Federal authorities are also investigating that allegation, the sources said.

When the County Commission approved the Sabal Palm/Monterey project in December 2006, Eggelletion voted for it with a majority of his colleagues. On June 9, he sided with the developer when Prestige asked the county to drop the affordable housing portion. A majority of the commissioners rejected Prestige's request.

CITY POLITICS

In an interview this week, Schreiber alleged that Bruce Chait in 2006 tried to get Schreiber's wife, whose opponent supported the Sabal Palm/Monterey project, to drop out of that year's mayoral race.

Schreiber said Shawn Chait asked him to meet with Bruce Chait at a Denny's restaurant on University Drive and Commercial Boulevard.

"[Bruce] Chait said he'd like to make an offer. He said he was offering $200,000 if Mae would leave the race," said Schreiber, 86.

Schreiber said he talked it over with his wife and she rejected the offer. "I agreed with her because it wasn't the right thing to do," Schreiber said.

The former mayor said he did not report the meeting to authorities. "I didn't think it was anybody's business," he said.

Schreiber would not say if federal or state authorities have since questioned him. "I'm not at liberty to say," he said.

SCHOOL BOARD

Government ethics experts have also criticized School Board member Kraft's actions in pushing to get the developer's request for a $500,000 break in school mitigation fees for the Sabal Palm/Monterey project rushed onto the board's agenda in July 2007.

Prestige won the break in fees after hiring Kraft's husband, who is a lawyer, internal district records show.

Kraft left the room during the School Board's vote but never publicly disclosed her husband's legal work for the company.

It is illegal for a public official or "his or her spouse" to accept compensation or payment when the public official knows or "should know that it was given to influence a vote or other action," according to Florida's code of ethics.

Kraft, her attorney Ken Padowitz and Mitch Kraft's attorney Kevin Kulik have declined to comment on the allegation. Padowitz said Stephanie Kraft has cooperated with federal authorities and is not a target of the investigation.