Armed Florida agents visited Largo man over postcard critical of CFO Ingoglia
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Largo resident Cathy O'Gara took these photos of state agents who showed up at her door Oct. 1 to ask about a postcard her husband had sent to Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia. Photos: Courtesy of Cathy O'Gara
Armed state investigators last week paid a home visit to a Largo man who sent a postcard criticizing Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Why it matters: The situation raises questions about how Ingoglia's office is using law enforcement and whether more Floridians should expect such visits.
- The note in question, sent by 77-year-old James O'Gara, said simply, "You lack values," according to his wife.
The latest: Calling the situation "unfortunate," Ingoglia spokesperson Sydney Booker told Axios late Wednesday that "the decision to conduct the threat assessment was made solely by law enforcement personnel."
- "The CFO trusts that law enforcement officials are taking necessary steps to protect public safety and the safety of elected officials while also preserving the First Amendment rights of Floridians."
- Booker didn't elaborate on why the office considered the note a threat and declined to answer questions from Axios and the Sentinel about how many other people the agency is investigating.
Zoom in: The agents, wearing bullet-resistant vests that said "Police" across the front, arrived at the O'Gara residence while Cathy O'Gara, 69, was getting her 11-year-old granddaughter ready for school, per the Sentinel.
- They asked if they could talk to her husband about the postcard. They didn't introduce themselves or say which agency they were with, and Cathy O'Gara said she was too stunned to think to ask.
- Only days later, thanks to help from the Largo Police Department, did the couple learn they were from Ingoglia's Department of Financial Services.
Flashback: James O'Gara sent the postcard in August, after Ingoglia came to St. Petersburg as part of an audit of local government spending.
- The O'Garas have been critical of those efforts and have also helped organize anti-Trump protests in Pinellas County.
What they're saying: Cathy O'Gara believes the purpose of the visit was intimidation, she told Axios in an interview Wednesday.
- "They're saying they need to protect the citizens, but in reality, they're trying to keep people quiet," she said, adding that the visit scared her two grandchildren.
- And it reinforces what her husband wrote, she said, especially considering Ingoglia's recent criticism of how local governments were using their resources.
On Tuesday night, Cathy O'Gara took her concerns to a Largo City Commission meeting.
- She asked commissioners "to refuse to comply in any way with these unconstitutional actions by the state and/or federal officers."
Yes, but: While Largo Mayor Woody Brown agreed the visit seemed to be an overreach, he questioned what power the city has to fight it.
- "I'm not going to tell them how to do their job," he told Axios on Wednesday, "because, frankly, my experience is they don't really listen."
Editor's note: This story was updated to include new comments from Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia's office.