BAKER COUNTY, Fla. — Note: The video above is from a previous related report.
The Baker County sheriff is responding to the state's investigation into the sheriff's office under an executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The order, issued Friday, states that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the Baker County Sheriff's Office for an undisclosed reason. Another order issued Friday indicates the Alachua County Sheriff's Office is also under investigation.
In a letter to sheriff's office employees, Baker County Sheriff Scotty Rhoden calls the investigation a political strategy "to not only divide our BCSO family, but to also bring negative attention to our county."
Rhoden shared the letter in a post on the Baker County Sheriff's Office Facebook page. The letter also states Rhoden intends to cooperate with FDLE in its investigation.
"I stand behind my employees and my administrative staff one hundred percent and invite any and all investigations to tour our facility and audit our operations at any time," the letter states.
The executive order from DeSantis states 8th District Judicial Circuit Attorney Brian Kramer recused himself from the investigation after previously endorsing Rhoden's reelection campaign. Now, 4th District Judicial Circuit State Attorney Melissa Nelson is assuming the investigation.
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office is also being investigated. Kramer recused himself from that case as well due his support of ACSO Sheriff Emery Gainey. The case will be handled by 3rd District Judicial Circuit State Attorney John Durrett.
Nelson and Durrett's executive assignment will last until at least May 4, 2025, the order states.
In 2022, 16 civil rights groups filed a federal complaint against the U.S. departments of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement about the Baker County Detention Center. The 102-page complaint was on behalf of 15 people currently or formerly detained at the federally run facility at the Baker County Sheriff's Office, by multiple groups such as the Americans for Immigrant Justice, Freedom for Immigrants, Florida Policy Institute and the Black Alliance for Just Immigration.
Read Rhoden's full letter to BCSO employees below.
"Dear BCSO Family,
As many of you may have seen on the news, the Baker County Sheriff's Office is under investigation for undisclosed reasons following an executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis. As the 8th District Attorney Brian Kramer has endorsed my campaign to continue my service to Baker County as Sheriff, he had to recuse himself from the investigation and it has been turned over to the 4th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Melissa Nelson.
With that being said, I want to be very clear that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has been welcomed to our Sheriff's Office for the past 8 years and that is no different at this time. I stand behind my employees and my administrative staff one hundred percent and invite any and all investigations to tour our facility and audit our operations at any time.
Let me go on record stating this is a POLITICAL STRATEGY to not only divide our BCSO family, but to also bring negative attention to our county. We all know that in Baker county we are family, and we always work together to support one another to ensure all of our county operations put the people of our community first. As your Sheriff, I will not back down to these tactics as I take my position in this community very seriously. You are my family and I have proudly served next to each of you for over three decades and the community that we all call home. Join me in welcoming these investigations so that we can show everyone that our Sheriff's Office is a first-class operation.
We will have a staff meeting on Monday at 2:30. I encourage all that would like to attend to be present.
Respectfully,
Sheriff Scotty Rhoden"