Community frustrated after photo of former commissioner surfaces

Compromising photo, allegedly of former Gadsden County Commissioner surfaces days after he resigns from the board and withdraws from the upcoming General Election

Former Gadsden County Commissioner Jeffery Moore received national attention after a photo of him dressed in a Klansman costume emerged last week.

The photo seems to have been taken at a Halloween party, as four others pictured - with their faces scratched out - appear to be wearing costumes, and what looks like a decorative Halloween skeleton hangs in the background.

Moore abruptly resigned from the Gadsden County Board of Commissioners on Friday, September 23.

When asked why he resigned on Tuesday, September 27, more responded with a press release, which states he was no longer able to continue because of “personal reasons.”

Moore initially filed to run for office in March and was the only Republican candidate in the race seeking to represent District Two, which encompasses parts of Quincy and Havana.

Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Moore to the board in late July, after former Commissioner Anthony Viegbesie retired, leaving his seat vacant.

During a press conference at the Courthouse square in Quincy on Wednesday, September 28, attorney Mutaqee Akbar addresses a photo of former Gadsden Board of County Commissioners Jeffery Moore dressed in what appears to be a Ku Klux Klan costume.

As most know, Gadsden County is the only majority-minority county in the state, with a 55 percent black population, compared to the 42 percent white population, according to the United States Census Bureau’s 2021 data.

When DeSantis appointed Moore, he was the only white member of the county commission.

He was also the only Republican on the five-member board.

Moore ended his campaign for the District 2 race, which was to be decided in the November 8 general election, on the same day he resigned from the board.

Many citizens have expressed feelings of anger and disgust after seeing the photo.

Community leaders and clergy met on the Gadsden County Courthouse square on Wednesday, September 28, asking Moore to confirm or deny whether that is him in the photo.

“Today we recognize the fundamental worse has occurred here in Gadsden County, when Democracy has been aborted,” Pastor Tracey Stallworth, who lives in District Two claimed. “Democracy was aborted in Gadsden County when the Governor of Florida possibly hand selected KKK member Jeffery Moore as his choice to replace former Gadsden County Commissioner Anthony Viegbesie.”

Stallworth’s claim that Moore is a member of the Klu Klux Klan is not proved.

Commissioner Brenda Holt, who served on the board with Moore during his brief tenure, said she has received calls from outraged residents, and questions from local children who said they were afraid after seeing the photo.

“When you do not educate the children in black history in the school system, then you get this response,” Holt a said. “Why should those children be afraid?”

Holt, who is a former teacher, also sent a message to the governor.

“There is absolutely no reason, Governor DeSantis, that we should not be teaching black history in school because black history is American history,” Holt said. “If you hide it, you end up with problems. If everyone understood what happened in our history, people are apologetic, then you equalize the system and move on.”

Holt said if there is no education, then there is ignorance and people are pulled further and further apart.

“If this was just a costume, do you just happen to have it in your closet?” Holt asked.

The commissioner said the costume is a slap in the face to every black person in the state of Florida.

“No matter what we say or what we think, all of us know what that costume means,” Holt said.

Attorney Mutaqee Akbar and the other area leaders asked that Moore show accountability for his actions.

“What we’re asking for today is that, first, Commissioner Moore just step up and be a man,” Akbar, who is also the NAACP Tallahassee Chapter President, said during the news conference.

“At least acknowledge it because you owe that to the citizens of Gadsden County.”

He also asked that the governor come to Gadsden County to hear the citizens’ concerns about the matter.

“If you can come here for photo ops whenever it benefits your office, come back for another…and speak to the citizens of Gadsden County,” Akbar continued. “Ensure them that you’ll do whatever background check or historical checks you need to do to make sure these citizens are not insulted like this ever again.”

In light of the photo that recently surfaced, The Gadsden County News Corp. reached out to DeSantis and Moore multiple times, however, neither had addressed the photograph as of Tuesday, October 4.

Former Gadsden County Commissioner Doug Croley, who is also a member of the Republican party and has known Moore for many years did not weigh in on the photo, but he did speak on Moore’s character.

He said Moore has always proven himself to be a good and dependable community leader and one especially noted for his personal interest and focus on environmental issues – specifically soil, water, and wildlife.”

In an interview with the Gadsden County News Corp., Alonzetta Johnson-Simpkins who won the Democratic nomination for the District Two seat in the August primary said the photo opens a wound to Gadsden County’s painful past.

“It is distasteful and hurtful; whether past or present, this behavior is unacceptable,” Johnson-Simpkins said. “Although upsetting, let’s use this to unify our county around common concerns. My platform remains to increase economic growth, increase openness and transparency, invest in at risk youth and increase health equity. I’m continuing to ask for support from district 2 on November 8. We need All registered voters to take a friend with them to vote.”

Erin Hill - erin@gadsdencountytimes.com

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Community frustrated after photo of former commissioner surfaces

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Quincy man sentenced to life in girlfriend’s murder seeks to appeal conviction

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