Heran attributes $39,382 in recent PAC payments to March referendum campaign

NEWS ANALYSIS

MARK SCHUMANN

According to documents filed Sept. 19 with the City Clerk’s office, utility activist Glenn Heran has closed the political action committee, Citizens for a Brighter Future. Reportedly, Heran started a new Electioneering Communication Organization. The first report on contributions to Heran’s new group will be Oct. 4.

According to a spokesperson for the Florida Elections Commission, Heran’s new organization will be free to advocate for and against candidates as well as promoting or opposing issues. Citizens for a Brighter Future was not free to support or oppose candidates, but only to advocate for or against issues, such as the sale of Vero Electric.

In closing out the books for Citizens for a Brighter Future, Heran made disbursements of $39,382.15 from Aug. 21 through Sept. 11 for expenses he has said were attributable to a referendum on the sale of Vero Electric held last March.

I have previously speculated that Heran might use the nearly $40,000 left is his former PAC’s war chest to run an campaign stressing the importance of concluding the sale of Vero Electric, while Tracy Carroll and her supporters simultaneously seek to position her as the only one of six candidates willing to support the sale in votes that may still come before the City Council.

Frankly, it requires the willing suspension of disbelief to accept Heran’s claim that vendors who were invoicing Citizens for a Brighter Future regularly from Jan. 25 through Mar. 3, and who were being paid promptly, all of the sudden decided collectively to hold off for five months in invoicing for $39,382.15 in services. One has to wonder how and why Heran, president of the Taxpayers Association and an outspoken proponent of fiscal and financial responsibility, would have sat on nearly $40,000 cash for five months while vendors went unpaid.

Has this FPL-donated PAC money gone to pay for signs, pushing polls, advertising and direct mail services for a campaign to directly or indirectly support Carroll’s re-election effort? According to a report in the island week’s online site, Heran says no.

Below are the payments made by Citizens for a Bright Future during the first quarter, and from Aug. 21 to Sept 11. Florida Power & LIght’s $97,000 in contributions mad to the Heran-controlled PAC during the first quarter are also detailed below.

Date	Vendor	Purpose	Amount
9/11/13	Coates Law Firm	Legal Services	3171.99
9/11/13	Supervisor of Elections	List	15.00
8/21/13	Get Out The Sign	Signs	3600.00
8/21/13	Luce Research	Phone Services	9891.12
8/21/13	Cornerstone Solutions	Campaign Reporting Services	1269.64
8/21/13	Cornerstone Solutions	Campaign Services	5055.81
8/21/13	Cornerstone Solutions	Direct Mail Services	7532.19
8/21/13	Cornerstone Solutions	Newspaper ad design	8346.40
8/21/13	Costes Law Firm	Legal Services	515.00
			39397.15

According to Heran, for more than five months four vendors failed to invoice CFBF

3/2/13	Cornerstone Solutions	Advertising	3846.40
3/2/13	Cornerstone Solutions	Direct Mail Services	6569.07
3/2/13	Cornerstone Solutions	Phonebanks	7239.50
3/2/13	Cornerstone Solutions	Campaign Services	6816.39
3/2/13	Coates Law Firm	Legal Services	260.00
2/25/13	Cornerstone Solutions	Campaign Services	9313.68
2/25/13	Cornerstone Solutions	Direct Mail Seervices	6569.07
2/14/13	Get Out The Sign	T-Shirts and Lapel Stickers	1795.55
2/14/13	Get Out The Sign	Signs	4877.30
2/14/13	Cornerstone Solutions	Website	2995.96
2/14/13	Cornerstone Solutions	Printing Services	1596.40
2/14/14	Cornerstone Solutions	Direct Mail Services	6569.07
2/14/13	Cornerstone Solutions	Advertising	3432.00
2/14/13	Promote You	Magnets	315.54
2/4/13	Glenn Heran	Stamps and envelopes	12.00
1/31/13	Northern Trust Bank	Bank Services Charge	20.00
1/25/13	Florida Dept. of State	Filing Fee	61.25
			62289.18

	FPL Contributions
3/6/13	Florida Power & Light		12000.00
2/22/13	Florida Power & Light		50000.00
2/18/13	Florida Power & Light		15000.00
2/11/13	Florida Power & Light		5000.00
2/8/13	Florida Power & Light		15000.00
			97000.00

6 comments

I don’t see your smoking gun. I understand you skepticism but there are no facts (yet) to support any assumption.

I ,for one, do not believe Mr Heran. His words and timing are suspect. Make no mistake , Mr Heran is a clever political operative. I would like to know what he thinks about short term rentals and how it will effect taxes and quality of life issues as a result of these rentals

Not yet, maybe not ever.

Since our County Commissioners agreed to spend taxpayer dollars on expenses for Heran to travel to Tallahassee to shadow the newly hired lobbyist for whatever purposes, will the taxpayers be on the hook for any and all liabilities that might occur while this Heran character, who is a non-county employee, is “on the job” with the County? Just asking.

Even though Heran’s numbers appear to be about as reliable as a roulette wheel, he has done a good job of setting the hook for those gullible enough to believe him. No one is doubting his intelligence and he has certainly made no secrets of his intentions. Would anyone be surprised if that cash was somehow funneled to benefit Ms. Carroll?