FDLE: Osceola commissioner candidate used campaign funds on spas, restaurants

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – A former Osceola County commissioner was arrested last week by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on a series of campaign finance charges.

Carlos Irizarry was arrested Friday on eight counts of willful certification of false or incomplete campaign treasures reports and six counts of deliberate failure to report campaign expenditures as required.

According to a news release, the FDLE began investigating Irizarry after receiving allegations that he was paid to enter the 2022 Osceola County Commissioner District 4 race.

Irizarry ran in the District 4 race against Cheryl Grieb and Jackie Espinosa, ultimately losing to Grieb, but taking nearly 13% of the overall vote.

Espinosa, a business owner who’s now running for Kissimmee mayor, came up short against Grieb. She has claimed Irizarry was running as a “ghost candidate” to lure Latino votes to help Grieb win.

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Espinosa held a news conference Monday, saying her complaint was what ultimately led to Irizarry’s arrest.

“What I do know is that the ghost candidate issue brought all this to light,” Espinosa said. “So whether it gets approached as a ghost candidate or there’s mismanagement of campaign funds, this would have never happened had our case not been filed.”

The FDLE said investigators compared bank records to Irizarry’s campaign treasures reports and identified a pattern of providing false information.

The state said Irizarry reported false campaign expenditures and lied about charitable donations made by the campaign. After the filing fee, Irizarry used the remaining funds on personal items, such as restaurants and day spas, according to a news release.

Irizarry previously served as a Kissimmee City Commissioner but was removed by then-Gov. Charlie Crist following his arrest on aggravated battery charges in 2010.

News 6 has reached out to Irizarry and his attorney. If we receive a response, this story will be updated.