Cobey Warns N.C. Seniors of Democrat Dirty Tricks and Misleading Ads to Come

NC GOP ^ | 09.06.02 | Bill Cobey

[callisto]

This is an email alert received today from the NC GOP:

(Raleigh) - Bill Cobey, Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, today released to the N.C. media the text of a letter from Al Cardenas, the Chairman of the Florida Republican Party:

September 12, 2002

Dear Bill:

It is my understanding that a fellow by the name of Scott Falmlen is now in North Carolina running the Democrat Party and doing his best to help Erskine Bowles. I wanted to make sure you know a bit about his background so you can be prepared for some of the most underhanded and intentionally misleading campaigning you've ever seen.

Falmlen is responsible for setting up - and then lying about - thousands of phone calls to senior citizens during the 1994 Gubernatorial election here in Florida. The callers told seniors that Jeb Bush opposed Medicare and wanted to abolish Social Security - assertions that were intentionally and blatantly false. Another set of calls, made by callers from an organization which didn't exist, attacked Jeb for being a tax cheat, of all things - another blatant lie. When the link to then-Governor Lawton Chiles' campaign was discovered, Falmlen repeatedly told reporters the campaign knew nothing about the calls. He persisted in his denials until he was made to appear before the Senate Executive Business, Ethics and Election Committee's hearings into the calls. He finally admitted that his denial had been a "purposeful misstatement." Aggressive and artful - but too clever by half. And, fortunately, all of this was well exposed - some clips are included with this letter.

My point is this: the Democrats don't bring in a well-known hatchet man unless they want to do a real hatchet job on someone. His target must be Elizabeth Dole. With everything the national Democrats are doing nationwide to try to scare seniors, you can bet that Falmlen is up to his old tricks. It might not be phone calls this time, but it will be something. And whatever it is will be underhanded and ugly.

Sincerely,
Al Cardenas

P.S. I'm going to send you a copy of a tape we have from the Senate hearing - you can hear Falmlen in his own words admit to a "purposeful misstatement" when asked if he had lied.

"This is a powerful warning to the voters of North Carolina," Cobey said. "The Democrats are employing operatives in our state who have pushed vile 'scare tactics' against our nation's seniors in Florida and are on track to do it again in North Carolina. As our U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Dole said today: 'FDR said 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself.' Well, the Democrats have nothing to offer but fear itself.'"

"To set North Carolina senior citizens' minds at ease, I call on Erskine Bowles to ask for Mr. Falmlen's resignation immediately and personally to pledge to voters that the North Carolina Democrat Party will not engage in the same lie campaign as did the Florida Democrat Party under Mr. Falmlen's tenure," Cobey concluded.

-NCGOP-

For more information, contact Jonathan C. Jordan at (919) 828-6423.

[callisto]

mkm and CD - a heads up on the coming "storm"

Windom Earle - Are you familiar with this gentleman?

[OldFriend]

Let's hope that people in that state are sick and tired of the lying dogs in the demonrat party.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Good. Being smart and proactive.

[Constitution Day]

I saw him on WRAL on primary day.

I guess he is going to tell my grandmothers that GOP = Get Old People.

[mykdsmom]

Heads Up NC FReepers!

MKM

[blackdog]

When he was required to appear before the Senate Election Committee, why was he not arrested and charged for his behavior? Why wasn't the campaign he was running fined? That is the problem. Politicians and their operatives are getting to the point that they will pull anything, deny it, stonewall it, send others out to lie, and eventually half admit it two years later when nobody cares and the state's willingness to prosecute has wained.

If they don't start prosecuting some of these people for their conduct, the public may begin to get even. The rat's can't afford that many bodyguards.(Unless you're that federal judge who kept writing threatening letters to herself to get federal agents to be her bodyguards)

[jern]

I just got the email too! Everyone should sign up for the list.

[jern]

Home Ongoing stories The Rev. Henry Lyons Hot Links National Baptist Convention USA Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Got a news tip? Do you have any information about the Rev. Henry Lyons or the National Baptist Convention USA? Please call the St. Petersburg Times at (800) 333-7505, ext. 7241 or Email us at local@sptimes.com.

