- November 17, 2024
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Flagler County Elections Supervisor Kimberle Weeks has resigned from her position after months of wrangling with numerous county officials. Her resignation will be effective Jan. 6.
Weeks, who is under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and who recently filed ethics or elections complaints on multiple county commissioners in concert with former County Commission candidate Mark Richter, wrote in a statement emailed to the Palm Coast Observer that she has "had 6 years of obstruction, and manipulation that I perceive as voter fraud." FDLE officials said Dec. 5 that she remains under investigation.
Weeks also wrote an official resignation letter, which is posted on the elections office website and also available HERE.
“I can no longer continue to move forward and do the job that I was elected to do with the failing voting equipment, and dealing with officials in Flagler County who appear not to support or respect the standards I have set for the most precious right we as Americans enjoy,” she wrote. “I have been required, as a result, to be constantly watching my back as well as giving 110% to the citizens. ... The stress has taken a toll on my health, and as a result I must consider myself and my family during these difficult times.”
Weeks wrote that her resignation “in no way has anything to do with any investigation currently occurring.”
Weeks has requested that the governor’s office appoint Senior Chief Supervisor Kaitlyn Lenhart to her position.
Lenhart, 33, said she has worked at the elections office for almost six years and expects a response from the governor’s office by Friday, Jan. 9, because the first Canvassing Board meeting for the upcoming election is Monday, Jan. 12.
“If I’m called to serve, it would be my honor,” she said. In the meantime, “Everything is going as planned, we’re on schedule, and everybody’s doing their jobs.”
County Commission Chairman Frank Meeker said he was surprised by Weeks resignation. Regarding her allegation of "obstruction" from the commission, he said, "I‘ve been here for two years, and I haven’t seen that the County Commission has been obstructing anything. I know there have been issues with the city of Palm Coast; there have been issues with the use of the Community Center. I know previous commissions have looked very tightly at her budget, but we haven’t."
But of the recent clashes between Weeks and county officials, he said, "it's been frustrating for us as well. ...There’s just way too much drama on the Canvassing Board. We even got to the point where we asked for an opinion from the Department of State on the issues that happened on the Canvassing Board."
County Commissioner Barbara Revels said she was also "very surprised" by Weeks' resignation. "It's a shame for Flagler County anytime we have an elected official that we've put our confidence in that feels like they can't perform their job," she said of Weeks' emailed statement to the Observer. "I'm sure there will be brighter days ahead, and I'm sorry for Mrs. Weeks if she felt like she couldn't do her job."
Weeks’ resignation announcement, first made at a poll worker training session Jan. 5, comes just a few weeks before the Jan. 27 primaries for the upcoming special elections to replace Sen. John Thrasher and Rep. Travis Hutson, who is resigning to run for Thrasher's seat.
Revels said she felt that Flagler County, with the support of current elections office workers and the Secretary of State's office, will be "perfectly cpable of pulling of a quality election" despite the transition.
Weeks' Dec. 5 statement, contained in an email to School Board member Janet McDonald, former County Commission candidate Dennis McDonald, the Palm Coast Observer and several others about her resignation is posted below without alteration.
Please know I have resigned from my position as Supervisor of Elections effective January 6, 2015. I came in these doors on January 6, 2009 and will walk out on January 6, 2015. I have had 6 years of obstruction, and manipulation that I perceive as voter fraud. The county commissioner is responsible for conducting the business of the county, not attacking this office and how they are going to conquer this office and its operations. The game of place road closures just weeks before elections and scheduling events that fill a parking lot leaving no parking for voters is unacceptable. It is also unacceptable for county commissioners to serve on the canvassing board when they are not eligible and to hide that fact, and for the county attorney to witness a county commissioner/canvassing board member prematurely release election results and keep that hidden. I cannot have confidence in out elections when activity as this occurs and is kept from the Supervisor and when the Supervisor takes a position to do what is the right thing to do is faced with resistance. They want to keep their thumb on the pulse of elections in our county. My resignation letter is in our Newsletter at www.FlaglerElection.com. I sincerely appreciate those that have voted and supported me and my positions, and I will forever be grateful to those that stood beside and behind me. Love to all. Please if you feel you can provide a letter of recommendation, send it to me. I do want to know your comments and opinions. You can reach me at 386-437-2815 or mail me at PO Box 247 Bunnell, Fl 32110.
Kimberle B. Weeks
Flagler County Supervisor of Elections
State Certified, Master FCEP 1,2 & 3
1769 East Moody Blvd., Bldg. #2, Suite 101
Bunnell, Florida 32110
