‘What did Fitzgerald do that was so bad?’

Damian Gomez, KC.

As of Thursday, September 30, 2021

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A TOP Progressive Liberal Party Queen’s Counsel says former Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald did nothing that should disqualify him from a senior post in the Davis administration.

In a now deleted tweet, the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit on Tuesday said Mr Fitzgerald is the new senior policy advisor and head of PMDU.

Administration officials have since said Mr Fitzgerald’s role has not yet been finalised.

THE NOW deleted tweet from the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit.

The Free National Movement, meanwhile, has been silent on the matter as the party waits to see if the former Marathon MP will be confirmed in the role.

Mr Fitzgerald was embroiled in controversy after The Tribune revealed in 2017 that he sought contracts from Baha Mar for his family’s business. Emails showed he requested brokerage, trucking and limousine contracts worth millions.

Critics claimed he breached the Manual of Cabinet and Ministry Procedure, which states a minister must not “solicit or accept any benefits advantage or promise of future advantage whether for himself, his immediate family or any business concern or trust with which he is associated from persons who are in, or seek to be in, any contractual or special relationship with the government.”

Damian Gomez, the state minister for legal affairs in the last Christie administration, said yesterday that while what Mr Fitzgerald did was not appropriate, it should not disqualify him from a top-level post.

However, he added: “I don’t know that Jerome has done anything that crosses the criminal line. I’m sure that if the FNM had thought so he would have been prosecuted in the way that they prosecuted Shane Gibson and Ken Dorsett and Frank Smith. The fact that they didn’t suggests that they tried but couldn’t find anything. Now you got to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. I don’t know him to be an evil person. He’s never done anything in the 30 years that I’ve known him that would characterise him as such.”

Mr Fitzgerald played a leading role coordinating activities for the PLP’s general election war room.

“From what I know, I don’t see that there is anything that disqualifies him,” Mr Gomez said. “I don’t pretend to know everything but from the matters I know of I don’t see him as being disqualified. In terms of academic qualifications, he is eminently qualified for the post. He’s a pretty good businessman and he’s done well in his career. That particular post requires someone who understands business and the reality of doing business in The Bahamas. Jerome is definitely qualified to give advice on that.”

As for claims Mr Fitzgerald broke the Cabinet code of conduct, Mr Gomez said “that’s a matter of practice, not the rule of law.”

“If there is to be a political debate on it, one would expect those who would raise that issue when they had an opportunity to codify the code of conduct as a criminal statute would have done so,” he said.

“If looking at it as a purely legal matter, there is nothing to disqualify Jerome at all and from a practical point of view he brings a lot of skills to the table and a lot of knowledge as to what business people look for when they are shopping to do business that would be helpful to the new government.

"One of the dangers the new administration has is you got to pick people who are business savvy because they tend to be people with the contacts. If you choose someone with an academic background you might not find many foreigners willing to do business.”

More like this story

TigerB 3 years, 1 month ago

I wonder of Perry Christie would have bring him back, or Peter no better than Paul?

DonAnthony 3 years, 1 month ago

I wonder how many other investors he will shakedown for personal benefit?

tell_it_like_it_is 3 years, 1 month ago

Fitzgerald needs to go. If they are foolish like Minnis and don't heed the public outcry, in 5 years they will be gone too.

FrustratedBusinessman 3 years, 1 month ago

Exactly what is going to happen. Bahamians will vote the FNM in after 5 years of the PLP, and then will vote the PLP back in after another 5 years of the FNM.

Many of our politicians are crooks and cronies, but a special shoutout goes to the Bahamian voters who continually vote for them and the same old parties and expect something different lol.

ThisIsOurs 3 years, 1 month ago

"don’t know that Jerome has done anything that crosses the criminal line."

Here's where the Davis administration needs to distinguish itself. Dont protect the man because he's your man. The FNM perfected that in the last term. Fitzgerald approached an investor in secret and "requested" 20,000 dollars. The investor was at thst time in ongoing contentious dealings with the govt. Fitzgerald is now the 2nd most powerful man next to the PM. Over the next 5 years, many investors will seek his assistance gaining access to Mr Davis. "What is so bad"? Over the next 5 years, what will he be asking those investors for? He's already told us he has no ethical issue in requesting thousands of dollars from investors to serve his personal interests. There are descriptors for that.

ThisIsOurs 3 years, 1 month ago

"If looking at it as a purely legal matter, there is nothing to disqualify Jerome at all and from a practical point of view"

Again, if Mr Davis wants the public to see him as a different kind of leader, he has to do different kinds of things. The parsing of words to navigate ethical boundaries will not do.

This reminds alot of when people begged Minnis not to select his loyal soldier Lanisha as a candidate. Because she was so loyal, Minnis not only selected her, he placed her in cabinet with predictably disastrous results. She had already told us who she was

Cobalt 3 years, 1 month ago

Really, Damian Gomez? Do we really have to spell it out for you? The fact that you would even make a public statement like this is cause for great concern. Where have all our statesmen gone??? Men of valor, honesty and truth. Men who selflessly place God and country above all else. Jerome Fitzgerald sought to use a public office to solicit and secure exclusive contracts for himself under his own personal enterprise. His actions were unethical and down right corrupt. Even worst, when questioned regarding these facts he lied and attempted to deny the accusations. Of course hard evidence eventually surfaced in the form of emails contradicting his lies. If the Bahamas were a real country he would have been prosecuted and jailed.

Craig 3 years, 1 month ago

It's supposed to be a new day. 😕 "He’s a pretty good businessman" LOL! What a crock! And the administration wants to "pick people who are business savvy", but they pick Fitzgerald. They gotta be living in lala land. Here we go again.

killemwitdakno 3 years, 1 month ago

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2017/apr…

SP 3 years, 1 month ago

The PLP maggots are crawling out one at a time!

Socrates 3 years, 1 month ago

I agree he probably did nothing criminal but surely that is not the only standard by which we assess public figures? has the bench gotten so weak we compromise on everything else?.. Fitzgerald solicited a major employer for personal benefit or that of his immediate family.... that is the issue.. you can''t have government figures owing favours to major employers. whatever happened to ethical behaviour? Standards are low, but how much lower are we prepared to go?

Dawes 3 years, 1 month ago

AS always Party over Country for PLP and FNM people.

stillwaters 3 years, 1 month ago

He also covered up the Rubis oil spill saying he could say nothing because he was afraid of losing his post.......

stillwaters 3 years, 1 month ago

..he and Gomez are missing a moral compass.

tribanon 3 years, 1 month ago

Damian Gomez, the state minister for legal affairs in the last Christie administration, said yesterday that while what Mr Fitzgerald did was not appropriate, it should not disqualify him from a top-level post.

This is tantamount to Gomez confessing he's just as prone as Fitzgerald to grave misconduct, gross mis-use of political office and corrupt dealings for self-gain.

birdiestrachan 3 years, 1 month ago

What he did may not be politically correct but it was not criminal.

Nothing compared to Mr: Symonette awarding himself the contract to pave the airport runway and the post office deal that caused the Bahamas and is costing the taxpayer every day.

Pay attention to the Arawak cay and the Cruise port. who are front and centre?? those favoured by the FNM Government.

🤔YEAH RIGHT!!!

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