Besieged Baker Sheriff Fights for Political Life

Scotty Rhoden in Fierce But Unplanned Re-Election Battle

Sheriff Scotty Rhoden and some of his deputies enjoy lunch. (Image from Facebook)

Susan Armstrong wrote this piece about politics in another Northeast Florida county for another publication. We are printing here with permission.

The Battle of Olustee, fought in Baker, put the small county on the historical map as the largest battle of the Civil War fought in Florida. But there’s another battle raging within a political swamp that some folks say might rival Olustee for storytelling rights. It’s the fight for the sheriff’s seat of Baker County, and the winner will be decided by voters on August 20.

And the latest element in this saga is the fact that all this is happening while the Florida Deparment of Law Enforcement investigates the Baker County Sheriff’s Office after finding probable cause of criminal behavior.

The fracas began in 2023. It first appeared that the seven-year sitting Sheriff Scotty Rhoden wouldn’t run for his seat for a third term. His time in office had been plagued with financial faux pas and charges of abuse against his sworn personnel through the Baker County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO).

Additionally, a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was in process against Rhoden, some in his command staff and the jail. The suit was the result of complaints filed by sixteen civil rights groups against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement after they contracted to house federal detainees in Rhoden’s detention facility.

The complaints asserted Rhoden’s employees at the jail had created an atmosphere rife with “abhorrent conditions, violent abuse, medical neglect and racial harassment.” The grievances called the facility “a living hell” for occupants, who resorted to suicide and attempted suicide to escape the brutality.

Succession

Rumors from private parlays and those down at Woody’s Bar-B-Cue were that Rhoden’s high school buddy and Undersheriff Randy Crews would slip quietly unchallenged into the sheriff’s seat that Crews had been keeping warm most times anyway. But Crews had a reputation for a legendary quick and volatile temper around the county with videos to prove it.

When news broke that county resident James David Carpenter, or JD to most, was set to seek Rhoden’s borrowed seat, folks in the know said the sheriff and a couple of his inner circle approached Carpenter and asked him to delay his run until 2028.

Carpenter wasn’t swayed by praise and promises, so Sheriff Rhoden, knowing Crews’ vulnerabilities, signed up for another four years.

You can’t travel too many miles in any direction without running into someone with the Rhoden name for some back-slapping and glad-handing. But Carpenter is considered somewhat famous in Baker, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department, as many of his 31-years as a law enforcement officer was mostly spent successfully leading the war on drugs, especially fentanyl, which was making their way down the I-10 corridor through Baker County and on to the Atlantic Ocean.

The proverbial first shot in the campaign was fired on Feb. 10, when Carpenter held his campaign kickoff at his rural 10-acre farm in Glen St. Mary. Earlier this year, The Florida Trident, the publication for The Florida Center for Government Accountability, described how the BCSO set up a speed trap at an abandoned grocery store just one dirt road west of Carpenter’s remote farm at the exact time of his barbeque shindig.

Intimidated

Attendees at Carpenter’s party said they felt intimidated and fearful by the presence of Rhoden’s people at the speed trap in the isolated area at the precise time of the party. Equally disturbing, they said, was when the sheriff’s bulky brother, BCSO Lt. Gerald Ray Rhoden, slowly and frequently cruised by the barbeque not looking for a free meal but rolling down his window and taking pictures with his phone of people at the event.

Two guests also reported that Sheriff Rhoden showed up after the event, in his county vehicle in full sheriff gear at their home to coerce them into voting for him. Another guest said Rhoden confronted her at a public function and questioned her allegiance in the sheriff’s race.

Rhoden typically wastes little time and energy when he responds to questions. When asked about the intimidation, the sheriff said, “I go visit people all over Baker County for many reasons.”

The media also covered violations involving Rhoden’s campaign headquarters and inaccurate reporting of his expenditures. Again, the sheriff brushed off the claims.

While Rhoden and some of his followers seemed to concentrate their campaign efforts on personal contact, Carpenter was taking his message to rallies, meet-and-greets, parades, fundraisers, mailouts and a recorded question and answer session by the Baker County Press with both candidates where he continuously pointed out what he saw as Rhoden’s glaring inabilities to lead the BCSO.

“Eight years to try to fix a problem is enough.” Carpenter said.

Meanwhile, the ACLU’s federal lawsuit went to a hearing in June and continues.

Odd Management Structure

Then, there was more bad news for Sheriff Rhoden. Oddly, a non-profit was set up for the ownership and financial management of Baker’s jail and BCSO complex. All security for the jail is contracted out to the sheriff’s office. The non-profit is called Baker County Corrections Management Corporation (BCCMC).

Based on the latest financial statement, BCCMC was projected to pay the sheriff’s office $12,351,383 in 2024 for guards’ wages, equipment and “other expenses.” With all expenses and revenue taken into consideration, the BCCMC is expected to be operating at nearly a $1 million loss this year, putting taxpayers on the hook if the non-profit goes bankrupt. In a review of expenses, it appears the sheriff’s office was financially bleeding the assets of the BCCMC dry.

While a looming bankruptcy was worrisome to some folks in the county, during the Baker County Press Q&A, Rhoden didn't appear to be concerned or have a solution to the fiscal fiasco facing his jail. He put the onus on the county commission to pay for whatever befalls. “Personnel services have went up. This is what happened.” Rhoden said.

The sheriff couldn’t seem to catch a break. Also in early June, Gov. Ron DeSantis authorized the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to open an investigation into Rhoden’s agency but gave no details about the investigation or charges.

In a press release, Rhoden said the investigation into his agency was a “political strategy” to bring negative attention to the county. And when DeSantis gave a blanket endorsement to all sitting sheriffs in the state, as is the custom in Florida, Rhoden quickly used the endorsement in his campaign as a sign of DeSantis’ favor.

But Rhoden’s redress may be fleeting. Four county citizens privately revealed the FDLE interviewed them early in the year when the agency began a cursory investigation into complaints of abuse and illegal activities within the agency. Three other Baker County citizens said they were preparing to present evidence to the FDLE soon of alleged mishandling of incidents by the BCSO.

Probable Cause

Law enforcement experts said the FDLE only opens an official investigation after an initial inquiry to determine if there is “probable cause” crimes have been committed.

Sheriff Rhoden was contacted for comments regarding his agency, but he proffered Undersheriff Crews to speak instead. The offer was declined.

There’s no chance the FDLE will wrap up its investigation before the August 20 election. A member of Rhoden’s campaign believes there are enough Rhodens in the county to bring a victory, although some have jumped family connections to join Carpenter as he continues to campaign.

Nevertheless, if Rhoden is successful in his reelection bid, he could be spending a lot of time in courtrooms, engaged in legal battles that may or may not end his law enforcement career.