ORLANDO, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday suspended Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill following her arrest last week.
Hill, 58, was booked into jail on several charges, including exploitation of the elderly/disabled. She is accused of exploiting a 96-year-old woman and taking more than $100,000 from her, according to an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
DeSantis’ executive order (read below) came shortly before Orlando’s city commissioners were scheduled to meet for the first time since Hill’s arrest. According to the governor’s office, the suspension is in accordance with the Florida Constitution and sections 112.51(1) and 112.51(2), Florida Statutes.
During a news conference in Miami, DeSantis commented on the commissioner’s suspension.
"I think in every instance since I’ve been governor, when a local official, municipal official, has been facing felony charges, they’ve been suspended. And now what’ll happen is, if she’s convicted, then she’s out for good. If she’s exonerated, then she can come back and potentially do it,” he said. “... I think that there’s a lot of problems or a lot of concerning things with this conduct and this behavior, but that’s for the courts to settle.”
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said during Monday’s meeting that because Hill is being temporarily suspended, there will be a special election to fill the seat and ensure “the residents of District 5 are appropriately served and represented.”
Dyer said the hope is to hold the special election on Tuesday, May 21.
Hill released a statement Friday, one day after she posted bond and was released from jail.
It’s unfortunate that I have been thrust into these circumstances with these allegations. Unfortunate not just for me but for (the 96-year-old woman) , whom I’ve loved and cared for like my own family. I trust in God above all things, and I trust in the process. After ten years of service for the City of Orlando, I’ve illustrated my love and compassion for my constituents, my city, and my family. I know the truth; I know I’m entitled to due process, in which I trust, and I will await my day in court to prove my innocence.
Regina Hill
Hill’s statement included the name of the 96-year-old woman. News 6 has decided not to name her because she’s an alleged victim in a legal guardianship case involving Hill.
Court documents uncovered by News 6 show that the FDLE was investigating whether Hill established a power of attorney over the woman and secured a mortgage for a home in the Lake Mann Estates area of Orlando, without the woman’s knowledge.
Investigators believe Hill’s son and his girlfriend live in the home, while Hill resides in a home in the Washington Shores neighborhood that once belonged to the elderly woman’s parents — and was not paying rent.
“Mrs. Hill effectively betrayed the trust of her community by taking advantage of a 96-year-old elderly citizen, which is one of the most vulnerable in that community,” FDLE Assistant Commissioner Lee Massie said during a news conference. “A victim who was the last of her family in the area was manipulated and lied to, her finances and personal information misused and abused for Hill’s personal benefit. Obviously extremely tragic.”
According to the documents, Hill also allegedly used more than $100,000 of the woman’s cash and credit cards to buy perfume, clothing, IV vitamins, a facelift, a trip to Miami, dental surgery and car insurance.
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