No Charges, No Lawsuit, Still Under Fire: Who Can Actually Investigate an Elected Official
Calls for a Florida mayor to resign after a state inquiry closed without charges show how many separate bodies can still act on an allegation when no case is filed.
October 9, 2026 · 2 min read
By Jocelyn C. Stewart
WGCU reports that on Oct. 5, protesters and speakers at a Fort Myers, Florida, City Council meeting again called for Mayor Kevin Anderson to resign and for a full investigation of allegations that he solicited men for sex. WINK News reports that Anderson has called the allegations "completely false" and has said he will remain in office. No criminal charge and no lawsuit has been reported. So what process is left?
A closed inquiry is not a finding. WINK News reports that Fort Myers police referred one man's report to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which closed the case without filing criminal charges. A closed case means no prosecution followed. It is not a verdict in either direction. It also binds no one else. An employer, an ethics agency or a civil court can each look at the same events under its own rules.