BREAKING: Kaufman Files Ethics Complaints Against Mayor, City Manager Over Alleged Use of Public Resources
Filings stem from concerns raised by resident over city social media posts; city says disputed campaign promotion resulted from cyberattack.
KEY WEST, Fla. — City Commissioner and mayoral candidate Sam Kaufman has filed ethics complaints against Mayor Danise Henriquez and City Manager Brian Barroso, alleging city resources, official communications systems and taxpayer-funded media platforms were used in a manner that benefited Henriquez’s reelection campaign.
The complaints, filed Monday with the Florida Commission on Ethics, grew out of concerns first raised by long-time Bahama Village resident and political activist, Marilyn Kellner, who questioned whether official City of Key West social media channels were being used to promote the mayor while excluding other elected officials.
Kaufman’s filings ask state ethics investigators to determine whether Henriquez and Barroso violated Florida ethics laws governing the use of public office and public resources.
“The people of Key West deserve fairness, neutrality, and equal treatment from their government,” Kaufman said in a statement accompanying the complaints. “Government should never insert itself into elections or take sides against political opponents.”
At the center of the complaints is a Memorial Day Weekend “End of School Celebration” advertisement that appeared on social media pages associated with the City of Key West and the Key West Police Department.
According to Kaufman, the advertisement promoted a May 24 event at a city park and included language stating it was paid for by Henriquez’s political campaign. Kaufman alleges the posting represented the use of official government communication channels to distribute campaign-related content.
The complaint against Henriquez alleges the mayor “knowingly accepted, benefited from, encouraged, participated in, or failed to prevent” the use of city resources, staff time, publicly funded media production and official communications systems in a manner that advanced her campaign.
The complaint against Barroso alleges the city manager either permitted or failed to prevent the use of public resources and official city communications in a way that favored one candidate in an active municipal election.
Kaufman also alleges that Henriquez has received disproportionate exposure through city-produced photographs, videos, ribbon cuttings, ceremonies, public appearances and official announcements distributed through city-operated communications channels.
“In more than ten years of public service as a City Commissioner, I have never previously experienced such exclusion from official governmental appearances and City-sponsored events,” Kaufman wrote in the complaint.
Complaint Originated With Resident’s Concerns
The ethics complaints trace their origins to an email sent May 26 by Kellner to embattled part-time City Attorney Mayanne Downs.
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In her email, Kellner said she had observed what she described as a recurring pattern in which Henriquez was prominently featured in city-sponsored events, ribbon cuttings, ceremonies and social media posts while other elected officials were frequently absent.
Kellner specifically questioned the Memorial Day event promotion and whether taxpayer-funded communications platforms were being used appropriately.
“As a resident and taxpayer, this raises serious concerns for me about whether official City communication platforms and taxpayer-funded resources are being used appropriately and fairly,” Kellner wrote.
She asked the city to determine whether the conduct violated Florida ethics laws, election laws or restrictions governing the use of public resources for political purposes.
The posts have largely been removed from social media — although it is unclear by who.
Downs: Posts Were Not Authorized By City
In her initial response, Downs said the allegations warranted review.
“The question of whether official platforms have been used to support a specific candidacy is a separate question and one I take seriously,” Downs wrote.
She noted that incumbent officeholders, particularly mayors, routinely appear in government communications because of their ceremonial and executive duties.
“Incumbent officeholders, particularly mayors, who have distinct ceremonial and executive functions, routinely appear in official communications by virtue of their office,” Downs wrote.
A day later, however, Downs informed Kellner that the city had concluded the disputed social media posts were not authorized by city personnel.
“We have investigated the matter and determined that the posts you flagged were not made by any city personnel and were not authorized by the City or its staff,” Downs wrote.
“The available evidence indicates a cyber-security breach.”
According to Downs, city information technology staff determined no authorized city employee was logged into the accounts when the posts appeared.
She said the city referred the matter to the FBI and that the Key West Police Department opened its own investigation.
“Mayor Henriquez had no involvement in the posts and did not authorize them,” Downs wrote.
Downs further stated that city employees are trained not to use official city accounts to distribute political advertisements and suggested the unauthorized posts may have been designed to create the appearance of wrongdoing.
Barroso Accused Kaufman Of Misusing City Resources
The dispute escalated further on May 21 when Barroso sent Kaufman a letter accusing the commissioner of improperly using City Hall and city resources for campaign purposes.
According to Barroso, city building access records, security camera footage and internal documentation showed Kaufman entered City Hall on Dec. 26, 2025, while the building was closed for the holiday after allegedly directing an off-duty city employee to provide access.
Barroso said Kaufman was accompanied by individuals who were not city employees and later used footage filmed inside the commission chambers in a political advertisement.
“You entered the building by requiring a City employee to provide you access, even though that employee had the day off,” Barroso wrote.
According to the city manager, electronic nameplates were removed from their secured mounts, the commission dais was damaged and city staff spent hours restoring the equipment.
“A political advertisement promoting your candidacy has since been published depicting footage filmed inside the commission chamber,” Barroso wrote.
“No person with authority to do so, including me, approved the use of the commission chamber to produce campaign material, the after-hours entry of non-City personnel into City Hall, or the handling of City equipment for those purposes.”
Barroso directed Kaufman to provide a written explanation of the incident, reimburse the city for associated repair costs and cease any future use of city facilities, equipment or staff time for campaign-related purposes.
The city manager also cited provisions of Florida law and the Key West City Charter that prohibit the misuse of public resources and interference with city employees.
That is counter to First Amendment law, which classifies Key West City Hall as a public building, and although the areas inside the card-keyed security system are restricted to public use, any member of the public can walk into the chambers and video. There is no restricted access and no signage stopping public access.
Election-Year Dispute
Kaufman’s complaints do not directly address Barroso’s allegations regarding the City Hall incident. Barroso gave him 10 days to respond, and Kaufman said his response is forthcoming.
Likewise, the city’s response regarding the alleged cyberattack does not address Kaufman’s broader contention that city-produced communications have disproportionately benefited Henriquez throughout the long duration of the election cycle.
The filings arrive as the race between Henriquez and Kaufman enters its final months and amid continuing scrutiny of City Hall following a series of corruption investigations and grand jury reports examining governance, ethics and transparency issues within city government.
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The Florida Commission on Ethics will review the complaints to determine whether they are legally sufficient before deciding whether to open formal investigations.
If accepted, investigators could seek social media audit logs, account access records, internal communications and testimony from city employees and elected officials.
No findings have been made regarding the allegations, and the complaints do not constitute a determination of wrongdoing by either Henriquez or Barroso.
This is an evolving story. Watch this space.