TALLAHASSEE (Bradenton Herald) — The Florida Supreme Court has reprimanded a Tallahassee lawyer, finding him guilty of “misconduct” for trying to extort U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan in connection with several lawsuits he filed against the congressman.

Douglas S. Lyons filed 11 lawsuits in 2008, alleging various types of fraud at Buchanan’s auto dealerships. But the lawsuits perhaps were most significant because of the political threat they posed Buchanan, as some also included allegations of improper fund-raising by his campaign organization — a legal predicament that until recently clouded Buchanan’s political future.

Lyons denied trying to extort Buchanan, R-Sarasota. But he said Wednesday in an interview with the Herald that he pleaded guilty to the misconduct allegations because they included a charge that his law firm had improperly mailed a solicitation to customers of one of Buchanan’s companies, which he acknowledged is true.

The Supreme Court ordered Lyons to pay $1,450 for the cost of the investigation. Lyons said he also was ordered to attend a class about law firm solicitations.

Buchanan’s campaign trumpeted the Supreme Court’s decision.

Mark Ornstein, an Orlando attorney who has represented Buchanan’s auto dealership businesses for more than 10 years, filed the original ethics complaint against Lyons with the Florida Bar that culminated with the reprimand.

“I think that the Supreme Court made a ruling that Mr. Lyons’ behavior as it related to the cases, as it regarded Vern Buchanan, was improper,” Ornstein said.

In reprimanding Lyons, the Supreme Court on Jan. 24 accepted a consent agreement filed by a “referee” detailing meetings Lyons had in 2008 with representatives of Buchanan after the first lawsuit was filed.

During one meeting, according to the referee’s report, Lyons alleged “criminal” and “illegal” activity at Buchanan’s companies, and demanded $43 million to settle the claims.