Career Politicians
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Who says Blue has to be involved in controlling politicians and influencing them? He does, his hate for meadows is deep seated. Read the non gossip article below that quotes Blue. Wake up people, he was just more openly arrogant until they busted him, now he hides behind any community issue that he can twist people into rallying that they have been screwed by being made to follow the rules.
By Tom Mclaughlin
Story Date: 2006 -May -27 at 12:45:34
Walton political group fined:
Association of Voters agrees to pay for 30 ?willful violations' of state's election code
May 27, 2006 (Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News delivered by Newstex)
--
The Walton Association of Voters, an organization former county Commissioner Lane Rees once called "an assemblage of lawyers, lobbyists and old powerbrokers," has agreed to pay a $15,000 fine to the Florida Elections Commission.
In accepting the FEC terms, WAV officials have consented to pay $500 for each of 30 "willful violations" of the state's election code, according to a consent order made public on Friday.
WAV, many of whose members belong to the Walton County Property Owner's Association, raised more than $77,000 in 2004 as an electioneering communication organization. It spent most of it on anti-Rees advertising.
Rees, an incumbent, was soundly defeated that year by 23-year-old Scott Brannon in the Republican primary for the District 1 commission seat.
"I'm very pleased that justice has been served," Rees said Friday. "Hopefully, future elections will be made better and more fair by the action taken by the Florida Elections Commission."
Brannon and Mikel Lee Perry, who also ran for the commission in 2004 but lost, were also investigated by the FEC. Both have appealed fines for election code violations.
Action was expected in Brannon's case when the FEC met on May 18. The outcome of the hearing was not available Friday.
Lloyd Blue, a Walton County attorney and developer who served as WAV's local counsel, said most of the rules the FEC found WAV had violated were technical in nature. His opinion was shared by WAV attorney Jimmy Judkins. "This case was over very technical accounting issues," Judkins said in a press release.
Twenty-three of the charges alleged that the group falsely reported information. Two other charges claimed WAV certified a false campaign treasurer's report. The remaining charges stated that WAV made prohibited expenditures.
Blue said no violations would have occurred if laws regarding electioneering communication organizations had been clearer when WAV was formed.
WAV was the first electioneering communication organization formed in Florida, and there were no clear rules to guide it, Blue said. WAV's founders had to rely on the best guesses of legal experts when raising and spending funds.
Rees has said he thinks WAV was formed to carry out a vendetta against him because its leaders and their financers couldn't control him as a commissioner. He said the group and its lawyers knew or should have known the state's elections laws and he was gratified to see justice done.
"Lawyers, lobbyists and old power brokers duped the people," he said after the FEC found probable cause to investigate allegations made against WAV. "I'm glad to see this is all coming out."
The people who founded WAV and its directors tried from the outset to remain out of the limelight. But the FEC's report reveals that the group was largely comprised of Property Owners Association members. Its board of directors was made up almost entirely of employees of Tommy Sholes Inc., a real estate company.
Testimony presented to FEC investigators indicated the organization evolved from a group of Santa Rosa Beach businessmen who "met occasionally for lunch" into a local powerbroker.
WAV's intervention helped make the race for Rees' commission seat the most expensive ever in Walton County. WAV raised $77,600 and Brannon raised $73,675 on his own -- with a lot of those funds coming from the same donors who filled WAV's coffers.
Rees raised more than $82,000 himself, and said a lot of his funds were used to combat the WAV campaign against him.
Blue told the FEC that he, James Eaton, a lobbyist with whom he shared "real estate interests" and several others regularly met and "discussed local political issues."
During one meeting, Blue, Eaton and others agreed to increase their political involvement according to the FEC report said.
"More specifically, the group was concerned with issues pertaining to the county budget, property and taxes."
By Tom Mclaughlin
Story Date: 2006 -May -27 at 12:45:34
Walton political group fined:
Association of Voters agrees to pay for 30 ?willful violations' of state's election code
May 27, 2006 (Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News delivered by Newstex)
--
The Walton Association of Voters, an organization former county Commissioner Lane Rees once called "an assemblage of lawyers, lobbyists and old powerbrokers," has agreed to pay a $15,000 fine to the Florida Elections Commission.
