Jacksonville mayoral candidate Alvin Brown with former president Bill Clinton.
It’s probably nothing, but when the state party chairman “personally” endorses one of two candidates in a primary, and the party forks over $16,244 in travel expenses that turn out to be $10,244 in travel expenses and $6,000 in “consulting fees,” it’s at least … interesting.
The amended report by Alvin Brown, a Democratic candidate for Jacksonville mayor, was filed to answer questions, raised mainly by his primary opponent Warren Lee, about the December 31 (initially thought to be December 24) contribution the Florida Democratic Party made to Brown’s campaign. Brown, whose donors also include D.C. consultant Jamal Simmons, House minority underboss Jim Clyburn of South Caroliina plus a $500 contribution from the male half of the “his-and-her failed gubernatorial race” dynamic duo; Bill McBride. He’s been the subject of a Bill Clinton fundraiser (Brown is a former staffer), and he has the (to my mind always queasy-making) support of Clinton pal and BET founder Bob Johnson. (For those playing in our final round, he was also supported last year by Jeff Greene, arch-enemy of Big Bill’s pick for U.S. Senate. Politics … go figure…) He’s considered the heavy favorite in the primary, though in the end, in this more Republican than Democratic municipality, it might not matter.
Download the report here.
But it’s the FDP contribution — or contributions that are sure to fuel the continued ire of long-shot rival Lee. The “in-kind” contributions are filed in the amended report as follows:
Again, could be meaningless. But was Brown “consulting” to the party or the other way around? And what did that “consulting” consist of? Were the same consulting services — if delivered by the party to Brown — also available to his opponent if he’d asked? Lastly, why did the party state initially that the expenses were all travel related, rather than specifying that some were not?
The Warren Lee camp is more than a little amped up about this, so they’re likely to keep the drumbeat going. And TRR sources continue to indicate that a lawsuit or other formal complaint is coming.
At minimum, this little dust-up goes to show you why it’s often dicey to endorse in primaries, when you’re the party leader.
