TALLAHASSEE - A top Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigator had a relationship with a female employee and used his authority to intimidate men she dated after they broke up, an internal investigation found.
Jamie McLaughlin worked in various positions at the state police agency for 33 years before resigning when the inquiry started in April. He was responsible for investigating public officials when he left.
An attorney for McLaughlin said the allegations were "unfair, unfounded and false." McLaughlin had a clean record with the agency and was not accused of any criminal wrongdoing.
Stephanie Revell, an office assistant who worked for McLaughlin, said on April 22 that she feared being fired after ending a long relationship with him earlier in the year.
The resulting investigation found McLaughlin failed to "avoid even the appearance of impropriety," inappropriately used FDLE resources and abused his authority.
"The cumulative impact of McLaughlin's conduct was such that Revell reasonably believed she was subjected to an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment," the report said.
The report alleged that McLaughlin called an officer staffing the department's duty desk to check the license plate of a "civilian" Revell was seeing and searched for information on the man. Revell said McLaughlin also threatened to transfer her and an FDLE agent she briefly dated. Another FDLE agent, who came to Tallahassee from Lakeland, was transferred back after McLaughlin questioned him and Revell about a friendship they developed.
The report said that agent "admitted the transfer was his idea" but was influenced by a belief that McLaughlin might have him fired.
McLaughlin's attorney, Stephen Dobson, said his client never fired anyone at FDLE. He said McLaughlin "at no time intended to offend any person."
McLaughlin will not legally challenge the findings, he said, because "the interests of the agency and the persons involved would best be served by his forbearing to mount a vigorous defense."
FDLE officials declined to comment, saying only that the report would be forwarded to the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission.
The commission has the power to take away an officer's credentials to work in law enforcement in Florida.
