QUINCY, Fla. (WTXL) — The Quincy City Commission says former City Manager Jack McLean Jr.'s fraudulent actions added up to over $57,000. McLean says that accusation is a defamation of character.
"The only way we regain that trust is that we hold those accountable who we find doing wrong."
Wednesday, Mayor Ronte Harris called a special meeting with the Quincy City Commission to investigate possible leave fraud by former City Manager, Jack McLean Jr.
"If we allow them to not be held accountable then we're no different than them we're just as guilty."
The commission says McLean rushed to process his own severance payout prior to his termination date last December.
We asked McLean about this on the phone before the meeting.
"Was he entitled to get the money under the contract, the city attorney said yes, the HR director said yes, the check was paid and I got the check."
Former City Manager, Jack McLean Jr., says the fraud accusations are false and defamatory, and were published with malicious intent.
"I was an executive employee so any leave that was available on the books I got paid out for that, plus a three month severance pay, but all of that was done by HR I had nothing to do with that."
In November 2021, McLean filed a lawsuit against the city because of a hiring and pay freeze that interfered with his duties as city manager. Then, in December 2021, McLean was terminated from his position as city manager by the city commission. The commission said it was within their right in the city charter to do so.
Wednesday, the commission unanimously passed a motion to take the possible fraud findings of their investigation to law enforcement, to determine if McLean committed a crime.
They are working with attorney, Mark Levine, to do that.
"I suspect that we'll talk to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, we'll talk to Mr. Campbell's Office with the State Attorney, there are various other agencies that deal with these types of things and we just ask them to review it, if they review it and say there's nothing there you heard the mayor say then we're done."
As for the next steps, Levine says it could take anywhere from 1 week to 1 year depending on how clear of a case city leaders present to law enforcement. In response, McLean says he plans to file a defamation lawsuit.
You may recall, this all started last September, when the city commission increased their salaries by 122 percent.
A grand jury said it was a legal move based on the city's charter.
Tonight, Mayor Harris confirmed that pay increase will stay the same.
