BREAKING: Assistant City Attorney Michael Pope Resigns
Effective Oct. 24; City to Review Transition Plan to Maintain Legal Coverage
Assistant City Attorney Michael Pope has submitted his resignation from the City of Key West, effective October 24, 2025, to accept a position with the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office, officials announced Tuesday.
In a message to the mayor and city commissioners, City Attorney Kendal Harden said Pope’s departure will prompt a review of coverage and transition plans to maintain continuity on ongoing city legal matters.
“We appreciate Michael’s contribution to the City during his time and wish him the best of luck on his endeavors,” Harden wrote.
Pope’s exit comes as the City Attorney’s Office faces continued turmoil and instability following the criminal indictments of former City Attorney Ron Ramsingh, his brother and former Chief Building Official Rajindhar Ramsingh, and former Code Enforcement Director John “Jim” Young—a trio of former officials charged in a sweeping corruption probe that has rocked City Hall.
The city’s legal exposure has been in flux since those indictments, with mounting pressure to restore credibility and continuity at 1300 White Street.
Harden, a legal neophyte who stepped in amid the chaos, is now giving way to high-powered Orlando attorney Mayanne Downs, whose firm’s services are expected to cost the city nearly $500 an hour.
The City Attorney’s Office said it will provide updates as it moves forward with filling Pope’s position and formalizing interim arrangements under the new outside counsel agreement.
This is an evolving story. Watch this space.