Posted on 09/25/2002 9:23:19 PM PDT by windchime
McBride seeks to block funding probe
BY PETER WALLSTEN pwallsten@herald.com
TALLAHASSEE - Hoping to shield a controversial political committee that pumped nearly $2 million into TV ads boosting Bill McBride's candidacy for governor, the candidate's campaign and the committee are going to court to block a state investigation.
The legal maneuvers come as the Florida Elections Commission has sent questionnaires to McBride and state teachers' union president Maureen Dinnen -- whose group set up the committee -- seeking sworn statements concerning what they knew about the ads and when they knew it.
The court filings set up a potentially nasty -- and high-profile -- legal battle between a Democratic nominee looking to compete against Gov. Jeb Bush's massive political machine and a GOP incumbent seeking to thwart McBride's every effort.
The Democrats have hired two top-gun attorneys, former 2000 recount lawyer Ron Meyer representing the teachers' union committee and prominent criminal defense lawyer Bob Harper for the McBride campaign.
GAVE MOMENTUM
The ads, paid for by a new corporation called Florida Education Association Quality Public Education Corporation Inc., were credited with giving McBride the momentum he needed to engineer his stunning upset over former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno in the Sept. 10 primary.
They also gave the former unknown Tampa lawyer enhanced name recognition, putting him in better position to challenge Bush.
But the ads, which featured a biographical sketch of McBride dating back to his days as a Marine in Vietnam, came under fire since they debuted in July.
For starters, the teachers' union kept secret the list of donors to QPEC, creating the corporation in July under a provision in the federal tax code that allows so-called ''issue advocacy'' groups to shield their contributors.
GOP COMPLAINT
The Republican Party complained that the ads broke the law because they specifically endorsed McBride rather than espousing a particular cause or issue. State laws require that so-called issue advocacy groups stick to pushing ideas, not individuals. The GOP's complaint contended that if the ads did not qualify as issue advocacy, they were then simply contributions to McBride's campaign -- and exceeded the $500 limit on such donations.
The FEC voted last month to investigate based on the GOP complaint.
Lawyers for McBride and the committee, however, argue that the ads were perfectly legal.
In court papers filed late last week in Lakeland and Tallahassee, the lawyers argue that the FEC inquiry threatens the committee's constitutional rights.
ADS PULLED OFF
The union voluntarily pulled the ads off the air after the inquiry began and some TV stations expressed concern.
''What's at stake here is whether the Florida Elections Commission may properly go on with this kind of fishing expedition and chill the free exercise of speech and association that QPEC and its members have,'' said Meyer.
But Republican strategists worry that, if the committee is allowed to continue, McBride will enjoy a ''stealth'' campaign operation financed by unknown contributors.
The GOP has raised additional questions about the ties between the Democratic candidate and the teachers' union since the campaign announced last week that the union's leading lobbyist would be McBride's new campaign manager.
QPEC is required by law to reveal its donors to date in a federal tax filing next month, but it will be free to raise money without further disclosure through the Nov. 5 election.
'The teachers' union purchased the primary for Bill McBride,'' said Bush campaign spokesman Todd Harris. ``When an organization is spending millions and millions of dollars to elect somebody governor, the public has a right to know where that money comes from.''
The questionnaires sent to McBride and Dinnen suggest that the FEC is examining how closely the campaign, its media consultant David Doak and QPEC were tied when the ads were produced.
Doak produced McBride ads both for the teachers' committee and for the campaign itself.
In an affidavit, investigators ask McBride whether he was aware that QPEC planned the ads, whether an ''agent of your campaign'' helped create the ads, whether he gave QPEC the photographs used in the commercial, and if his campaign sought advice as to whether the commercials exceeded contribution limits.
McBride spokesman Alan Stonecipher declined to say whether QPEC and the teachers' union campaign coordinated efforts, referring to laws requiring FEC investigations to be kept confidential.
But he said the campaign would not oppose releasing the list of donors to QPEC.
''If it were up to us we'd go ahead and have them disclosed sooner rather than later,'' Stonecipher said. ``There's nothing that anybody will be surprised about.''
Meyer said Tuesday that the teachers' union did not act in collaboration with the campaign, and that the two organizations held separate contracts with Doak.
''The FEA and the teachers and education employees of Florida knew very well what they wanted to do,'' Meyer said. ``They didn't need to be invited by the McBride campaign.''
Anyone notice the bias from the Miami Herald ?
Funny, never see them term, say, Gray Davis in this way, and he is the king of massive politial machines. Such propaganda. It is obvious this group of thieves have something to hide here, but then, we knew that in advance.
"The union collects $183.50 a year from each of its members, which calculates to more than $20 million a year."
Am I reading this correctly ... did they spend 1/4 of their annual budget just to win the primary? Is it reasonable for any organization to spend 25% of its receipts on a political campaign?
Ain't that the TRUTH!
BTW what are you doing posting at 4 AM? Do you ever sleep?
He's unabashedly supportive of public schools and teachers and activist on behalf of the environment and minority inclusion. He sees the value in unions and the good in affirmative action. He believes gays and lesbians should enjoy the same legal rights and benefits as married couples. He is, as he has said, a "proud and unapologetic Democrat."
"To suggest that any private school is better than a public school is disgraceful…" Bill McBride.
Link
A new 50-cent per pack tax on cigarettes, used only for schools, would produce almost $600 million a year, he said.
Removing sales tax exemptions on some items such as stadium skyboxes and tanning salons could up the total to almost $1 billion, he said.
Link
Another opinion:
CLASS SIZE AMENDMENT WOULD HANDCUFF EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENT
A seemingly well-intentioned constitutional amendment that proposes smaller class sizes could significantly cripple K-12 schools, community colleges and universities if it passes. If this amendment passes, we will almost immediately need 32,000 new teachers, new classrooms at a cost of $9 billion, and another $2.5 billion to pay for the new teachers -- and $2.5 billion is more than it costs to run all 11 of our public universities to give you a reference point for the cost of this bad amendment. (continue
Incidentally, Florida press:
Is Jeb actually ahead of the curve on education? The jury's in - and they side with: Jeb. JEB Gets An "A" (Wall Street Journal)
When our kids let us. Our baby girl was crying for another bottle, and I couldn't get back to sleep after taking care of that. All in a day's work... !
Yes...remember those days very well....with 4 sons...seems like we were sleep deprived for decades....LOL
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