Mayor Frankel suggests ethics probe into mayoral candidate, commissioner Molly Douglas

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - West Palm Beach city officials were not feeling the love during a commission workshop Valentine's Day morning.

There was a flare up between outgoing mayor Lois Frankel and mayoral candidate, commissioner Molly Douglas sparked by a Palm Beach Post article that outlined a 2007 FBI investigation into Douglas surrounding allegations she misused her position to help clients and friends.

Although Douglas was never charged, Frankel says when she read the e-mails requested by the Post in order to write the story, "I was pretty shocked."

Frankel says she is asking the commission how they should handle the situation.

She explains, "I brought it up to say 'Hey, what should we do about it, should the commissioner get an ethics opinion? Should we ignore it? What should we do?' "

Douglas believes that the mayor's intentions were not so innocent.

She alleges that the mayor has known about the investigation since it began four years ago, which the mayor denies.

Douglas says the timing, just three weeks before the mayoral election, is suspect especially since Frankel is endorsing another candidate, commissioner Jerri Muoio.

Douglas said, "I don't object to anyone checking on me but this is a political ploy because that ethics investigation would take months, she is trying to break up this election."

Frankel claims this has nothing to do with her support of Muoio.

"If there was a front page story like this on any of our commissioners, including someone I was supporting, I would make the same suggestion," Frankel says.

Still no decision has been made on whether or not the commission will pursue an ethics investigation.