Democrats' money took unusual route By HOWARD TROXLER, Times Political Editor ©St. Petersburg Times, published August 28, 1997 The Florida Democratic Party put money through county chapters to pay, with as little fanfare as possible, a $15,000 bonus to its then-embattled executive director. The revelation led Wednesday to a flurry of phone calls, letters and inquiries among top party officers who said they knew nothing about it. Under the plan, the party gave some contributors' checks directly to county-level organizations. That money, in turn, was paid to the executive director as consulting fees, records show. The practice came to light last week after the St. Petersburg Times reported on the party's handling of a $2,500 check from the Rev. Henry J. Lyons of St. Petersburg. Terrie Brady, state Democratic chairwoman, said Wednesday the explanation is simple and proper: Executive director Scott Falmlen was due a $15,000 bonus under his contract, but had been at the center of political controversy. She had hoped to fulfill the party's obligation while avoiding unnecessary flak. "Under the circumstances and the climate, I felt this was the best way to pay an employee what was due him," Brady said in an interview. Falmlen had taken much of the heat for the anonymous telephone calls to senior citizens made in the 1994 campaign of Gov. Lawton Chiles. Brady noted that the county parties properly reported the checks as contributions and duly reported their payments to Falmlen in the public record. A lawyer for the state Division of Elections also said the transfers, on their face, appeared to comply with state law requiring the reporting of contributions and expenditures. But the method of paying Falmlen came as a surprise to some Democratic Party officers. Some said they were disturbed that money intended for the state party did not get there and that the matter had not been discussed among the party leadership. The state vice chairman and treasurer said Wednesday they had not known of the method of paying Falmlen. The party's budget and finance committee held a conference call Wednesday evening to discuss the matter. "If I wrote a check to a Florida Democratic fund-raiser," vice chairman Jon Ausman of Tallahassee said in an interview, "I would expect the check to go to the Florida Democratic Party." Ausman -- who during the phone-call controversy had called for Falmlen's firing -- said he talked to Brady about the matter Wednesday. He said he wished she had brought the problem to the full party leadership. "She should have come to us," Ausman said, "and said: "Listen. Whatever you think about what is going on, we have a contract, and we should pay it.' " Also on Wednesday, the Pinellas County Democratic Executive Committee sent a letter to Brady asking for more information. The Pinellas party had hosted the June 1996 dinner for which Lyons wrote his $2,500 check, and it received a percentage of the proceeds. Paul W. Hitchens and Myrtle Smith Carroll, two Pinellas members of the state party committee, asked in their letter why Lyons' check went to Duval County, how many other checks were not deposited in the state account, and whether the $11,000 the Pinellas party received was the correct amount. Hitchens characterized the letter simply as a request for clarification. "We aren't on hostile terms, we all like Terrie," Hitchens said. "I don't know why it was done this way. I'm sure there is some reason for it." Brady had not received the Pinellas letter Wednesday evening but promised a prompt answer. "Frankly, they should ask those questions," she said. "We hope to give them the answers they need. Everything is recorded. Everything is above-board." Both Brady and Falmlen, contacted on vacation in California, said that Pinellas had received the correct sum. Brady said Wednesday the party has refunded the Lyons check, which was drawn on an account of the National Baptist Convention USA Inc. The convention is a tax-exempt organization that is not allowed to make political contributions. Instead of depositing Lyons' check in its own account, the state party turned it over to its Duval County branch, of which Brady also is chairman. Two weeks later, the Duval party wrote a $2,500 check back to Falmlen personally. Another donor's check for $5,000 went to the Polk County branch of the party, which wrote a check for the same amount to Falmlen. In all, Falmlen's contract called for a bonus of $15,000; a search of county party records confirmed at least $14,000 in payments. Falmlen was hired as the party's executive director in the spring of 1995, receiving a salary of $60,000. At the time, he was a special assistant to the governor. Falmlen said he had to give up his state retirement benefits to take the party job. Both he and Brady said the $15,000 bonus in his contract was compensation for that loss. Falmlen referred questions about the payment method to Brady. ©Copyright 1998 St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

[jern]

RPD 1098 February 24, 1996 (9:16pm)

Seniors Victimized in Telemarketing Scam: What Did The Governor Know and When Did He Know It?

