Former UCF SGA President Marco Pena resigned from his position as an Orlando Expressway Authority board member just a few weeks after fellow board member Scott Batterson was indicted by an Orange County grand jury on multiple charges of bribery.
Pena cited a family illness and that the Expressway Authority could be transformed into a regional agency as his reasons for resigning, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Pena was still under an on-going investigation by State Attorney Jeff Ashton, along with other board members following Batterson’s indictment. Batterson, Pena and Florida Department of Transportation District Secretary Noranne Downs voted to oust former Expressway Authority Executive Director Max Crumit, who left in September 2013.
Ashton was investigating to see if Batterson, Pena and Downs conspired privately, which would be a Sunshine Law violation. Authority business can only be talked about in public meetings.
Watch: Pena confronted by Channel 9’s Kathi Belich:
Following Batterson’s indictment, which extended beyond just Sunshine Law violations, Ashton said that more indictments could be coming.
Pena and Batterson were both invited to speak before the grand jury last month, but both declined to do so via counsel, Ashton said.
Pena sent a three-paragraph letter to authority officials saying that his grandfather recently suffered a stroke.
“It reminded me of the lost time with my family and time away from doing the work I am passionate about in the community,” wrote Pena, whose letter was obtained by the Orlando Sentinel. Pena declined to comment further to the Orlando Sentinel.
Ashton expects the grand jury to meet again next month.