In accepting the FEC terms, WAV officials have consented to pay $500 for each of 30 "willful violations" of the state's election code, according to a consent order made public on Friday.
WAV, many of whose members belong to the Walton County Property Owner's Association, raised more than $77,000 in 2004 as an electioneering communication organization. It spent most of it on anti-Rees advertising.
Rees, an incumbent, was soundly defeated that year by 23-year-old Scott Brannon in the Republican primary for the District 1 commission seat.
"I'm very pleased that justice has been served," Rees said Friday. "Hopefully, future elections will be made better and more fair by the action taken by the Florida Elections Commission."
Brannon and Mikel Lee Perry, who also ran for the commission in 2004 but lost, were also investigated by the FEC. Both have appealed fines for election code violations.
Action was expected in Brannon's case when the FEC met on May 18. The outcome of the hearing was not available Friday.
Lloyd Blue, a Walton County attorney and developer who served as WAV's local counsel, said most of the rules the FEC found WAV had violated were technical in nature. His opinion was shared by WAV attorney Jimmy Judkins. "This case was over very technical accounting issues," Judkins said in a press release.
Twenty-three of the charges alleged that the group falsely reported information. Two other charges claimed WAV certified a false campaign treasurer's report. The remaining charges stated that WAV made prohibited expenditures.
Blue said no violations would have occurred if laws regarding electioneering communication organizations had been clearer when WAV was formed.
WAV was the first electioneering communication organization formed in Florida, and there were no clear rules to guide it, Blue said. WAV's founders had to rely on the best guesses of legal experts when raising and spending funds.
Rees has said he thinks WAV was formed to carry out a vendetta against him because its leaders and their financers couldn't control him as a commissioner. He said the group and its lawyers knew or should have known the state's elections laws and he was gratified to see justice done.
"Lawyers, lobbyists and old power brokers duped the people," he said after the FEC found probable cause to investigate allegations made against WAV. "I'm glad to see this is all coming out."
The people who founded WAV and its directors tried from the outset to remain out of the limelight. But the FEC's report reveals that the group was largely comprised of Property Owners Association members. Its board of directors was made up almost entirely of employees of Tommy Sholes Inc., a real estate company.
Testimony presented to FEC investigators indicated the organization evolved from a group of Santa Rosa Beach businessmen who "met occasionally for lunch" into a local powerbroker.
WAV's intervention helped make the race for Rees' commission seat the most expensive ever in Walton County. WAV raised $77,600 and Brannon raised $73,675 on his own -- with a lot of those funds coming from the same donors who filled WAV's coffers.
Rees raised more than $82,000 himself, and said a lot of his funds were used to combat the WAV campaign against him.
Blue told the FEC that he, James Eaton, a lobbyist with whom he shared "real estate interests" and several others regularly met and "discussed local political issues."
During one meeting, Blue, Eaton and others agreed to increase their political involvement according to the FEC report said.
"More specifically, the group was concerned with issues pertaining to the county budget, property and taxes."
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Almost doubles as the list of contributors on T. Anderson's financial reports on the SOE site. Pretty self explanatory
Ouch....Crickets from the peanut gallery now....
Indeed it does.
I agree GS. HOLY SMOKE!!! That was from 10 years ago. People better wake up!! Because THEY aren't NOW nor have they been sleeping over those years.
Crickets....Crickets....Where are the SBA and Blue defenders now. Dem's don't be fooled, these same people ran coble-wise to keep you from voting for Meadows. I hope Walton county is smarter than that!
Of course it does PG.
For those that "doubt" that's the list or don't understand what the WCSBA (or SBA) is, I'll post a link for you and you can view the list for yourself! Hopefully, that will at least partially clear up the "credibility" issue. Course if that fails you may be a "Blue's Crew" fan and I didn't realize it. Sorry if you're offended..
Walton County Small Business Association