Florida officials revealed new details Wednesday afternoon in the criminal investigation into Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa, alleging she used her position to influence a city grant program that awarded $50,000 to businesses connected to her family.
During a press conference in Orlando, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Espinosa attempted to solidify the application process and reduce oversight of the Kissimmee’s Business Boost 2.0 program, making it easier for herself and immediate family members to obtain taxpayer-funded grants.
According to state investigators, seven businesses operating in properties owned or managed by Espinosa’s family received a combined $90,000 through the program. Of that amount, $50,000 went to three businesses associated with Espinosa and her family, while another $40,000 went to tenants of their properties.
Investigators allege Espinosa and her relatives submitted grant applications when the program opened in September 2025. The funders were deposited into family-linked accounts that November, according to Uthmeier’s office.
On Dec. 5, 2025, Kissimmee’s city attorney warned Espinosa that accepting the grants constituted a prohibited conflict of interest and advised her to return the money. State investigators allege Espinosa refused and took no corrective action.
“Public officials do not get to write the rules and then write themselves a check,” Uthmeier said in a statement.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said irregularities uncovered during an audit of COVID-19 relief funds prompted further investigation into Espinosa’s involvement.
Espinosa was arrested Wednesday morning and charged with second-degree grand theft and first-degree organized scheme to defraud.
The investigation follows months of ethics scrutiny over the grant program. A special prosecutor previously recommended impeachment proceedings, but Kissimmee city commissioners deadlocked 2-2 in August, halting the effort.
Espinosa’s attorney, Migdalia Perez, has maintained her client’s innocence, arguing that the grants were awarded through a city-administered program and that prosecutors have not established criminal intent.
“There is a fundamental difference between an alleged ethics violation and a criminal offense,” Perez said in a statement to ABC News.
