A suspended Sumter County commissioner has issued a statement about not qualifying for the GOP primary.
Oren Miller of the Village of Sanibel is facing a charge of perjury and has been removed from his commission seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Miller had indicated he was going to for the District 5 seat from which he was suspended, but he has failed to qualify to be on the ballot, according to the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections.
“As you know, I had filed to run for the Board of County Commissioners seat I currently hold through 2024. I have since learned that I do not need to run in this election. Once I have been acquitted, I will be able to take the seat to which I was duly elected,” Miller said in a statement issued Tuesday.
Village of Gilchrist resident Diane Spencer had been appointed to Miller’s seat and had pre-filed to run for it. However, she abruptly withdrew from both the race and the commission appointment.
Two candidate have qualified for the District 5 Republican primary – Villager Don Wiley and Villager Daniel Myslakowski.
Meanwhile, Miller continues his battle in court.
Villager Gary Search, who was elected along with Miller in 2020 in a wave of voter dissatisfaction due to three previous commissioners closely tied to the Developer of The Villages voting for a 25 percent property tax hike, will be deposed May 26 by Miller’s attorney, Dock Blanchard of Ocala. Search has entered into a pre-trial agreement which could enable him to avoid prosecution in the case.