As I predicted a couple weeks ago, the Republican special primary election in Florida’s 19th congressional district has turned ugly. The first pound of flesh taken in the race was that from state Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto, as a Super PAC formed to support candidate Paige Kreegel, targeted her as an “establishment” legislator.
Then the Benacquisto campaign took a “swat” at businessman Curt “Outsider” Clawson, who is self-funding his congressional run, by poking fun at his basketball-themed campaign.Clawson has also come under fire for his recent donations to moderate Republican, Senator Mitch McConnell, leading some to question whether he really is an “outsider,” or just someone playing the same political greasing game that comes with running for public office.
Now a second newly-formed Super PAC, the Liberty in Leadership fund, based in Tallahassee, Florida, has attacked Curt Clawson.
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Interestingly enough, Liberty in Leadership fund shares the same address as the Lizbeth Benacquisto and Senator Joe Negron “associated” Alliance for a Strong Economy fund.
Both organizations share the 115 E. Park Ave, Suite 1, Tallahassee FL. 32301 address.
Besides stating both Benaquisto and Negron as being the “Associated Senators,” the Alliance for a Strong Economy website also displays the groups expenditures and contributions.
In reviewing the expenditure, a contribution of $73,000 is made on 6/13/2010 to Truth Matters, Inc. According to the Florida Department of State-Division of Corporations, as of 4/24/2012, Truth Matters, Inc., has listed its mailing address, as the same address as the Liberty in Leadership fund and Benacquisto’s Alliance for a Strong Economy.
Coincidence? Probably not.
Digging further into the Alliance for a Strong Economy’s financials, the allegations made against Benacquisto of being an “establishment” and “Yes woman” for the Republican Party, have been given a breathe of new life.Starting in 2009, and ending in 2010, the Republican Party of Florida has contributed to the group a whopping $1,079,500.
Besides the state Republican Party, a slew of specials interest groups like Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Florida Power & Light, U.S. Sugar, and Comcast, have also donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Alliance for a Strong Economy.
According to the Florida Division of Elections, some of these special interest donors, Yahoo Inc., GEO Group, as well as Geo Care, Inc., who have contributed to Alliance for Strong Economy fund, have also donated to Lizbeth Benacquisto’s state Senate campaign.
While this is surely legal, some could make the case that Benacquisto ties to special interest groups is exactly what voters do not want.
Benacquisto’s campaign responded to our request for comment with this:
“Lizbeth and her campaign have no affiliation with any Super PAC. In fact, Lizbeth was the first person to be attacked by one of these groups, the one admittedly linked to Paige Kreegel. They have raised serious questions about Curt Clawson’s work in Michigan and his business failures that should be answered. Nevertheless, Lizbeth remains focused on sharing her positive campaign to fix Washington with the voters.”
**Update-Clawson’s advisor, Â John Yob, sent the Shark Tank his statement of rebuttal to Benacquisto’s denial of having involvement “with any Super PAC.”
“Desperate politicians sometimes do desperate things. Â After being dishonest with voters about illegally using state resources for her congressional campaign, we don’t find it surprising that she would be dishonest with voters about their involvement with the SuperPAC. Â The pattern of deception continues.” Â
With Clawson playing the insider donor game, Benacquisto being cleary entrenched in state Republican politics, and Paige Paige KreegelKreegel, who also received special interest contributions before he termed out of the Florida House of Representatives, just who is the real “outsider” candidate in this race, who is not beholden to the Republican establishment or special interests?
Maybe its businessman Michael Dreikorn, who is also running in the special GOP election?