St. Augustine Airport Interim Executive Director Courtney Pittman said he feared that a tense meeting with embattled board member Len Tucker outside a bar last month could turn “violent,” according to startling State Attorney affidavits.
Pittman told investigators that the encounter took place at Fionn MacCool’s Irish Pub in Ponte Vedra, where Tucker allegedly pressured him to minimize or alter his statements about an ongoing state investigation into the St. Johns County Airport Authority.
Pittman described Tucker crowding his personal space and creating an “intimidating” atmosphere that made him worry the confrontation could get physical.
“During the meeting, Defendant Tucker leaned into Pittman across the armrest of the vehicle, significantly
encroaching Pittman’s personal space and made Pittman feel Tucker’s purpose was to influence his
testimony saying, ‘No one knew what we were talking about at Brisky’s. It wasn’t an interview. It was just
you bringing me up to speed,” the affidavit states.
Pittman told investigators that he felt the “conversation might become violent and said after some additional confrontation about testimony, Defendant Tucker abruptly exited the vehicle.”
Pittman immediately contacted his attorney, David Barksdale, and said he believed Tucker’s behavior was an attempt at coercion.
The meeting came amid a larger investigation into alleged violations of Florida’s Sunshine Law by board members Tucker, Reba Ludlow, and Dennis Clarke.
The trio was hit with misdemeanors, while Tucker was also charged with felony witness tampering in relation to the exchanges with Pittman.
The Sunshine Law requires all meetings discussing public business to be open and publicly noticed, but the affidavit alleges that secret discussions took place at the airport administration building and other private locations.
Topics included agenda setting, hangar policies, board strategies, executive director selection, vendor agreements, and development planning.
Pittman told probers that at one point Tucker pressured him to cease hangar inspections if he wanted to become permanent airport director as opposed to interim.
Despite multiple warnings from the airport’s general counsel, the defendants allegedly continued these private meetings, violating transparency laws, the papers allege.
Pittman’s testimony, the affidavits state, were supported by text messages, meeting logs, and video surveillance.
PIttman told investigators that Tucker was waiting for him outside the Irish pub as he arrived and asked to get into his vehicle before the talk.
In February, the airport’s general counsel Jeremiah Blocker resigned amid concerns over the authority’s compliance and governance.
