Mildred Fernandez, former Orange County Commissioner, was charged in a 14 count charging document earlier today. Fernandez faces numerous felony charges including racketeering, bribery, and grand theft. Fernandez had recently put her hat in the ring for Orange County Mayor.
These allegations come after her recent arrest on allegations of accepting campaign contributions in exchange for helping a developer move his project ahead.
Fernandez was in the throes of a mayoral campaign when she was arrested April 27, but she was removed from her county commission post b by Governor Charlie Christ and she later abandoned her campaign.
The State Attorney’s Office has alleged that Fernandez agreed to help a man named Tony Cabrero push forward a commercial building project that was having difficulty gaining traction. Fernandez is accused of forcing Cabrero to contribute to her campaign before agreeing to discuss his project in her district, according to an arrest affidavit.