Deltona City Commissioner Dori Howington is now the subject of a criminal complaint after a tense run-in at City Hall that ended with accusations she patted a fellow commissioner on the shoulder and made threatening remarks.
Video and deputies' affidavit
According to WKMG News 6, video from the hallway outside the meeting room shows the confrontation that followed an argument over signing a clerk's office form. The affidavit says Howington patted Santiago on the shoulder during that exchange. Santiago told deputies the physical contact was unwanted, described it as part of what she sees as a pattern of escalating aggression, and said she is now worried about her family's safety. As reported by ClickOrlando.
Dispute tied to county clerk job
The confrontation did not come out of nowhere. Reporting from The Daytona Beach News‑Journal notes that friction built during a Monday audit presentation, when Santiago made a motion asking the city attorney to examine whether Howington's secondary job with the Volusia County Clerk of Court might be a conflict of interest. The audit referenced by the paper mentioned that a commission member holds a key role with another government entity, and it stated that no material transactions required disclosure in the current fiscal year. As reported by The Daytona Beach News‑Journal.
Investigation and potential charges
The responding deputy wrote that there was probable cause to pursue a simple battery charge and a separate charge for making a threat against an elected official, and that the case was sent to the State Attorney's Office to decide whether to file charges. The report says Howington declined to meet with investigators. Both commissioners, however, gave statements to the television station as the investigation moved forward. As reported by ClickOrlando.
Legal implications
Under Florida law, any unwanted touch that occurs "against the will of the other" can qualify as battery, a first-degree misdemeanor under F.S. §784.03. Threats aimed at a public servant can fall under F.S. §838.021, which addresses corruption by threat and can carry felony penalties depending on whether harm is threatened or inflicted. A simple battery is generally a first-degree misdemeanor that can be punished by up to one year in county jail, while threatening a public servant can be charged as a third-degree felony under the corruption-by-threat statute. See F.S. §784.03 and F.S. §838.021 for the statutes the State Attorney will consider.
What comes next
The State Attorney's Office will now decide whether to file any charges after reviewing the sheriff's report, a process that can take several days or longer while prosecutors analyze the evidence and Howington's alleged intent. The motion that set all of this in motion, the request for a city attorney review of a potential conflict involving Howington's county job, passed at the commission meeting. That vote, and the subsequent confrontation, have left the Deltona commission chamber tense as officials wait for the State Attorney's decision. As reported by The Daytona Beach News‑Journal.