(60 Plus Association News Release, February 23, distributed at Conservative Political Action Conference, in Washington, D.C.)

WASHINGTON, D.C.-The 60 Plus Association is getting calls and letters from Floridians willing to testify under oath that they received election eve bogus phone calls from Governor Lawton Chiles 1994 campaign although his re-election committee deliberately misidentified the organization’s name, in violation of the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act.

Irate senior citizens are responding to 60 Plus President Jim Martin’s press conference last month in Tallahassee where he urged Floridians to step forward. Martin, head of a 425,000 member Seniors advocacy group, with 50,000 Floridians, Martin’s home state, has urged a federal probe. He told the 23^rd annual CPAC gathering here today that “seniors by an 11-1 margin are asking for an investigation of Gov. Chiles’ election, even calling for his resignation or impeachment if he participated in a year-long cover-up.” Martin spoke on a panel entitled “Scaring Seniors and Stealing Elections.”

He said the Chiles campaign paid $360,000 to purchase 684,000 names and phone numbers of seniors in 7 key Republican counties, targeting Jeb Bush supporters, telling them Bush will “take away Medicare” and that the calls were from the Florida Association of Senior Citizens.

Martin said seniors are “outraged by this name deception and totally false message. Jeb Bush couldn’t ‘take away Medicare’ even if he wanted ot and Gov. Chiles knows it. Medicare is a federal issue, not a state matter. No responsible politician believes another, from either party, is out to ‘destroy Medicare.’ If so, he or she must be smoking something and actually inhaling.”

For a year the Chiles campaign “denied it paid for the calls but on the eve of a State Senate Commitee subpoena being issued to the telemarketing firm for its records, the Governor and his aides finally told him they made the $360,000 expenditure without his knowledge and that the script falsely said the calls were from a seniors group, not the Chiles campaign.”

A new book, Going Negative, by MIT and UCLA professors, states that one negative ad can “suppress” the vote by 7 to 8 points. Chiles was re-elected in the state’s closest Gubernatorial race in history. “That’s why it appears there is incontrovertible evidence that an election was stolen, at the expense of seniors, by the most reprehensible of scare tactics,” Martin concluded.

Scott Falmlen, former vice-president of the Washington, D.C. based telemarketing firm, is now Executive Director of the Florida Democratic Party, and has admitted, under oath, that he lied. Florida newspapers and Republican legislators immediately called for Falmlen’s resignation. Gov. Chiles has refused to fire him even though at least one Florida Democratic Senator has now joined the Leon County Democratic Committee calling for his resignation. Martin said the Governor’s refusal begs the question: What are they covering up?

Dubbed Phonegate by the Florida press, Martin said the question should be asked of the Governor, just as it was asked about President Nixon 20 years ago, “what did he know and when did he know it?” Martin said. “It’s time to stop using seniors as political pawns.”

A Wall Street Journal editorial recently revealed that Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Larry Pressler plans hearings on the Chiles phone scheme because Pressler says “last minute telecommunications offer a fertile field for mischievous parties.” 60 plus says, “right on Senator, and thanks on behalf of America’s, and particularly Florida’s, grateful seniors.”

60 plus is a nonpartisan seniors advocacy group with a free enterprise, less government, less taxes approach to seniors’ issues. 60 Plus is one of the fastest growing seniors groups in the country with over 425,000 citizen lobbyists. 60 Plus publishes a newsletter, Senior Voice, and a Congressional ratings system, bestowing a GUARDIAN OF SENIORS’ RIGHTS award on Members of Congress in both political parties who vote “pro-senior” on major issues. 60 Plus has been called, “an increasingly influential lobbying group for the elderly...often viewed as the conservative alternative to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).”

Back to Religion & Politics Digest February 1996 Message Listing

Back to Religion & Politics Digest Monthly Listing

Back to Religion & Politics Digest Home Page

[jern]

Democrats face money struggle

The state Democratic Party is making changes at the top to try to restore financial stability.

By LUCY MORGAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 15, 1999

---

TALLAHASSEE -- After losing control of the governor's office and the state Legislature over the past few years, Florida's Democratic Party is now struggling financially.

