What does Acts 23:26 mean?

Claudius Lysias, the commander of the Roman army barracks in Jerusalem, is sending Paul to Marcus Antonius Felix, the governor in Caesarea Maritima, along with a letter. The letter explains how a mob of Jews grabbed Paul and nearly killed him before Lysias realized Paul was a Roman citizen and ordered his soldiers to rescue him. He will give a summary of his investigation: Paul supposedly committed a crime against the Jewish law that was deserving neither of the attack nor continued imprisonment and that Paul's accusers have made a plot against his life (Acts 23:27–30).

Lysias doesn't elaborate that he didn't know Paul was a Roman citizen until he had bound and almost scourged him, both of which were highly illegal acts (Acts 21:33; 22:24–27).

"His Excellency" was a title given to someone in the equestrian order. Felix did not originate in that order, as did Pontius Pilate, but the governor of subordinate provinces usually did. Felix had started off as a slave and was known as tyrannical, cruel, and licentious. He even stole Drusilla (Acts 24:24), Herod Agrippa I's daughter, from her husband. He was so bad, the people of Caesarea complained until Nero recalled him to Rome. Ironically, he is not unkind to Paul. He gives him a measure a freedom and allows his friends to see to his needs. He even brings Paul in to talk, although he doesn't like to hear admonitions about self-control. But, even though he knows Paul has done nothing wrong, he keeps Paul in custody for the remainder of his term in order to please the Jewish leaders (Act 24:23–27).