South Venice Civic Association Meeting

[John Kost]

I attended the South Venice Civic Association meeting on Monday. Sheriff Knight was there to talk about the closing of the south county desk and the removal of all the detectives from south county. Knight showed up with his wife and talked with the board members as he made his way to the microphone.
He had his canned typical speech that if you want to know what it said just look at the 2018 annual report. He had some quick quips and quotes like "if speeding is what your telling me, then I'm doing a pretty good job." When a couple of the people that were there repeatedly asked him about specific issues, he reply was "we will triage that."
What I didn't know was what Knight had told the board members before the meeting. Essentially, that I was only there to disrupt the meeting and make him look bad.
I had 6 questions to choose from that I had researched. The first one was this. Your budget when you started in 2009 was $87 million dollars. This year your PROPOSED budget is approximately $117 million dollars. That is the largest increase in budget in the history of the Sheriff's Office in any 10-year span by a Sheriff. With that, how is it not possible to continue a service to South County that has been in place since 1979? Knight's answer: "that's not my budget. I haven't finalized it yet." I told him I understood that's why I said PROPOSED. He again said "I haven't turned it in yet." Either he is very forgetful or he is a liar, just my humble opinion. As usual I will provide proof.
Link below is to the page in the 2019 county budget plan, specifically, the sheriff’s budget.

https://www.scgov.net/Home/ShowDocument?id=38668

Knight stood there like someone just took his teddy bear. So, I moved on to the second part of the question which is: You (Knight) stated it takes $142,000 dollars per new deputy which includes benefits, equipment and a vehicle. Front desk officers don't get vehicles so the number would be closer to $112,000 per desk officer. For less than $500,000 dollars you could continue a service that is now only afforded to the north end of the county. Knight looks at the President of the SVCA and says "see Walt, I told you he was going to do this." Then he says ok John let’s dance. I told the sheriff I wasn’t there to dance with him, I just want some answers for the people here in the room. The sheriff then says "John was removed from a .... Well it's a long story." I said tell the story, I'd love to hear it. Knight replied with John if you don't understand what I am saying see me after the meeting and he quickly moved on to others for questions. I could have pressed him more, but unlike him I will take the high road. Come to find out, Knight's wife Tracy told 3 female members of the SVCA that I was "a bad influence on other deputies", "that Tom had to let him go." There were other things that were said by her, all along the same line. How did I find that out you ask? Well, an elderly gentleman, who I don't know, came up to me with a piece of paper and said, "you seem like a good guy with a lot of information that the sheriff didn't want to hear and questions he couldn't answer." He said that the lady the sheriff introduced as his wife was butchering you before the meeting even started. He continued with saying he was standing at the kitchen door as the sheriff's wife was talking with 3 of the SVCA ladies, all who had name tags. He went on to state that I figured you were going to be done in by hatchet job so I wrote down the ladies’ names and what the sheriff's wife was saying about you. He handed me the piece of paper and left. I opened it up and wow. I didn't know that I had been fired. Hell, I thought I retired after 31 years and 4 months of service to my community. What am I to do with this information? I have a time/date stamped copy of my personnel file. I looked through it again to make sure I wasn't pulled from a position and disciplined. Could not find that in my file. Even in my stint as an administrative patrol lieutenant, my yearly evaluation was stellar. I will list the other questions I was going to ask so if anyone happens to be at a public venue with the sheriff, you can ask him the questions yourself.
That is the story of the SCVA meeting.
Footnote: I did speak to the sheriff privately after the meeting. If you want to know what was said feel free to ask him. I’d be curious to know what he says.

[Unregistered]

John, it is disturbing to read your account because it shows dirty underhanded lies and personal smears coming from Tom Knight... and apparently from his wife Tracey Knight too. The only reason Knight resorts to lies is because of his own FEAR and internal emotional insecurities. Tom Knight is now resorting to an old fashioned political smear campaign of lies and deceit.

Dried out wood is rigid and stiff -- and it cannot bend under pressure -- so it snaps under pressure. Tom Knight is rigid and stiff -- and he will emotionally snap under pressure. Knight was arrested for fighting after he snapped emotionally. The FBI denied Knight a security clearance due to his emotional volatility. Unseal the records, if it is legal, because there is so much to know.

[Unregistered]

John, it is disturbing to read your account because it shows dirty underhanded lies and personal smears coming from Tom Knight... and apparently from his wife Tracey Knight too. The only reason Knight resorts to lies is because of his own FEAR and internal emotional insecurities. Tom Knight is now resorting to an old fashioned political smear campaign of lies and deceit.

Dried out wood is rigid and stiff -- and it cannot bend under pressure -- so it snaps under pressure. Tom Knight is rigid and stiff -- and he will emotionally snap under pressure. Knight was arrested for fighting after he snapped emotionally. The FBI denied Knight a security clearance due to his emotional volatility. Unseal Knight's criminal records, if it is legal, because there is so much to know.

