FDLE investigates St. Lucie County sheriff, says executive order

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. – WPTV has learned from an executive order signed by Governor Ron DeSantis that St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson is under investigation for “election law violations.”

The order, signed June 4 as part of a flurry of other executive orders, assigns District Attorney Phil Archer to handle Pearson’s case after District Attorney Tom Bakkedahl recused himself from the case.

Bakkedahl’s jurisdiction includes St. Lucie County, and he has nominated one of Pearson’s opponents, Richard Del Toro, for sheriff.

Read the full order below:

“The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has indicated a desire to file criminal charges,” Bakkedahl said in an interview with WPTV chief investigator Jamie Ostroff.

Bakkedahl said he did not know what specific allegations were being investigated.

“I did not want to compromise the integrity and authority of my office to pursue a charge that could be portrayed as political,” Bakkedahl said. “We have to work with the sheriff’s office, and if (Pearson) wins, I have to work with him. And that’s what I’m going to do, because that’s what the people of the 19th District expect me to do. And that’s in the interest of public safety.”

WPTV

Legal expert Katie Charleston said the investigation is not expected to impact the sheriff’s election available to St. Lucie County voters in the August primary election.

“There is nothing that prevents someone from running for office who has allegations or even charges pending against him,” Charleston said.

However, Charleston pointed to a Florida law that prohibits people convicted of a serious crime or certain misdemeanors from working as police officers.

Neither Pearson nor Archer responded to WPTV’s request for comment.