Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has thrust his office into Jacksonville’s ongoing power struggle, issuing a subpoena to JEA and the City of Jacksonville for records tied to the utility’s relationship with Ballard Partners. The move pulls state prosecutors into an already volatile local feud, with the subpoena naming top officials in Mayor Donna Deegan’s office along with multiple JEA executives and board members. The request follows JEA’s decision earlier this year to end its contract with the politically connected lobbying firm, a step that has residents and council members raising fresh questions about procurement and pressure at the public utility.
According to The Florida Trib, the April 17 subpoena seeks emails, text messages and other communications tied to JEA’s now-terminated contract with Ballard Partners. It specifically names Mayor Deegan, the city’s chief administrative officer, JEA CEO Vickie Cavey, JEA’s CAO and the utility’s former chief of staff. The document also calls for records from board members Joe DiSalvo, Arthur Adams, MG Orender and John Baker, signaling that prosecutors are zeroing in on how the Ballard contract was handled.
What the subpoena seeks
As reported by Action News Jax, the subpoena focuses on communications about how the Ballard contract was awarded and on any efforts to influence or alter that procurement. "It appears to be escalating," Councilmember Ron Salem, who chairs the City Council’s JEA Special Investigatory Committee, said as Tallahassee formally entered the fray. The April request landed a few months after JEA moved in January to cancel its agreement with Ballard.
Background
Former JEA chief of staff Kurt Wilson testified under oath in March that Mayor Deegan personally urged CEO Vickie Cavey to terminate the Ballard contract, according to the Jax Daily Record. Separately, the State Attorney’s Office had already issued subpoenas after text messages referencing a "big favor" appointment surfaced, a thread local reporting linked to the broader political fight between City Hall and the utility, as Jacksonville Today notes.
How officials reacted
Pressed about the attorney general’s subpoena, the Mayor’s Office declined public comment. JEA, for its part, said it "is gathering the documents requested and will fully cooperate with their investigation," Action News Jax reported. The mayor’s chief administrative officer, Mike Weinstein, has previously written off portions of Wilson’s testimony as hearsay, adding another wrinkle to an already muddled public record.
Why it matters
The fight over Ballard Partners packs an extra political punch because the firm employs former Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, and questions about who shapes JEA’s contracting and board decisions carry major financial and political weight for the city, The Florida Trib reports. With state prosecutors now demanding records, the clash could move beyond local oversight and into a potential criminal review of procurement practices or interference.
What's next
So far there is no public timeline for when the subpoenaed documents must be produced or when the state might act. Local outlets report that city and JEA officials are in the process of gathering records and that investigators have not spelled out the full scope of their probe, according to Jacksonville Today. Councilmembers say they want clear answers, while residents are left to watch whether Tallahassee’s involvement leads to charges, more subpoenas or changes in how Jacksonville and its utility award coveted contracts.