In closed circles, Knight freely admits that he was arrested for disorderly conduct by VPD, after he got sloppy drunk at a bar and starting violently punching. He gets violent when he is emotional. However, he has never been asked about it in a public forum, at least not yet. Conversely, why would Knight allow his criminal records to be unsealed and read by voters? That would be a stupid political move on his part. Regarding Knight's FBI classification as being "unsuitable" for a security clearance, well, that's a story unto itself. It has to do with dishonesty, untrustworthyness and being a sociopathic liar who has an inability to admit culpability in any incriminating circumstance whatsoever. Yeaa, ask Knight to provide the FBI's documentation of his "unsuitability" for public trust. Let the public read it. Even the chief judge of the 12th judicial circuit got a taste of Knight's vindictive nastiness.

[Unregistered]

Knight showed up with his wife and talked with the board members. However, what I didn't know was what Knight previously told the board members, before the meeting. Knight told them that I was there only to disrupt the meeting and make him look bad.

The only reason Knight resorts to lies is because of his own FEAR and internal emotional insecurities. Tom Knight is now resorting to an old fashioned political smear campaign of lies and deceit.

Knight is slandering Kost because Knight sees Kost as a bona fide political threat in the next sheriffs election. That scares Knight, so he must destroy the good character of Kost by smearing his public reputation with lies. Politics is, quite frankly, a knightmare.

[Unregistered]

When I asked Knight a budget question, Knight looked at the President of the SVCA and said in front of the audience, "see Walt, I told you he was going to do this."

What I didn't know was what Knight had previously told the board members, before the meeting. Knight told them that I was there only to disrupt the meeting and make him look bad.

Knight began dirty dancing long before the meeting began when Knight approached the SVCA board members and made false allegations against Kost. Knight did that in his attempt to discredit Kost, prior to the meeting. That’s how Knight rolls and he will continue dirty dancing to discredit anyone who challenges his incumbency as the sheriff of Sarasota County. That’s a fact. However, in this case, Knight does not have any political or criminal dirt on Kost, except for Knight’s bold faced lies. Conversely, Knight has a criminal record, in addition to the FBI denying him a security clearance. Knight did not volunteer that information to the SVCA board members.

[Unregistered]

John, thank you for exposing Sheriff Knight. Anyone who has worked for him knows his ego overshadows his abilities. He is a coward and hides behind his position as Sheriff. When asked fair questions he deflects and refuses to answer. He hangs pictures up in the office about Fairness, Integrity, Service, and Respect. Sheriff Knight has none of these qualities. They should read Dishonesty, Disrespect, Unfairness, and Cowardess.

[Unregistered]

Mr. John Kost, thank you kindly for sharing your testimony.

Knight's wife Tracy told 3 female members of the SVCA that I was "a bad influence on other deputies", "that Tom had to let him go." There were other things that were said by her, all along the same line.

An elderly gentleman, who I don't know, came up to me with a piece of paper and said, "you seem like a good guy, with a lot of information that the sheriff didn't want us to hear, along with questions he could not answer."

He said, “the lady the sheriff introduced as his wife (Tracy Knight) was butchering you before the meeting even started.” He said that while he was standing at the kitchen door, the sheriff's wife was talking with 3 SVCA ladies, all who had name tags. He said he figured that “since you were going to be done in by hatchet job, I wrote down the ladies’ names and what the sheriff's wife was saying about you.” He handed me the piece of paper and left.

I opened it up the piece of paper and wow, I did not know that I had been fired from the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office. Hell, I thought I retired after 31 years and 4 months of service to my community.

What am I to do with this information? I have a time/date stamped copy of my personnel file. I looked through it again to make sure I wasn't fired from a position and disciplined. That is not in my file. My yearly evaluations are stellar.

Mr. Kost, thank you for being truthful and for documenting this incident. The three SVCS ladies are bona fide witnesses.

Footnote: I did speak to the sheriff privately after the meeting. If you want to know what was said, then feel free to ask him because I’d be curious to know what he says.

Mr. Kost, throughout your tenure, please always remain humble. Please always remember where you came from. A true and loyal faithful servant will always remember that it's all about serving others, the weak and the strong together, the rich and the poor together. Winning the office of sheriff is not a license to bully others, nor is it a tool designed for self-aggrandizement. Please maintain integrity, first to God, then to your family and then to your community.

[Unregistered]

Knight's wife Tracy told 3 female members of the SVCA that I was "a bad influence on other deputies", "that Tom had to let him go." There were other things that were said by her, all along the same line.

Mrs. Tracy Knight resorted to slander because telling the truth makes Mr. Tom Knight look bad.

[Unregistered]

Knight's wife Tracy told 3 female members of the SVCA that I was "a bad influence on other deputies", "that Tom had to let him go." There were other things that were said by her, all along the same line.

Mrs. Tracy Knight resorted to slander because telling the truth makes Mr. Tom Knight look bad.

This is classic vindictiveness from Knight and his henchwoman. Classic! John, you can get away with campaigning against Knight for three reasons:

• First, you're already retired, so you're immune from Knight's innuendo threats to fire or frame you.
  .
• Second, since you're already retired, Knight cannot punish you with trumped up allegations (to destroy you, your reputation, your character and your future political aspirations).
  .
• Third, if you were still active-duty, then Knight would have his active-duty henchmen set you up for failure by going after you with "documented" trumped up allegations (thus creating a paper trail against you, which can be used against you in the future).

This cat is out of the bag and Knight is trying to catch it. LOL

[Unregistered]

John, I think you exposed what a bully Tom Knight is. When asked questions he would rather slither away like the snake he is. He is nothing without his position.