Mark Schumann

PAC money and a possible surrogate switch

According to the lasted financial report filed with the City Clerk's office, Citizen's For a Brighter Future, a political committee headed by Glenn Heran, has received $110,220 in contributions since it was founded in September of 2011. Nearly $100,000 of those contributions have come from Florida Power & Light. With total expenses to date of $70,831, the Heran-controlled PAC has FPL money left it can use to aid Tracy Carroll in her bid for re-election
According to the latest financial report filed with the City Clerk’s office, Citizen’s For a Brighter Future, a political committee headed by Glenn Heran, has received $110,220 in contributions since it was founded in September of 2011. Nearly $100,000 of those contributions have come from Florida Power & Light. With total expenses to date of $70,831, the Heran-controlled PAC has FPL money left it can use to aid Tracy Carroll in her bid for re-election.
COMMENTARY

MARK SCHUMANN

Glenn Heran
Glenn Heran

In comments made prior to the Republican Club’s candidate forum, utility activist Glenn Heran reportedly claimed it would be illegal to use the Florida Power & Light money left in the coffers of Citizens for a Brighter Future to help Tracy Carroll in her bid for re-election. Heran is either missing the point, or intentionally avoiding it.

Heran need not use the FPL/Citizens for a Brighter Future money to directly endorse Carroll in order to be helpful to her, and he certainly does not need to write a check to Carroll’s campaign to help her cause.  According to a spokesperson in the Florida Department of State Division of Elections, political committees such as Citizens for a Brighter Future are free to take positions on issues and to advocate for or against candidates.

Through Citizens for a Brighter Future, Heran can place advertising and mail post cards stressing the importance of concluding the sale of Vero Electric, while Carroll and her surrogates take to the campaign trail falsely claiming she is the only candidate willing and able to see the deal through.

This may be the same strategy behind FPL’s recent mailings. The company has begun flooding the mail with post cards touting the benefits of the proposed sale of Vero Electric.

According to a senior official in the Republican Party, Heran was to speak for Carroll at last night’s forum, though it was Bill Curtis who read a statement on the candidate’s behalf.

In at statement made at the Republican Club dinner Thursday evening, Glenn Heran said it would be illegal for Citizens for a Brighter Future to contribute to Tracy Carroll's campaign. While that is true, it is also true the Heran-controlled PAC can join FPL in flooding the mail and the media with advertising promoting the sale of Vero Electric. Simultaneously, Carroll and her surrogates are on the campaign trail claiming she is the only on of six candidates who supports the sale of the city's electric system.
In a statement made at the Republican Club dinner Thursday evening, Glenn Heran said it would be illegal for Citizens for a Brighter Future to contribute to Tracy Carroll’s campaign. While that is true, it is also true the Heran-controlled PAC can join FPL in flooding the mail and the media with advertising promoting the sale of Vero Electric. Simultaneously, Carroll and her surrogates are on the campaign trail making the dubious claim that she is the only one of six candidates who supports the sale of the city’s electric system.

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