Councilwoman Patty Cummings voted off boards, committees

Published: Updated:
Patty Cummings

It has been two days since Cape Coral Councilwoman Patty Cummings was arrested, released then showed up to a city meeting the following day. This is just the start.

Cummings walked into the meeting three minutes late, just over 24 hours after she turned herself in for three felony charges.

During the meeting, we saw Cummings voted off committees, boards and commissions, one by one.

Then she put her head in her hands and seemed to shed a tear, but while that took place, she took the time to look at our news cameras to smile and wave.

The council promised to address the charges Wednesday night, but they didn’t.

Cummings proved to be defiant in the wake of the mountain of evidence that the state attorney believes proves she cheated her way onto the council.

The state attorney released evidence she said shows Cummings did not live where she said she did in a house along Palm Tree Boulevard in Cape Coral’s District Four.

WINK News went to that house and talked to the man who lives there. He said he’s lived there since 2011, but he didn’t want to talk on camera.

His neighbors across the street said they never saw a woman come and go from the house.

WINK News spoke to Councilman Tom Hayden about the Cape Coral City Council situation.

“We know that the city is probably as disappointed as we are, but we ask them to have faith that there is good leadership here,” Hayden said.

Why did Cummings call out Hayden and the rest of her council colleagues?

They’re the ones who heard the allegations and asked the state attorney to investigate.
Can they work together? Hayden said yes.

Now that Patty Cummings faces criminal charges, the governor has the authority to remove her from the city council.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.