Let’s Get Back to the Basics at JTA

[Charles Hunter]

The Business Journal has a complete list of the material in the subpoena

All the records requested by the subpoena to the interim CEO cover a period between Oct. 1, 2023 and March 31, 2025, with some exceptions specified in the request. The subpoena, signed off by attorney Richard Mantei, requests the following documents:

    JTA Board meeting minutes and recording for Feb. 7, 2025
    JTA Board meeting packets
    Any and all charges or payments approved by Charles Frazier after Dec. 31, 2023
    Any Request for Proposal and/or contract related to "wellness" services including massage
    Number and cost of massages provided pursuant to c "above"
    Contracts with Dreambuilders/Dreambuilders Consulting (2023-2026)
    Contracts with Jones-Worley Designs
    Contracts with Jacobs Project Management Company
    Contracts with Mason Nye Murals
    JTA payables to/for Mason Nye Murals
    Purchasing card policy including any revisions thereto
    Purchasing card statements
    Tuition reimbursement policy (to include 2026)
    Names and amounts of any scholarship or tuition reimbursement awarded to any JTA employee or board member
    Public Transportation Ridership Reports to the American Public Transport Association, including (but not limited to) NAVI program ridership

Additionally, the subpoena asks for a slew of text, email and other application-based communications, ordering JTA to turn over the following items:

    All text, application-based, and email communications (including attachments) received or sent between or among the accounts of Kenston Griffin, Nat Ford and Janet Walker-Ford.
    All emails, including attachments, from the account of Nat Ford dated March 3, 2025
    All text, application-based, and email communications received or sent between or among Cleveland Ferguson and Angela Hamilton related to scholarships and tuition.
    All emails containing the term "Mason Nye Murals" or referencing any contract with Mason Nye Murals

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2026/09/29/ag-subpoenas-jta-requests-trove-of-documents.html?ana=e_JA_me&j=47718249&senddate=2026-09-30&empos=p6

[Ken_FSU]

Quick AI read, based on the requested documents, on what the Attorney General is pressing on. Certainly doesn't sound good. Less about a single suspect contract, and more about an underlying culture of falsification and shady procurement. JEA all over again, if true.

---

Florida's Office of Statewide Prosecution has subpoenaed a broad set of JTA financial records, contracts and internal communications, primarily covering October 2023–March 2025.

The specificity of the requests suggests investigators are examining several distinct issues:

* Ridership reporting — particularly NAVI: Prosecutors want JTA's ridership reports to the American Public Transportation Association, including NAVI. This follows public questions about discrepancies between internal and externally reported ridership figures. Investigators could compare underlying ridership data with what JTA reported to its board and outside organizations to determine if JTA lied about NAVI's ridership.
* What JTA leadership knew and communicated about overall ridership: Prosecutors requested all of Nat Ford's emails from March 3, 2025, the day JTA says it distributed answers to questions raised at the February board meeting, including questions concerning ridership. They also requested the relevant board meeting records.
* Dream Builders and potential relationships/conflicts: Investigators want Dream Builders contracts through 2026 and communications among consultant Kenston Griffin, Nat Ford and Ford's wife, Janet Walker-Ford. The inclusion of Ford's spouse makes this appear broader than a routine review of consulting expenses.
* Mason Nye mural procurement: Jacksonville's Inspector General previously identified unusual similarities between Mason Nye's winning prices and JTA's confidential cost estimates, while stopping short of finding that information had actually been leaked. Prosecutors now want the contracts, payments and all emails mentioning Mason Nye.
* Executive spending and purchasing cards: The subpoena seeks JTA's P-card policies, statements and all charges/payments approved by Charles Frazier after 2023, potentially allowing investigators to determine who spent public money, who authorized it and whether purchases complied with policy.
* Massages/wellness spending: Investigators want the procurement documents, contracts, number of massages actually provided and their cost—allowing them to compare what JTA purchased, paid for and received.
* Tuition and scholarships: Prosecutors want JTA's tuition policies, every recipient and amount, and communications involving Cleveland Ferguson and Angela Hamilton about tuition/scholarships. This could examine whether benefits and exceptions were awarded consistently with JTA policy.
* Other major vendors: Contracts with Jones-Worley Designs and Jacobs Project Management were specifically subpoenaed as well, suggesting the investigation may extend into additional procurement and contracting decisions.

The common thread: Investigators appear to be examining not simply whether JTA spent excessively, but whether procurement was conducted properly, spending followed agency policy, potential conflicts existed, and information provided by senior leadership to the board or outside organizations accurately reflected the underlying records.

[Ken_FSU]

Doing some digging on the Mason Nye mural procurement. This story is wild.

The investigation began with an anonymous tip alleging that JTA officials had preselected Mason Nye Murals for a $141,040 project and later attempted to conceal the spending through an improper budget category. The Jacksonville Inspector General subsequently found that Mason Nye's pricing came in less than $500 below the next closest bidder, and just dollars below JTA's confidential internal cost estimate on each and every mural line item, concluding it was "highly unlikely" the company could have arrived at those figures without access to the confidential estimate, although the IG could not prove a leak occurred. The Brooklyn-based contractor's proposal also included approximately $68,000 in travel, lodging and related expenses for the 3-month project, nearly half the total project cost.

