At the earlier meeting, former deputy Rickie Cotton read from a highlighted purportedly anonymous letter accusing members of the sheriff’s office of misconduct. Cotton alleged Maj. Doug Bringmans falsified time records and “double dipped,” and claimed Chief Deputy Randy Tift misrepresented his departure from the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC), saying Tift resigned under sustained misconduct.
Johnson dismissed the accusations and pointed to Cotton’s own disciplinary history. Cotton, who served under former Sheriff Wendell Hall, was demoted in 2005 for lying under oath in open court.
To counter the claims about Tift, Johnson presented a letter from the FDOC Secretary stating Tift served from 1990 to 2016 “with dedication” and retired voluntarily during a departmental reorganization. The letter described Tift’s tenure as a “long and distinguished career” and made no reference to misconduct. “
Johnson suggested the accusations were politically motivated. Rumors have circulated about his possible retirement, which could trigger a special election if he steps down before the end of his term. Johnson did not confirm or deny the rumors Thursday, despite speculation that he had requested time before the board to announce his retirement. “For somebody with a track record of lying to get up here and disparage co-workers or former co-workers, that just goes to show the character of Ricky Cotton.”
“Apparently Rickie is going to run for sheriff,” Johnson said. “I guess that’s why he came out and did all this. I think Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s office is one of the best sheriff’s offices in the nation.”
Commission Chairman Colten Wright responded by noting that over the past three to five years, roughly three dozen deputies have approached him to express frustrations with the sheriff’s office. Wright asked Johnson to begin providing commissioners with a check register or procurement policies on a regular basis.
“My budget is public record,” Johnson replied. “Anybody can look at it. Anybody can go through line by line, and it wouldn’t bother me a bit for you all to do that. I would welcome it.”
