Political assassination underway in Orlando....local blogger's take.

[madfloridian]

One of our local Democrats has done a blog about this. I think this will turn out to connect to other folks in the state, not all Democrats.

There are embedded links throughout, so hard to post snips of it.

http://interstate4jamming.blogspot.com/2005/03/political-assassination-underway-in.html

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, his campaign manager Patti Sharpe, activist/retired businessman/volunteer for the Orange County Voters League Ezzie Thomas, and Circuit Judge Alan Apte were indicted Friday for paying or receiving payment for collecting absentee ballots in violation of Florida Statute 104.047. Almost immediately after the indictments were announced, Jeb! suspended Dyer from his mayoral duties. Mayor Pro-Tem Ernest Page --- who himself served eight months in jail for grand theft while a member of the City Council in 1983 --- has assumed the office on a temporary basis.

Thomas, who has been a paid consultant for a number of local candidates who have sought a boost in predominately African-American areas of Orlando and Orange County...including now-U.S. Senator Mel Martinez during his campaign for Orange County Chairman and now-Secretary of State Glenda Hood when she ran for mayor. Although he was indicted by the grand jury for allegedly receiving payment for gathering absentee ballots, he has reportedly been offered immunity from prosecution in exchange for his assistance with the investigation and related testimony."

[donsu]

1. Fl. has always been the playground & fightring of the Barons:

railroad
oil
sugar
politics
and the military barons

they used to party in Cuba before they were thrown out

bad potatoes spreading degradation

[nono]

2. Ernest Page

You can not vote in Fl. if you have a record, But you can hold office? EXPLANE please

[Eric J in MN]

3. The Florida Constitution shouldn't let the governor supend mayors (nt)

nt

[madfloridian]

4. Dyer's statement.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-asecmayexcerpt12031205mar12,1,5057923.story?coll=orl-home-specialbreaking

"Yesterday I was notified that I was the subject of an indictment charging me with "providing pecuniary gain for absentee ballot possession or collection." In other words my campaign employed a campaign consultant who allegedly violated the law by encouraging older African American voters to participate in the elective process by absentee ballot and I am being held to account for that.

No charge of vote buying. No charge of vote brokering. No charge of vote manipulation.

I do not believe any employee of my campaigns intentionally violated any campaign laws while conducting the business of the campaign. At no time was I made aware of or condoned any activity that constituted a violation of any law and I believe the charges leveled against my campaigns and me are without merit and are politically motivated.

As a result I intend to fight these charges with every ounce of strength that I have and I am heartened by the fact that there has never been a prosecution of this statute since it was passed in 1998."

[CindyDale]

5. Geez, could Jeb find anyone other than a convicted thief to replace Dyer?

These people have to scrape the bottom of the barrel, I guess.

Was this Thomas guy a plant, do you think?