Federal Judge Dismisses Charges Against Lobbyist Frank Bernardino in JaxPort Case

While most eyes in Jacksonville were on the mayoral race, on late Tuesday, a federal judge threw out criminal charges against lobbyist Frank Bernardino who was accused of directing bribe money to former JaxPort chairman Tony Nelson. U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan found that the government had not shown criminal intent on Bernardino's behalf and threw out the charges. Charges of money laundering and bribery against Bernardino, who handled legislative affairs at the South Florida Water Management District before lobbying, were dismissed.

Here is the press release just received from Bernardino's attorneys:

"Today in a decision rendered by the Honorable United States District Court Judge Timothy Corrigan, of Jacksonville, Fla., Frank Bernardino was exonerated of all wrongdoing relating to accusations brought against him more than a year ago by the United States Department of Justice.

"Mr. Bernardino was originally charged in a 36-count indictment, alleging honest services fraud, conspiracy to bribe a public official, money laundering and mail fraud. The court, in a rarely granted motion filed by his attorneys Nathan P. Diamond and Jose A. Villalobos, after hearing the testimony of 15 witnesses, examined all of the evidence presented by the government and quoting appellate decisions from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, found that the government had no grounds for any of the charges against Mr. Bernardino. The evidence presented during the two-week trial, even when taken in the best light presented by the government, was nonexistent, causing the court to enter an order acquitting Mr. Bernardino of all charges."