prison, ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture money judgment

Dollar Amounts: $76,763, $115,619, $70,000

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