Subpoena targets Jacksonville City Council President’s records after “big favor” text tied to JEA board seat

State Attorney’s request seeks calendars and communications tied to JEA board appointment and utility leadership dispute

Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico has been issued a subpoena seeking a broad set of records after a text message exchange raised questions about the integrity of an appointment to the board of the city-owned utility JEA. The subpoena compels Carrico to produce materials including daily calendar entries and a wide range of communications over a more than 13-month period, spanning Jan. 1, 2025, through Feb. 24, 2026.

The dispute stems from a Feb. 5, 2026, text message thread between Carrico and JEA board member Arthur Adams. In the exchange, Carrico indicated he intended to replace Adams as his term approached expiration and referenced owing a “big favor” to a friend. The message also suggested the replacement was needed “for my guy,” a phrase that became central to subsequent scrutiny of the appointment process.

Within days, legislation was introduced to confirm Carrico’s proposed appointment of Paul Martinez to the JEA board seat. Martinez is the president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, where Carrico works as vice president of strategic initiatives. After public attention intensified, Martinez withdrew from consideration on Feb. 18, leaving the board seat unresolved as Adams’ term neared its scheduled end on Feb. 28.

What the subpoena seeks

The subpoena requests records beyond the appointment itself, reflecting the expanded scope of questions now surrounding JEA governance and leadership. The materials sought include communications in multiple formats—such as emails, texts, direct messages, letters, and handwritten notes—relating to:

• the JEA board appointment at issue and related selection discussions;
• JEA CEO Vickie Cavey;
• former JEA chief of staff Kurt Wilson; and
• Paul Martinez, the withdrawn nominee.

Carrico has said he intends to cooperate and has characterized the “big favor” language as a poor choice of words rather than evidence of a transaction. He has also stated there was no quid pro quo connected to the appointment effort.

Parallel conflict over JEA leadership

As the appointment controversy unfolded, Carrico publicly raised allegations he said had been relayed to him by JEA employees, including claims involving racism and a toxic workplace culture linked to the CEO. Separately, JEA eliminated the chief of staff position held by Kurt Wilson in February. Wilson later appeared at a JEA board meeting and criticized what he described as a harmful internal culture; Cavey responded by rejecting those claims as false and unsubstantiated.

The board seat Carrico sought to fill remains open following Martinez’s withdrawal, with Carrico indicating multiple options remain under consideration, including the possibility of reappointing Adams.

The subpoena marks a new phase of scrutiny for a process that is typically low-profile, while the utility faces overlapping questions about governance, leadership, and internal workplace complaints.