Guetzloe’s hearing will be at 10:45 a.m. in U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division.
A Writ of Habeas Corpus Ad Prosequendum was issued on May 25 for Guetzloe to be brought to the court next Wednesday. The political consultant and host of The Guetzloe Report on the Phoenix Network is facing two counts of willful failure to file a return, a misdemeanor.
Guetzloe stands accused of having failed to file returns on nearly $187,000 in income in 2005, and more than $188,000 in 2006.
Guetzloe is now in protective custody at the Orange County Jail, where he’s serving a 60-day sentence for a campaign law violation, also a misdemeanor charge. In the order for Guetzloe to appear before Judge Dietrich, the warden of the Orange County Jail has been instructed to deliver custody of Guetzloe to the United States Marshal.
The court order requires the United States Marshal to “have the body of the said Douglas M. Guetzloe now detained in custody as aforesaid, under safe and secure conduct, before this Court by or before 10:45 a.m. on June 8 … for initial appearance on criminal charges.”
At that hearing, it’s likely the judge will set bail for the defendant.
Guetzloe’s current sentence in Orange County Jail dates back to 2006, when he was charged with a first degree misdemeanor for sending out a political mailer during a Winter Park mayoral election. Guetzloe is a well-known political activist who has long been associated with the Florida Republican Party and conservative, anti-tax causes, although in the past year he’s also been a consultant to the Tea Party of Florida, which advocates limited government. He’s also the founder of the group Ax The Tax.
Guetzloe was charged with a first degree misdemeanor because he did not include the term ‘paid electioneering communication’ on the ad — which reproduced the arrest report of one of the candidates — as required by Florida law, or put his name on it as the person who paid for the ad.
In November 2006, Guetzloe pleaded no contest to 14 misdemeanor counts under state election laws, and Judge Jeffrey Arnold sentenced him to 60 days in jail. Guetzloe appealed, but the Florida Supreme Court ruled that he could be prosecuted for his failure to include ‘paid electioneering communication’ on the mail out.
Judge Arnold ordered Guetzloe to report to the Orange County Jail by noon on May 11, and imposed a $1,000 fine on the political consultant, and $50 in court costs. The judge also denied a motion by Guetzloe’s attorney, Fred O’Neal, to allow Guetzloe to be released on bail or to let him serve his sentence under home confinement.
Guetzloe is in protective custody at the jail because he’s well known in the community. He had initially qualified for a work release program, and was taking part in the seven day work release orientation he was brought back into custody pending the federal charges.
“Doug Guetzole was removed from Work Release per our policy due (to) him having new federal charges,” the Orange County Jail’s public information office noted in an email to Freeline Media.
Guetzloe is the founder of The Phoenix Network, a radio station that broadcasts live over the Internet, through a host Web site, www.PhoenixNetwork.US.
Guetzloe had been scheduled to return to the studio at Hovey Court in downtown Orlando to oversee the radio station, although it was not clear if the work release program for inmates would have been allowed him to return as host of The Guetzloe Report show, which airs at 11 a.m. daily.
In the meantime, the station continues to operate in his absence. Heidi Bolduc, program director for the fledgling station, announced on Tuesday that Phoenix was launching a new program that she would co-host, called the Phoenix Interview Hour.
“Essentially the show will be focused around interviews conducted with various authors, website developers, and/or political figures,” Boldac wrote in an email announcing the new half-hour show, which she will co-host with Victoria Torres. It premieres on Tuesday, June 7 and will be on the air from 12:30-1 p.m.
Guetzloe has turned down all media requests for interviews.
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