Former Lee Co. commissioner breaks silence after release from prison

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LEE COUNTY, Fla.- For the first time since her release from prison, former Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall is telling her side of the story.

Hall served a six-month jail sentence for stealing campaign funds for her personal use.

She tells bpmnow.com, a digital news source covering business, politics and media, that she went into a deep depression.

“That 2009 came in, I lost my mother suddenly, it was very hard on me. A long-term relationship I had been in ended suddenly, I had no idea it was coming.”

Three years later federal agents came knocking at her door.

“I was in the shower,” said Hall. “There’s these two men at my  door. ‘We’re the FBI. We want to talk to you.’ I said, ‘about what?’ They said ‘well, we’ve had some reports about your financial behavior and we’d like to talk to you about it.'”

Hall eventually pleaded guilty to stealing $34,000 in campaign donations to pay her personal bills.

“The hardest thing ever is to call those people and apologize and you have no idea what they’re going to say to you.”

Hall says she called 60 to 70 donors to apologize. A few hung up, but others stood by her.

“We love you, gave you the money, don’t really care what you spent them on.”

Despite her depression, Hall says she isn’t sure she can ever forgive herself for betraying so many people.

“I let them down, I let myself down. I let my family down.”

Hall is now working for local roofing company, CFS Roofing, and says she’s volunteering with the Harry Chapin Food Bank.

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