Florida's Office of Statewide Prosecution is now seeking Mason Nye's contracts, payments and all JTA emails involving the company, potentially allowing investigators to determine whether inside information was actually provided and by whom.

[jaxlongtimer]

Storm clouds forming over JTA.  Not a fan of our State Attorney General but I get his vibe on this one.  I wonder if it would be better to be investigated by the State or U.S. Attorneys instead.  No matter what, an investigation by someone is called for.

Florida attorney general launches probe of JTA amid financial crisis
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/local/2026/09/29/florida-attorney-general-issues-subpoena-to-jta/92000618007/

Being bad at business and decision making isn't illegal.

This is a 100% political fishing expedition to see if any negative headlines can be generated for the anti-Donna campaign.

I am a Deegan fan.  I would say this type of investigation is not about her, it's about Nat Ford.  In fact, if it highlights or proves malfeasance on the part of any JEA officials, Deegan has an out that she, along with the board and City Council, were misinformed, misled, tricked, lied to, or worse, leading to the "surprises" now showing up at JTA.

The ultimate reason for an investigation, aside from conveying accountability for any wrong doings, is learning how JTA ended up here and, lessons learned, how this can be prevented in the future, not only with JTA, but all arms, entities, departments, etc. of City government. 

As Diamond (another rare agreement with him here  ) rightfully calls out, we have a "go along to get a long" culture of boards not asking the hard questions, rubber stamping whatever comes before them.  Basically, acting as lipstick on a pig. Part of it is the partisan world we live in where no matter what someone brings up, half the people pounce on it and the other half keeps silent.  Makes people "afraid" to take a position in public on anything.  It's also why some people say this culture leads to authoritarianism or worse.  Proof is in today's pudding.

[Charles Hunter]

WJXT is reporting an allegation from a former employee - a victim of one of the RIFs - who claims that JTA inflated ridership numbers on NAVI and the Skyway. We've heard the NAVI claims before, as well as JTA's non-denial ('They were there to assist customers, or answer questions.')

The Skyway charges are new.

The former employee also alleged that Skyway stations remained open when trains were not operating, allowing turnstiles to count people entering the stations even if they did not board a train.

"There are several times where there isn't a train running on one end of the Skyway or the other," the former employee said. "That way, we could report inflated numbers to the federal government for budget money."

This isn't really a denial; notice how they change the framing:

JTA disputes that claim, saying Skyway riders are counted when they enter and exit the system through turnstiles, not when they board individual trains.

The agency said turnstile counts are collected daily at the close of business. JTA also said stations are secured each evening and that the turnstiles are located behind locked, roll-down gates.

JTA says they don't count passengers when they board a train, but when they pass through the turnstiles. - Not only is this not a denial, but a confirmation of the claim.
Then JTA says that after hours, the turnstiles are behind locked gates. This does not address the claim, that when the trains are operating, but not serving certain stations, those stations (the "roll-down gates") are left open, and people can pass through the turnstiles. Why? Perhaps to get out of the sun or rain, who knows? Eventually, those people would use the turnstiles to exit the station, providing balanced "in" and "out" numbers.

Ridership data is among the information criminal investigators are seeking in the attorney general's subpoena, which covers records from October 2023 through October 2025.

https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/09/30/former-jta-employee-alleges-agency-inflated-skyway-navi-ridership-numbers/

These allegations deserve to be investigated.

[Steve]

This feels worse and worse with every detail. Like it feels like this could end up worse than JEA.

I feel like this could end up really bad for Deegan. I realize she only had 3 appointments and didn't meddle in their day to day like Curry did with JEA. But man, how on earth could she not see this was going to be a disaster?

[fsu813]

This feels worse and worse with every detail. Like it feels like this could end up worse than JEA.

I feel like this could end up really bad for Deegan. I realize she only had 3 appointments and didn't meddle in their day to day like Curry did with JEA. But man, how on earth could she not see this was going to be a disaster?

Not even remotely similar or at scale.

Everything alleged is relatively small, run of the mill, bad conduct that people aren't exactly surprised occurs at big institutions like this. Not good, of course, but could likely be found to certain degrees in various notable institutions around town. Favoritism is basically wants being alleged.

Except for fudging ridership numbers/data. That could lead to credibility issues with grants, funding, etc.

However, a Mayor secretly scheming to sell JEA - and all the craziness that went with it - is leaps and bounds a bigger deal.

[thelakelander]

JEA was a multi-billion dollar scheme. JTA is $40 million in the hole. Not even comparable.

[jaxlongtimer]

I will say, if they inflated the Skyway and NAVI numbers, it could be another nail in the coffin for both of them if they aren't already on life support.  I could see them both sink or swim together, not separately, since NAVI was to be integrated into the Skyway as a justification to keep investing in both of them AND JTA managed/mismanaged both projects.  Vultures may not be willing to separate the two at this point.

Inflated projections are also what led to both of these projects being funded over the years in the first place.  Deflating the publicized numbers, already well below those funding projections, serves to support even more the resistance to continuing to invest in them.

I can't imagine any elected official, today, sticking their neck out to advocate for spending hundreds of millions on these projects with this context and in this economic and political environment.

You know by now my position... good riddance to both of them.