90.7 WMFE

No criminal charges will be filed against two former Orange County employees who gave themselves severance payments of nearly $300,000.

The former interim county clerk of court and former county attorney had a contract with their then-boss, Clerk of Courts Lydia Gardner. They argue that the payouts were part of that contract.

When Gardner died, they pressed for their payments.

The pair returned the money after an internal investigation.

The state’s attorney said there’s no evidence of fraud or forgery with the contract, and while the legitimacy of their claim can be determined in civil court, there’s no evidence supporting criminal wrongdoing.