For the first time, we're hearing suspended Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie speak with investigators about what she did, or didn't know, regarding a business relationship with Boca's top developers.
Haynie was charged with official misconduct and perjury after the State Attorney's Office says she benefited financially from a relationship with James and Marta Batmasian.
County Ethics investigators interviewed Haynie at the start of this year, after receiving a complaint about her financial relationship with the Batmasians.
The State Attorney's Office released those conversations as part of evidence Tuesday.
Sometime in 2010, a property management company started by Susan Haynie and her husband started managing parts of a condo association primarily owned by the Batmasians.
When asked how she first came across the property, Haynie told ethics investigators, she had found it on a state business website.
The property, Tivoli Park in Deerfield Beach, had been managed previously by a company the Haynies took over some business for.
"Kind of mined all the other properties Swift (the company they took over for) was managing, sent out a letter looking for additional business. I really had nothing to do at all with the budgeting or any of the finances," said Susan Haynie in a recording.
Now that relationship is at the center of Haynie's charges.
Investigators say she failed to disclose the fact that she received any income from the Batmasians and her company Community Reliance.
When asked by a Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics investigator whether she received income from Community Reliance, Haynie said "I did not."
The investigators then asked whether Haynie received $2,500 or more from Community Reliance? Haynie again said "I did not."
According to her arrest report, Haynie wrote two checks to herself from Community Reliance's bank account, for more than $5000 in 2016.
When asked about any other additional income, investigators say she also denied making money from any other businesses owned by her husband or herself.
Bank records show Haynie received more than $72,000 from a golf software company owned by her husband.
"Bottom line there was no income?" asked an investigator. "There was no income."
Investigators say she also denied a security company named Surveillance Doctors, owned by her husband, received money from the Batmasians.
In an interview Haynie said, "No such company Surveillance Doctors. Not a real company and did not have real clients."
Investigators say in an email, Marta Batmasian said she wrote Surveillance Doctors checks for $42,000.
Ethics investigators also asked Haynie about potential conflicts of interests related to tickets given to her over the years for special non-profit events. They determined there was nothing wrong with that broke ethics codes.
Haynie's attorney argues that Haynie's arrest was a political move and says the state has not shown them any proof of a crime.
