TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
Official Fired For Alleged Romance
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Published: May 11, 2008
BROOKSVILLE - Hernando County has fired its emergency management director for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with his secretary.
Hernando officials say the romantic relationship cost taxpayers more than $9,000 in overtime that Tom Leto approved for the woman. The overtime was the most received by any county employee - other than firefighters and paramedics - in a 13-month span.
Leto was fired Friday. He had overseen emergency management in Hernando County since 2003.
Officials say Leto and the woman, who has been arrested for falsifying payroll records, traveled together at county expense.
Leto says he plans to appeal his firing and may sue.
The Associated Press
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( DarthMandingo ) on May 11, 2008 at 12:08 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
*sigh* when will you men learn to keep your hands and your thing-things to yourselves, especially when your MARRIED??? Nice way to show respect for your wife, man
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Posted by ( Marco ) on May 11, 2008 at 5:49 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
If Bill Clinton can do it on numerous occassions and continue to enjoy Liberal support, why can't Leto [he muses whimsically]. Leto must be a conservative.
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Posted by ( greenbeagle ) on May 11, 2008 at 8:48 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
They need to make him (and her) pay back the "overtime" pay she received. If not, the taxpayers are still out the money. Firing him shouldn't be the end of it....
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Posted by ( Petey90 ) on May 11, 2008 at 9:04 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I don't think it says anywhere that he was MARRIED.
However, I believe you can date without authorizing undo overtime to your girlfriend.
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Posted by ( mcox567 ) on May 11, 2008 at 9:20 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
well, in Clinton's case, the only time taxpayer money was wasted was when the hypocritical (affairs are ok as long as you don't get caught) Republican-controlled Congress wasted the country's time and money with their trial.
Politicians attempting to legislate morality and casting aspersions on anyones behavior is akin to putting a heroin addict in charge of the DEA.
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Posted by ( ceibert ) on May 11, 2008 at 9:24 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
What a cheap wad making tax payers pay for his sex!
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Posted by ( RangerDave ) on May 11, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Jerk! Thanks for wasting taxpayers money, and wasting your relationship with your wife. You are not a man!
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Posted by ( luvco ) on May 11, 2008 at 10:33 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I wondered how long it would take some moron to blame Bill Clinton. David Vitter, Larry Craig, Bob Allen,etc....
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Posted by ( signit4bes ) on May 11, 2008 at 10:56 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by ( goodtimejim ) on May 11, 2008 at 12:34 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
It's a first that Busch is not blamed. This gal should be charged with prostitution the way she was paid. Just how dumb can some of these men be?
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Posted by ( dawk818 ) on May 11, 2008 at 1:28 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
It's clear Leto isn't a Republican because he was with a woman.
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Posted by ( cshultz110 ) on May 11, 2008 at 2:27 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Goodtimejim - Are you saying that people normally blame these things on Busch (as in the beer) or on Bush (as in the president)??? LOL
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Posted by ( hemi_girl ) on May 11, 2008 at 2:55 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I don't know if he was fired for the "alledged romance" that TBO has in the headlines but I DO think he was fired for using taxpayer money for the wrong reasons like giving the secretary extra "overtime", making excessive calls to the secretary's home while on the taxpayer payroll, taking the secretary to a taxpayer paid convention in New Orleans that she had no right or business attending etc, etc, etc. I feel sorry for his wife and I hope she didn't find out about this through the newspapers........
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Posted by ( Petey90 ) on May 11, 2008 at 4:08 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Wlll somebody PLEASE tell me where it says he has a WIFE???
Why are there people accusing him of being an adulterer? Stupid yes, but I don't see where he is cheating on a spouse in this story. Get your fact straight before you comment, please.
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Posted by ( hemi_girl ) on May 11, 2008 at 6:28 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Petey90....this particular article by TBO does not say he is married, however, some of us read more than one newspaper.....If you hit the "community" button at the top of the page and go to the Hernando Today newspaper, you will see a much more detailed article about Mr Leto. He worked for and was paid by the Hernando County taxpayers. TBO only printed part of the story and gave it a stupid headline to get more people to read the article. The St Pete Times is also a good one to read on the internet as they always have the story way before TBO does and they have a really detailed article about the Hoffman girl that was working with the undercover police and was murdered. TBO only prints what they want you to know....hardly ever do they print both sides of the story......
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Posted by ( Marco ) on May 11, 2008 at 6:42 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
dawk818,
Admittedly, that was a pretty good comeback! Larry Craig and Tom Foley immediately come to mind. But...lets look at Barry Frank, Harvey Milk, Barbra Jordan, Ellen Degeneras, Rosy O'Donnell. So, while your response may have been funny, it may not be totally accurate. Still, I drink a beer in your honor.
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Posted by ( signit4bes ) on May 11, 2008 at 8:03 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
TBO censors.....wtf? I said I'm sick of the fleecing by individual govt employees, Tom Letos, Steve LaBrakes, etc...and it gets removed?!?!?
TBO censors need to develop some consistency. I played by your rules. Now what?
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Posted by ( elizabeth1977 ) on May 12, 2008 at 1:53 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Petey, check this out: "County Commissioner Diane Rowden said she feels bad for Leto's wife and newborn child in all of this." taken from
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/may/09/hernando-county-fires-emergency-manager/
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Posted by ( scootertoo ) on May 12, 2008 at 8:14 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Another public employee thinking with the wrong head again! Male hormones have got to be the most powerful, and dangerous chemical on earth. If it could just be processed and sold at gas stations.!
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Posted by ( hope2008 ) on May 12, 2008 at 8:43 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Male / Female who cares ??? they should both have to pay for the unauthorized overtime and you are right she should be charge as a pro... after all she got paid for her time with the "boyfried" and a married one at that...no wonder the cities and counties are running out of $$$ the oficial are using them as their personal bank accts ..
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