The newly elected vice chair of the Republican Party of Florida, Jovanté Teague, was convicted in a 2019 case stemming from an investigation into an alleged inappropriate relationship with a female inmate while he was employed as a county jail guard.
The conviction, unearthed by Fresh Take Florida, resulted from a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) probe that uncovered handwritten notes and inmate testimony indicating a romantic, and possibly sexual, relationship between Teague and an inmate.
Teague, now 30, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of introducing contraband (the notes) into the Dixie County Jail. He was sentenced to two years' probation after reaching a plea deal that included surrendering his state criminal justice certification. That means he can't work in corrections or law enforcement anymore. It is illegal for correctional officers to have sex with inmates, even if the relationship is consensual, and those convicted could face up to five years in prison.
Fresh Take Florida's Matthew Cupelli detailed that one inmate reported seeing Teague engaging in sexual activity through the woman's cell bars. Another said he passed her notes under food trays. Moreover, the woman is recorded telling her mother that she was involved with a jail officer. Among the notes found by authorities was one discussing continuing the relationship once the woman was released from jail. The woman in question is now 28 years old. She was in jail on vandalism, theft and burglary charges and was released in February after serving eight months in the Florida's women's prison in Ocala, Lowell Correctional Institute, on drug charges.
Teague was elected vice chair of the state GOP in early 2025, defeating incumbent Jesse Phillips by a wide margin. He said he was surprised about his victory, especially given the margin, with Philips he believes most people were not aware about Teague's past. He claimed Teague's actions amounted to abuse of power and that he didn't reference the information because he announced his candidacy late in the cycle.
Teague, on his end, said he has been open about his past and that he has no plans to contact or meet with the now former inmate. Contacted by Fresh Take Florida, the woman rejected answering questions about her relationship with Teague but said he "has worked very hard to get where he is today" and that she is "so proud of him."
The Republican Party of Florida did not respond to the news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications.
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