Countywide Election‐Fraud & Ethics Probes Touch Marathon Voters

May 28, 2025 • Marathon, FL

While Marathon itself has not had a high-profile city-level scandal in recent months, two major Monroe County ethics investigations loom over local elections and party politics—matters that affect every Keys community from Key Largo through Marathon.

a. Supervisor of Elections Candidate Under Fraud Investigation

In October 2024, Sherri Hodies—the Republican candidate for Monroe County Supervisor of Elections—became the subject of an official fraud probe after allegations surfaced that she and the Monroe County GOP Executive Committee improperly coordinated a $20,000 campaign contribution and endorsement. State Attorney Dennis Ward recused himself to avoid conflicts, referring the case to an outside prosecutor for investigation of potential election‐fraud and gift-solicitation violations wlrn.org.

b. Monroe County GOP Leadership Faces Ethics Complaints

Separately, an inquiry launched by Governor Ron DeSantis’s office is examining whether Monroe GOP Chair Rhonda Rebman-Lopez and Treasurer Sherri Hodies violated state law by endorsing and donating to Hodies’s own campaign without proper party approval. The allegation centers on whether internal committee votes met Florida’s strict “gift” and “expenditure” rules floridapolitics.com.

What Marathon Voters Should Know

Even though these probes are county-wide, Marathon residents vote in the Supervisor of Elections race and are represented by Monroe County GOP officers.
Should findings result in charges or civil penalties, local campaign-finance disclosures and future endorsements will be subject to tighter scrutiny—potentially reshaping how grassroots and party‐backed campaigns operate in the Keys.

Historical Ethics Allegations on Marathon’s City Council

May 28, 2025 • Marathon, FL

Marathon’s own municipal history includes a notable ethics inquiry in 2020, plus recent council‐level critiques over contracting transparency.

a. Councilman Senmartin Cleared of Seal-Trademark Charges (2020)

In 2020, the Florida Commission on Ethics investigated Councilman Mark Senmartin for allegedly misusing his office by trademarking the City of Marathon seal—and reportedly attempting to “sell” rights back to the City. In September 2020, the Ethics Commission cleared Senmartin of wrongdoing, finding no abuse of position keysweekly.com.

b. Contractor-Selection Concerns at Sombrero Boulevard Workshop (2025)

At a May 2025 public workshop, Marathon Council members weighed rising contractor complaints and unanticipated costs on the Sombrero Boulevard improvement project. While not a formal ethics complaint, the session signaled growing calls for greater transparency in how city staff and consultants are vetted and paid—an issue that could evolve into an ethics or procurement-oversight review if concerns persist keysweekly.com.

Why It Matters

Marathon’s past ethics cases inform the community’s expectation that public officials act transparently and ethically—whether trademarking municipal symbols or awarding multimillion-dollar street-improvement contracts.
Countywide investigations into election fraud and gift solicitation remind Marathon residents that local governance doesn’t end at the city limits: partisanship and ethics complaints at the county level can directly influence voter confidence and the integrity of Keys elections.

Looking Ahead

Monroe County’s Special Prosecutor is expected to report on the Supervisor of Elections investigation by late summer 2025. Meanwhile, Marathon’s City Council has pledged regular updates on procurement‐reform measures. Residents are encouraged to:

Attend Monroe County Commission and Marathon City Council meetings for public-comment opportunities.
Monitor the Florida Commission on Ethics website for new complaints and final orders.
Engage with local civic associations to stay informed about how ethics outcomes shape everyday government services in Marathon.

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Political Scandals & Ethics Investigations in Marathon, Florida

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