Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper was released from jail Thursday night after being arrested on three felony charges.
The city's first elected mayor held her husband's hand as she walked out of jail without answering reporters' questions.
Cooper surrendered hours earlier on charges of:
- money laundering (3rd degree felony)
- official misconduct (3rd degree felony)
- exceeding limits on campaign contributions (3rd degree felony)
- Soliciting contributions in a government building (1st degree misdemeanor)
The Broward County state attorney's office says FBI agents posing as wealthy land developers met with Cooper, former attorney Alan Koslow and other undercover agents posing as business owners over the course of several months to discuss a business project in the city.
Investigators said Cooper solicited campaign contributions for herself and others that exceeded the legal limit and falsely reported the contributions in campaign reports. Investigators said Cooper also solicited contributions in the amount of $1,500 each for then-Commissioners Bill Julian and Anthony Sanders.
Authorities said all of the meetings were secretly recorded.
Cooper's attorney, Larry Davis, said he is "extremely disappointed in the state attorney's office relying on a convicted, disbarred and disgraced former attorney, Alan Koslow, to be the center of their case."
Koslow was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for money laundering.
Gov. Rick Scott has yet to announce his decision about whether or not Cooper can continue to serve as mayor.