Dane Eagle

History

Eagle was born in Cape Coral, and attended Bishop Verot High School while working at his family's real estate business, Eagle Realty. He later attended Florida Gulf Coast University, where he received his associate degree in 2003 while working as a realtor full-time. Following graduation, Eagle attended the University of Florida, majoring in economics and initially aspiring to be a pediatrician. After he was appointed to a citizen advisory committee in Gainesville, however, he decided to enter public service, and upon graduation, moved to Tallahassee, where he eventually became the Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Charlie Crist. After working for several years in government, he eventually moved back to Cape Coral, working for Dane Realty full-time.

Florida House of Representatives

In 2012, following the reconfiguration of Florida House districts, Eagle opted to run in the newly created 77th District, based in Cape Coral. He racked up endorsements from former Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp, State Senator Michael S. Bennett, State Representatives Gary Aubuchon, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and the National Rifle Association. In the Republican primary, Eagle faced former City Councilman Chris Berardi, whom he was able to defeat in a landslide, winning 71% of the vote to Berardi's 29%. Advancing to the general election, he faced Arvella Clare, the Democratic nominee. During the course of the campaign, he earned the endorsement of The News-Press, which praised him for "[h]is knowledge of government, his passion for Southwest Florida and his willingness to listen to ideas different than his." Ultimately, Clare did not prove to be a major obstacle to Eagle, and he defeated her easily, winning his first term in the legislature with 62% of the vote.

Drug Free Public Officers Act

Dane Eagle sponsored House Bill 1435, titled "Drug Free Public Officers Act" which would require public officers and elected officials to take drug tests. Anyone refusing to take the test would have to resign.

DUI arrest

On April 21, 2014, Eagle was arrested for driving under the influence in Tallahassee, FL, following a series of events that included speeding, reckless driving and running a red light. He was also noted to have bloodshot eyes, was staggering and smelling of alcohol. Eagle claimed that the smell of alcohol coming from his vehicle was the result of having people who were drunk in his car earlier in the night and refused to submit to a field sobriety evaluation. Following his arrest, he refused to take a breath test.

Following his arrest, Eagle put out a statement, declaring, "I was arrested in Tallahassee and accused of driving under the influence of alcohol. While there are some decisions I would have made differently, I do not believe there is a complete and accurate picture of the events. Under the advice of my legal counsel, I cannot discuss all of the details right now, but I look forward to publicly (sic) sharing the entire story at an appropriate time. Until then, I humbly ask for everyone's patience. I know that I am accountable for my actions, and I look forward to communicating with my constituents in the near future on this matter."

The News-Press, which had endorsed him in his 2012 campaign, drew parallels between Eagle's arrest and disgraced former United States Congressman Trey Radel's arrest for cocaine use, noting that Eagle "has disappointed his constituency and embarrassed himself," and questioning why he refused to exonerate himself with a breath test, if he was correct about the fact that he had not been drinking.

In the aftermath of Eagle's arrest, Michael Van Sickler of the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald noted that, despite Eagle personally refusing to undergo sobriety and breath tests during his arrest, he had sponsored Florida legislation that "requires certain public officers to undergo drug tests." Those who fail to submit would be required to resign. The charges for DUI were later dropped and Dane pleaded guilty to reckless driving and was sentenced to 6 months of probation.