JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Former Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry appears to be slamming Action News Jax Ben Becker on Twitter following a story that exposed an ethics probe into the former top lawyer for the city, Jason Gabriel. Becker’s original story in 2021 played a role in the investigation.
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Gabriel, who served under Curry for seven years, is currently leading the search for a new General Counsel under Mayor Donna Deegan.
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In a late-night tweet, which isn’t unusual for the former mayor, Curry Tweeted at Gabriel and said, “Ignore the roaches and rat’s journalist. No one serious gives him a sit down. It’s why he’s always chasing folks for roaches and rats.” It’s an apparent reference to Becker’s popular Original Restaurant Report that helps to protect the health and safety of viewers. Becker, an award-winning journalist, is also a consumer investigator and covers issues involving government waste, fraud and abuse.
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Becker first reported on Thursday, July 13, the Jacksonville Ethics Commission conducted a ten-month investigation into Gabriel to determine if he broke any rules when he signed off on more than $800,000 in city contracts with a firm that he later went to work for. It was within a two-year window of Gabriel leaving the city, raising the question if it was a possible violation of the cities non-compete clause. The commission eventually dismissed the case citing it was “not in the public interest to proceed further.” Becker later learned the Ethics Commission has never made a finding of “probable cause or a violation” in 15 years.
Gabriel was critical of Becker’s original reporting in 2021 and in a letter to the Ethics Commission called it “uninformed” and “anti-climactic journalism.” Becker asked Gabriel about those assertions at the first committee meeting to name the next General Counsel.
Becker: “Why did you say that?”
Gabriel: “Because that’s what it was.”
Becker: “That’s not very nice.”
Gabriel: " It’s not nice for you to keep hounding me about things that aren’t of any consequence.”
Curry has a long history of angerly taking aim at the media, politicians, and voters.
Related read: Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry questioned about tweets aimed at media on COVID-19 hospitalizations
Related read: WATCH: Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry addresses his odd behavior on Twitter over the weekend
Log on to twitter tonight and it’s full of miserable people living on this platform.
— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) October 30, 2022
.@Jason_R_Gabriel ignore the roaches and rats journalist. No one serious gives him a sit down. It's why he's always chasing folks for roaches and rats.
— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) July 14, 2023
When Action News Jax interviewed Curry before he left office, he was asked what he would have done differently during his two-terms.
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“What I have learned over the years is everything doesn’t have to be a fight. So I wouldn’t say I would do it differently. I say that I’ve learned that there are some issues that that can be dealt with, with a little more delicate hand. And I would probably Tweet less,” Curry said.
