Palm Beach Politician Pressured Police Chief to Quash Investigation and Refer Case to FBI

JaMES PATTERSON “| had people in the community in Palm Beach who either made comments directly to me or to others who relayed them to me that I didn't need to take the tack in the investigation that we did, which is [to] completely investigate it and then refer it tothe FBI after the state case was resolved,” Reiter said in the deposition. “I had one individual who came to see me a couple of times about this.” According to the chief, the individual in question was a prominent Palm Beach politician. “He said this wasn’t necessary; this was a case that was really very minor,” Reiter recalled. “The victims had lifestyles that don’t make them—shouldn’t make them believable to the police department.” “I told him that those kinds of suggestions to me were improper and he should stop,” said Reiter. “That he had taken a couple of steps down the road toward something that could eventually constitute a crime. We talked several times. Early on it didn't end favorably. You know, this is an individual [whom] I had to interact with in my official capacity and in his official capacity as well.” The Palm Beach politician wasn't the only one to pressure the police chief. “I received comments from a variety of different viewpoints. . .in some cases I had people tell me, hey, he's a Palm Beacher, why are you investigating a Palm Beacher?” Reiter would say when deposed. “I had people that said it was an unfa- vorable career move for me to ask the state attorney to remove ~ himself from the case and to refer it to the FBI....1 had plenty of 7 people that told me that that was a mistake.” Reiter didn't back off. To have done so would have been 4 a betrayal—not only of the victims but also of his vocation and the community he had sworn he would serve. 184 2 ar Fit: “My responsibility was to Beach and preserve their con: department for all,” Reiter sai particularly under the crimin the nature of our system, be t But along with handing t attorney, Reiter took another letters—on Palm Beach PD | victims in the case. He delivered the letters by HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_010525