JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The video attached to this story is from a previous, related report.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry explained why he tweeted a defense of GOP mega donor Kent Stermon early last week, a tweet he has since deleted.
Stermon died by suicide last week while under investigation by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. The politically well-connected and influential donor was a close friend of former Sheriff Mike Williams, who issued him an all-access pass to Jacksonville Sheriff's Office headquarters, and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who once lived in Stermon’s condo.
Last Tuesday night, Curry responded to a tweet by local attorney John Phillips alluding to Stermon’s “unfettered badge access at JSO.”
“You aren’t worth a reply as you are a media whore with no compass,” Curry replied seven minutes later in a grammatically uneven tweet. “But you Mention my friend, Kent, and I am compelled to reply. Pound sand, chump.”
In a statement to First Coast News, the Mayor’s Office said Curry "reacted" as he did because he’d learned just hours earlier that Stermon had been hospitalized with a serious health condition. (According to police reports, he suffered a stroke and was admitted to Mayo Clinic. He was discharged the same day he took his own life.)
The Mayor's Office says Curry was not aware of JSO's criminal investigation into Stermon at the of his response.
Curry sent a few additional tweets that night, including one that promised “more” the next morning. He later deleted the Stermon tweet and a few others. First Coast News asked why he deleted the Stermon tweet but have not heard back yet. This is the mayor’s full statement:
Mayor Curry was told Kent Stermon had been admitted to the hospital with a serious health condition just hours before he saw the first tweet you are referring to, and he reacted. At that time, Mayor Curry was not aware of any police investigation involving Mr. Stermon. In addition, The Sheriff is an independent county wide elected office. JSO operations are separate from the City of Jacksonville and neither the City, or its Mayor, have any control or input regarding badge access. Mayor Curry continues to express deep concern and profound sadness for Mr. Stermon’s widow and their young daughter throughout this public ordeal.