Panel: Candidate for School Board violated election law

A former School Board candidate did not disclose an accounting of his assets, a state ethics commission finds.

The Florida Commission on Ethics has found probable cause that former Pasco School Board candidate Len Trubia violated state election law when he failed to offer a complete accounting of his assets and liabilities.

The commission's finding, filed April 29 after a hearing in Tallahassee, could expose Trubia to a civil fine, depending on the outcome of the case.

Trubia, who was defeated in his run for School Board by Cathi Martin, has two options. He could stipulate to the finding and reach a settlement agreement with the commission's advocate. Or he could challenge the finding at a hearing before an administrative law judge.

"We'll probably work this out," said Trubia's attorney, John Renke II.

Meanwhile, the commission found no probable cause that Trubia failed to properly fill out financial disclosure forms when he was appointed to the Pasco Housing Authority in 2001. In doing so, the commission rejected the recommendation of the investigator who looked into the complaint.

The two ethics complaints were filed by Janis Lentz, former president of the West Pasco Democratic Club.

Lentz said Trubia, as president of Coldwell Banker Action Realty, should have understood the importance of accurately filling out financial forms.

"Being frank and honest on loan applications has a close correlation to being frank and honest when disclosing your own financial status," Lentz said.

"I don't think he was just glossing over things."

When Trubia entered the School Board race last year, he filed a financial disclosure form listing a net worth of $250,000. However, he did not list any individual assets.

Trubia told the St. Petersburg Times then that he "didn't think it was important to list all those little details."

He filed an amended report but still failed to fully disclose all of his assets and debts, according to the report by the ethics commission investigator.

Florida law requires a "full and public disclosure of financial interests," to include each asset and liability over $1,000.

Trubia told the investigator for the ethics commission that he glanced over the instructions at the top of the financial disclosure form but "did not actually carefully read them."

Renke, his attorney, said many candidates, Democrats and Republicans alike, make the same mistake and are not punished.

"He wasn't trying to hide anything," Renke said.