Hagan cleared by state ethics commission

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Ethics Commission says there's no probable cause to believe Washington County Emergency and Public Safety Director Roger Hagan violated the state ethics laws, according to a ruling voted on following a hearing last Friday.

Salvador Zurica filed the complaint against Hagan, claiming that Hagan violated state ethics laws by signing a certificate of completion that falsely indicated that Sunny Hills Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Glen Zanetic had completed a Firefighter I course. As public safety director Hagan is responsible for signing off on certificates for firefighter training.

“It goes without saying that I am grateful for the return from the Ethics Commission,” Hagan said. “I would never have intentionally violated ethics laws and I am sorry anyone thinks I would.

Zurica was a longtime critic of Zanetic’s tenure as chief of the Sunny Hills Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., the former fire providers in Sunny Hills. A new fire service is now in place and the former service provider is involved in legal action against Washington County.

The ethics staff investigation revealed Zanetic and the others were not taught first responder and control burn portions of the Firefighter I course by instructor Richard Finch. Finch submitted the certificates for Hagan's signature without mentioning the two discrepancies according to records from the Ethics Commission.

Hagan said he signed the certificates as a matter of routine. The Ethics Commission investigators recommended on Dec. 23, 2009 that there were “no grounds” for believing that Hagan violated state ethics law.

Zurica filed his request on May 21, 2009, and Hagan received a letter on May 26, 2009 informing him he was under investigation.