BREAKING: Newman Pleads No Contest in Monroe County Tourism Council Case
Court records obtained by Above the Fold from Clerk Kevin Madok show Keys tourism publicist Andy Newman changed his plea Monday, ending a TDC probe that found record-keeping lapses but no fraud.
According to court records obtained and reviewed by Above the Fold from Monroe County Clerk of Court Kevin Madok, longtime Florida Keys publicist Andy Newman changed his pleas from not guilty no contest Monday to 14 misdemeanor counts stemming from the state’s investigation into Tourist Development Council (TDC) billing procedures.
Under the open plea before Judge Albert Kelley, Newman avoided jail time and will serve probation, pay fines, and complete community service. Prosecutors dropped any felony considerations, and no intent to defraud was found.
He also agreed to a 70-day suspended sentence pending probation.
The plea ends a year-long probe triggered by county forensic audits that cited invoicing irregularities tied to a disputed vendor, Graphics 71. Newman’s attorneys described the matter as an administrative issue involving a legacy bookkeeping system established by his late father and previously accepted by county staff.
The Monroe County State Attorney’s Office has yet to comment on the plea or potential sentencing schedule, and Newman could not be reached for comment.
The TDC has since reorganized and updated purchasing and vendor-verification rules. Monday’s plea closes a turbulent chapter for one of the Keys’ most prominent tourism figures — and a case that revealed oversight lapses rather than criminal intent as the result of a controversial audit by the Clerk of Court’s Office.
This is an evolving story. Watch this space.