Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics
Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics
Kristin A. Vara-Garcia - Chair Michael S. Kridel - Vice Chair
Rodney G. Romano Peter L. Cruise Michael H. Kugler
Kristin A. Vara-Garcia - Chair Michael S. Kridel - Vice Chair
Rodney G. Romano Peter L. Cruise Michael H. Kugler
Next Meeting: Commission on Ethics Monthly Meeting - Thursday, May 2, 2024 - 1:30 p.m. - Robert Weisman Governmental Center, 301 N. Olive Ave, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 - 6th floor BCC Chambers
Agenda and Attachments
Next Hearing: C22-004 Robert Shorr-Final Hearing - Monday, June 24, 2024 - 9:00 a.m. - Robert Weisman Governmental Center, 301 N. Olive Ave, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 - 6th floor BCC Chambers
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Carol E. A. DeGraffenreidt is a seasoned government attorney with extensive state and federal criminal and civil trial experience. She has served as the lead and/or sole attorney in more than 100 criminal and civil trials.
Ms. DeGraffenreidt began her career as an assistant state attorney for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. Serving as an assistant County Court supervisor and lead felony trial attorney, she was Broward County’s first black female assistant state attorney.
Ms. DeGraffenreidt next served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida in both the civil and criminal divisions. She represented the United States in matters involving criminal and civil asset forfeiture, land condemnation, environmental law, personal injury, medical malpractice, employment discrimination, civil health care fraud, procurement fraud, bank embezzlement and robbery, narcotics immigration, money laundering, firearms, and mail and wire fraud, to name a few.
Additionally, Ms. DeGraffenreidt assisted foreign prosecutors in obtaining evidence located in the U.S. and prosecuted crimes that occurred on military property and sovereign lands. While a federal prosecutor, she was also cross-designated as an assistant state attorney for the Dade County State Attorney’s Office assisting in the prosecution of tourist car-jacking cases.
Ms. DeGraffenreidt is currently the Bureau Chief assigned to the Consumer Protection Division of the Florida Attorney General’s Office in West Palm Beach. She handles complex consumer protection matters involving false and deceptive business practices regarding advertising, sales and service contracts, telemarketing, timeshare and timeshare sales/re-sales, mortgage foreclosure loan assistance, debt relief/debt consolidation/credit repair, improper debt collection practices, automobile refinance assistance, bankruptcy, negative options, moving services, and price gouging. Ms. DeGraffenreidt was recognized as the 2021 Consumer Protection Attorney of the Year for the Office of the Attorney General.
A Florida native, Ms. DeGraffenreidt is a former Palm Beach County Traffic Court hearing officer. She a graduate of Spelman College and the University of Maryland School of Law.
