TALLAHASSEE — Top staffer Rachel Perrin Rogers will resign from the state Senate on Friday after settling with the chamber for nearly $1 million over sexual harassment and workplace discrimination allegations.
As part of the settlementreached last month, the Florida Senate will make a one time $900,000 payment to a trust account held by the law firm of Perrin Rogers’ attorney, Tiffany Cruz.
All parties had been barredlast month from discussing the case,which was reviewed in federal administrative court by Judge Alexander Fernandez. That gag order was lifted when the case was dismissed on Wednesday.
Perrin Rogers, the top aide to future Senate President Wilton Simpson, directed POLITICO to her resignation letter, dated Dec. 19.
“I feel an immense sadness that at this time I am no longer able to do this work for you in the Senate. Thank you for your unwavering support,” Perrin Rogers wrote in the letter, which was addressed to Simpson. “Having the opportunity to assist as you’ve served your constituents has been an honor.”
She had no further comment.
Several prominent politicians may have had to testify if the case had progressed, which could have forced them to talk about some of the Legislature’s skeletons under oath. Among those Perrin Rogers wanted to put under oath were Simpson, disgraced former Senate Budget Chair Jack Latvala, former Senate President Joe Negron, Senate Rules Chairwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto, Florida Senate counsel and lobbyist George Meros, St. Petersburg publisher Peter Schorsch and even Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, according to court records.
Perrin Rogers was one of six women who told POLITICO in November, 2017 — anonymously at first — that Latvala sexually harassed them by groping them or making lewd and demeaning comments. She followed those accusations with a confidential Senate complaint.
Following two explosive probes into Latvala’s behavior by the Senate — one of which determined that he likely harassed and groped Perrin Rogers — he resigned last January. One of those reports said Latvala might have broken state law by engaging in a sex-for-votes offer with a lobbyist with whom he had an affair, but the state attorney declined to prosecute.
Senate spokesperson Katie Betta told POLITICO through a written statement on Thursday that Fernandez had always recommended “mediation as a solution that would bring a more timely resolution to what had already become a protracted and public employment matter.”
Betta added: “President [Bill] Galvano believed the matter would continue to negatively impact the parties and distract from the important work of the Senate, while legal fees mounted for all involved. For those reasons, President Galvano authorized the recent mediation which led to the settlement. The settlement brings this matter to a conclusion that allows both parties to move forward.”