Tampa approves $45K to reimburse former chair Orlando Gudes’ legal fees after sexual harassment claims
TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa city councilors have approved the payment of legal fees for a former member who was accused of sexually harassing one of his aides and her daughter.
Former chair Orlando Gudes will receive $45,000 to cover legal fees to defend the lawsuit, which was filed in 2022. The suit was dismissed by a judge, but after the city agreed to settle with the victim.
Gudes was accused of making crude remarks to an anonymous aide, which included discussion of her sexual history. He is also accused of making comments about the body of the aide's underage daughter.
RELATED: City of Tampa apologizes, settles with former Orlando Gudes aide for $200,000
A city investigation found 18 of the allegations in her lawsuit were credible.
City council approved the $45,000 to cover his legal fees, given the emotional distress lawsuit was dismissed by a judge.
"It is really in the best interest of the citizens of Tampa that the city of Tampa stand behind its elected officials on issues like this on the front end and not the back end, otherwise you paralyze your elected officials to take action," said councilor Alan Clendenin. "As outrageous as some of the allegations are, I want to key in here that this went into the judicial process outside of the city's hands, into a judge's hands, and they found it did not rise to a level."
Gudes has apologized for some of his remarks, but said his aide was also a longtime friend. He argued the allegations were made while he was working for the city, and thus is entitled to be reimbursed for the legal action against him.
The approval of the funds is not an endorsement or a critique of the action in question.
One City of Tampa resident was furious over it.
MORE: Tampa City Council's Orlando Gudes says he will step down as chairman amid sexual harassment report
"You are talking about giving $45,000 to Gudes, the gentleman who was not exonerated, the gentleman who confessed he said derogatory nasty sexual comments to a 13-year-old child," resident Michelle Patty said. "So tell me and the voters how this equates to him and this making in the scope of his job as an elected official."
A judge wrote that Florida law requires a high burden of proof for this kind of behavior to be deemed illegal, which Councilor Viera said must often include advances and touching of the victim, which is not part of the aide's allegations.
"The individual who brought the original accusations forward, and God knows there was a political firestorm that went out, we should also thank her for her standing up when everybody told her to sit down," said Viera. "I always maintained that, I will continue to do so."
Gudes lost a subsequent election to Gwen Henderson, who is related to the alleged victim in this case. She recused herself from this vote, which was 5 to 1.
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