"We're not broke, but I wouldn't say we are in great financial shape," admitted Senate Minority Leader Buddy Dyer.

Party financial reports released this week show that the Democrats have spent about $2.7-million more than they have collected since September 1998. The reports also show the state Republican Party raised more and spent more than the Democrats by a huge margin.

Since January 1998, the GOP has collected $25.3-million in contributions and spent $21.3-million. During the same period Democrats collected $6.9-million and spent $5.4-million. Out of the total collected, $595,643 was funneled into Florida from the Democratic National Committee in Washington.

The totals mean that the Democrats -- who lost the governor's race last year -- are at a distinct disadvantage as they head into next year's campaigns to replace U.S. Sen. Connie Mack, elect state legislators and help Al Gore's campaign for the White House.

Charlie Whitehead, who headed the party in the 1980s, is expected to be selected Saturday to replace Democratic Party Chairman Mitch Ceasar. Several legislators say Ceasar was tossed out because he was not raising money to help the party.

"We had to stop the bleeding," said Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach. "When I get out of here (when the legislative session ends April 30), I'm going to spend every day raising money. Mitch saw heading the party as an opportunity to increase his lobbying business, not to raise money for us."

Attorney General Bob Butterworth, one of the state officials who helped push Ceasar out of the chairmanship, said he believes Whitehead will be able to "pull it together" and provide the fund-raising leadership the party needs.

Though some Democrats say the situation is critical, outgoing party chairman Ceasar insisted Wednesday that the party has enough money on hand to pay its bills.

The exact figure was hard to pin down Wednesday. Ceasar said he knows the party has more than $30,000 to $40,000 on hand. Executive Director Screven Watson insisted it is more than $100,000, an amount that would take care of the party's payroll and fixed expenses for about two months. Watson said he is reluctant to say how much the party has lest he let the Republican Party know too much.

Whitehead, a former Panama City car dealer slated to be elected party chairman, said he plans to make fund raising his first priority and is prepared to extend a personal loan to keep the doors open for the next six months, if the party needs it.

"Coming out of an election, the Democratic Party is really not in the ballgame with the Republicans in fund raising," Whitehead said. "It's normal to be low on cash at this time, but I've been told we might have spent down a little further than we should have."

Whitehead said he has heard rumors that financial problems date back "quite a while," but he has yet to take a look at enough records to draw a conclusion.

In addition to switching chairmen for the third time in a year, the Democratic Party recently dismissed Scott Falmlen, the executive director who ran day-to-day operations the past few years.

On his way out the door, Falmlen collected more than $43,000 in two installments: $38,754 paid Jan. 12 and $5,074 on Feb. 2, according to the party reports released this week.

Some party officials say they were unaware of the lump-sum payment and thought Falmlen was being paid in monthly installments as work was performed.

Ceasar initially directed a reporter to Watson to answer questions about the money that went to Falmlen. But Watson said the contract authorizing payment to Falmlen was signed by Caesar in December, more than a month before Watson took over as executive director.

Ceasar said he did not know about the lump-sum payment until he was asked about it by a Times reporter Wednesday. He acknowledged that he did authorize a contract with Falmlen to help with "technical issues" after his departure. Ceasar said he doesn't know who signed the check.

"I usually approve expenditures, but I don't sign them in person," Ceasar said. "I didn't know until today that he got one payment. I've got to get more information on that."

Jon Ausman, vice president of the state party, said the contract to pay Falmlen was never approved by the party's finance committee as required by internal rules. But Ausman thinks he knows who signed the check.

"Mitch Ceasar gave Scott permission to have a rubber stamp with his signature on it," Ausman said. "And Scott cut himself a check at a time when the party is not in the best of shape because of his (Falmlen's) poor stewardship. It's outrageous."

Falmlen could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

When the $38,000 check was written, the party had less than $120,000 in the bank, Ausman said. He said he's not sure what is left because the monthly financial reports that usually go out to members of the finance committee haven't been issued since January.

Ausman said other financial problems are surfacing daily. Among other things, he said, the party discovered thousands of dollars in unpaid credit card bills for people who were using party credit cards -- "staff members who weren't staff members. I never heard of some of these people."

