ASE THOSE DETAILS BRING HIM
TO YOU.
>> FLORIDA BAR NOW ACTIVELY
INVESTIGATING FORMER PUBLIC
DEFENDER MATT SHIRK AND SHIRK
COULD BE AT RISK OF LOSING HIS
LICENSE TO PRACTICE LAW.
TODAY THE BAR ANNOUNCED FORMAL
INVESTIGATION WHICH WILL FOCUS
ON A SCATHING REPORT ON SHIRK
FROM DUVAL COUNTY GRAND JURY
BACK IN 2014.
I-TEAM INVESTIGATORS LINDSAY
TALKED WITH THE BAR SPOKESMAN
TODAY AND ALSO REACHED OUT TO
SHIRK.
LINDSAY?
>>Reporter: MY CALL TO MATT
WENT TO VOICE MAIL.
I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK TONIGHT.
WE UNDERSTAND HE IS OVER SEA
WAS HIS WIFE.
WHEN HE GETS BACK HOME FLORIDA
BAR SAYS HE IS GOING TO RECEIVE
A LETTER FROM THEM LETTING HIM
KNOW HE'S UNDER THE
INVESTIGATIVE EYE AND HE HAS
JUST 15 DAYS TO RESPOND.
MATT SHIRK POLITICAL CAREER
BEGAN UNRAVELING IN 2013.
THAT'S WHEN HE HIRED THE TWO
WAITRESS FROM A LOCAL BAR.
BROUGHT THEM DOWNTOWN TO HIS
OFFICE FOR WORK.
THEY HAD NO LEGAL EXPERIENCE
AND SALARY WERE FUNDED WITH
YOUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
EN THE BUILDING WE NOW KNOW
SHIRK BUILT A SHOWER IN HIS
OFFICE AND HID FROM IT CITY
INSPECTORS.
ALSO PAID FOR BY TANKS PAIR
DOLLARS
AND HE WAS SERVING ALCOHOL IN
HIS OFFICE.
SOMETHING NOT ALLOWED BY THE
CITY OF JACKSONVILLE.
PREVIOUS INVESTIGATION FOUND HE
WAS ALSO E MAILING EMPLOYEE
SUGGESTIVE MESSAGES INCLUDING
THIS E CARD TO A THIRD FEMALE
WORKER THAT READY THINK IF WE
HAD SEX THERE WOULD BE VERY
MINIMAL AWKWARDNESS AFTERWARDS.
SHIRK AT THE TIME WAS MARRIED
FATHER.
HIS WIFE MICHELLE CAME TO THE
OFFICE AND CONFRONTED THE WOMEN
AND BLOW UP THAT MADE NEWS
STORIES FOR MONTH.
IT LED TO GRAND JURY
INVESTIGATION.
16 PAGE REPORT FOUND SHIRK HE
PUT THE PERSONAL INTEREST FIRST
AND ACTED AS IF THE OFFICE WAS
HIS PLAY PEN.
INTENDED TO AMUSE AND INDULGE
HIS WHIM N.SO DOING HE HAS
SHOWN HIMSELF TO BE LACKING THE
MATURITY TO HOLD THE OFFICE AND
POSSESS OF ENTITLEMENT
MENTALITY THAT IS SIMPLY
UNACCEPTABLE.
THE GRAND JURY CALLS UPON SHIRK
TO MEDLEY RESIGN FROM HIS
POSITION.
BUT SHIRK DID NOT.
HE THEN SAT DOWN EXCLUSIVELY
WITH OUR TOM WILLS TO DEFEND
HIMSELF AND SAY HE WAS STAYING
IN OFFICE BECAUSE HE WASN'T
CHARGED WITH A CRIME.
>> I'M NOT GOING TO SAY-THAT
THE GRAND JURY IS WRONG BUT
THEY RELIED ON TESTIMONY THAT
WAS INACCURATE.
>> AT THAT TIME FLAT BAR COULD
NOT INVESTIGATE SHIRK, THE
TOVRNLT BECAUSE SHIRK WAS ALSO
A CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICER.
NOW THE PUBLIC INFORMATION
DIRECTOR OF THE FLORIDA BAR
FRAN SEEN WALKER TOLD ME TODAY
FROM TALLAHASSEE THAT ALL
CHANGED THIS WEEK.
>> WHEN THE NEW PUBLIC DEFENDER
WAS SWORN IN THEN MR. SHIRK
CAME BACK UNDER FLORIDA BAR
JURISDICTION.
>> SHE SAYS HER OFFICE GETS
THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS EVERY
YEAR AND MORE COMPLAINTS
AGAINST SHIRK FOR HIS CONDUCT
COULD STILL COME IN AND BE PART
OF THE NEW INVESTIGATION.
RIGHT NOW THE FOCUS IS ON THE
GRAND JURY REPORT AND DAJ
DAMPING FINDINGS.
>> WE TAKE OUR RESPONSIBILITY
OF REGULATING THE CONDUCT OF
LAWYERS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC
VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY.
>>Reporter: THE PROCESS COULD
TAKE 6 TO 12 MONTHS.
DISCIPLINE COULD INCLUDE
DISBARMENT.
SUSPENSION.
PUBLIC REPRIMAND.
OR ADMONISHMENT.
IF THE BAR FINDS THERE WERE
VIOLATION OF THE RULES THEN HIS
CASE WILL GO TO GRIEVANCE
COMMITTEE THAT COULD THEN FILE
A COMPLAINT ALL THE WAY UP TO
THE STATE SUPREME COURT.
>> DOWN AS PUBLIC DEFENDER
OFFICE YESTERDAY.
IS THAT SHOWER STILL THERE.
>> STILL THERE.
I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYE.
THE SOURCE TELLS ME THAT SHIRK
AND HIS STAFF WERE ABLE TO HIDE
IT FROM THE CITY INSPECTOR.
THEY ACTUALLY USE FAKE DRYWALL
AND THEY USED LIKE A FAKE
FLOORING SITUATION SO WHEN
INSPECTORS CAME IN IT LOOKED
LIKE A CLOSET NOT A SHOWER.