Back to State news

Action | Arts | Business | Citrus | Columnists | Floridian
Opinion | Entertainment | Floridian | Hernando | Pasco | Sports
State | Tampa Bay | Travel | World & Nation | Taste

© Copyright 1999 St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

 

[callisto]

Thank you for all of the great links on the thread! So have you ever resided in Florida or are you just a great researcher?

I happen to have been living in FL at the time this happened so I am more than familiar with with the "gentleman" (term used loosely) in question.

IMHO, the fact that they have brought him to NC says the Dems have a lot to fear from this election. They usually only bring in the worst-of-the-worst when they plan on a hard fight that has to be dirty for a possible win.

[ravingnutter]

Wow...this guy is surrounded by controversy...

WASHINGTON, D.C.-The 60 Plus Association is getting calls and letters from Floridians willing to testify under oath that they received election eve bogus phone calls from Governor Lawton Chiles 1994 campaign although his re-election committee deliberately misidentified the organization’s name, in violation of the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act.

He [60 Plus President Jim Martin] said the Chiles campaign paid $360,000 to purchase 684,000 names and phone numbers of seniors in 7 key Republican counties, targeting Jeb Bush supporters, telling them Bush will “take away Medicare” and that the calls were from the Florida Association of Senior Citizens.

Scott Falmlen, former vice-president of the Washington, D.C. based telemarketing firm, is now Executive Director of the Florida Democratic Party, and has admitted, under oath, that he lied. Florida newspapers and Republican legislators immediately called for Falmlen’s resignation. Gov. Chiles has refused to fire him even though at least one Florida Democratic Senator has now joined the Leon County Democratic Committee calling for his resignation.

A Wall Street Journal editorial recently revealed that Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Larry Pressler plans hearings on the Chiles phone scheme because Pressler says “last minute telecommunications offer a fertile field for mischievous parties.”

Source

A search for the results of the probe proves futile...who was paid off?

08/28/97 - Executive director Scott Falmlen was due a $15,000 bonus under his contract, but had been at the center of political controversy. Falmlen was hired as the party's executive director in the spring of 1995, receiving a salary of $60,000. At the time, he was a special assistant to the governor. Falmlen said he had to give up his state retirement benefits to take the party job. Both he and Brady said the $15,000 bonus in his contract was compensation for that loss. Falmlen referred questions about the payment method to Brady.

Source

In addition to switching chairmen for the third time in a year, the Democratic Party recently dismissed Scott Falmlen, the executive director who ran day-to-day operations the past few years. On his way out the door, Falmlen collected more than $43,000 in two installments: $38,754 paid Jan. 12 and $5,074 on Feb. 2, according to the party reports released this week.

Some party officials say they were unaware of the lump-sum payment and thought Falmlen was being paid in monthly installments as work was performed.

Jon Ausman, vice president of the state party, said the contract to pay Falmlen was never approved by the party's finance committee as required by internal rules. But Ausman thinks he knows who signed the check.

"Mitch Ceasar gave Scott permission to have a rubber stamp with his signature on it," Ausman said. "And Scott cut himself a check at a time when the party is not in the best of shape because of his (Falmlen's) poor stewardship. It's outrageous."

Source

Geez...sounds like a McAuliffe clone, LOL!

[Windom Earle]

Callisto, he is no gentleman. Ravingnutter nailed it...he is Southern fried Terry McAuliffe.

For those of you who have not been immersed in politics, this is nothing new. He may just be a little more blatant about what he does.

And the storm isn't coming, Callisto, it is already here.

[callisto]

You have Freep mail. If you can think of any tactics that may help please let me know.

[ravingnutter]

Geez, you beat me to it...I got distracted from my research by a phone call. Have you been able to find any results on the probe? It was a clear violation of the law.

[jern]

That is all I have so far...

[pray4liberty]

May all that is rotten, fall.

[Russell Scott]

Excellent pre-emptive strike against the terrorizing of the elderly by the party of lies and fear.

[JeepInMazar]

New Democrat Party Mottos ***THREAD FOUR*** Al Qaeda Registered Democrats