Pedicini
It appears political operative Anthony Pedicini might be going down to defeat in the Florida State Representative District 24 special election on March 7, if his client Jose Juarez can't raise "soft money from Cubans in Tampa" to represent his constitents in the Ocala based district.
Juarez
Pedicini's client Jose Juarez, is one of five candidates running in the special election to replace
Joseph Harding, who was elected last November. Harding resigned after federal prosecutors announced an indictment charging Harding with wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements through a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by obtaining COVID-19-related small business loans through false and fraudulent pretenses.
The special primary election for Florida House of Representatives District 24 has Justin Albright, Ryan Chamberlin, Stephen Pyles, Charlie Stone and Juarez running to replace Harding.
A recent poll taken on Feb. 13 and 14, had 25% of likely Republican voters in the district supporting Chamberlin, Stone with 20%, Juarez with 17%, Albright with 6%, Pyles with 3% and 28% undecided.
Delgado
JUAREZ A NO SHOW IN OCALA/JUAREZ IS IN TAMPA RAISING "SOFT MONEY"
Pedicini client was a recent no show at a forum in Ocala. The reason being was stated in a text message to Annie Delagado, who was putting on a candidate forum at the Ocala Golf Club for those seeking to replace Harding. Pedicini stated his client might not be attending the forum by texting Delgado, " I may need Jose to raise soft money from Cubans in Tampa."
When Delgado, who is the Conservative Watch USA founder and former Palm Beach Gardens City Council member announced at the forum that according to Pedicini's text, Juarez would be attending the forum due to Pedicini needing Juarez to "raise soft money from Cubans in Tampa", Pedicini got angry and got on the phone.
Ogles
Pedicini called his soul mate at Florida Politics, Peter Schorsch to get one of his mouthpieces, Jacob Ogles to put out an article attacking Delgado for what Pedicini texted Delgado.
Ogles forgot to mention that Pedicini, as William Walsh of the Tampa Bay Times wrote; "Tampa GOP consultant, Anthony Pedicini steers his candidates away from public forums making missteps that can be used against them." The article went on say that, "Anthony Pedicini advises his clients to avoid appearing where they might have to give spontaneous answers to questions."
Smith
Ogles also failed to mention that former Tampa Bay Times journalist Adam Smith interviewed Pedicini for a podcast called Political Party, and asked whether he advises his client candidates to skip public forums. Pedicini said he does.“We kind of made a decision … (that) if we’re going to stub our own toe, we’re not going to do it in front of 500 people,” Pedicini said.
The Smith article continues stating, "Pedicini is known for his slashing negative campaigns, often
using anonymous or shell political committees to produce factually distorted attack mailers and advertising, and relishes his role as a political bad boy."
Beltram
Pedicini was sued for defamation by a fellow Republican, Mike Beltran, after a nasty 2018 state House primary campaign in which Pedicini worked for Beltran’s Republican opponent.
A Pedicini-linked committee sent out mailers saying Beltran, a lawyer, “helps illegal aliens get
back out on the streets,” and “brags on his webpage about how he gets these criminal illegal aliens and drug traffickers off easy.”
Beltran said that referred to a single case in which he arranged for a client to get a shorter
sentence — 20 years instead of life — by agreeing to be deported when he got out of prison. After Beltran won the election, the lawsuit was settled.
Howard
The same year, Pedicini also represented a candidate for state representative Melissa Howard who got caught faking a diploma and lying about graduating from Miami University in Ohio. According to the university, the major she claimed was not even offered by the school.
“In local political circles, Pedicini has a well-known reputation of being a no-holes barred
(political) consultant,” wrote Tampa Tribune columnist and political analyst Chris Ingram. “He also has a history of having friends who set up third-party groups to send out vicious attack mailers against the opponents of people he is working for", wrote Ingram.
DOES PEDICINI AND JUAREZ SEEKING "SOFT MONEY" RAISE QUESTIONS?
Pedicini in texting Juarez "seeking soft money from Cubans in Tampa" opens up questions
for Pedicini and soft money in that how many of Pedicini's candidates solicited "soft money."
Was that one of the reasons Pedicini was upset with Delagado revealing his client was seeking
"Soft Money from Cubans in Tampa." and had his mouthpiece Ogles attacking Delgado.
WHAT IS "SOFT MONEY"
Soft money is when individuals can give to PAC unlimited amount of donations to engage in a number of direct political activities, including buying advertising that advocates for or against a
candidate, going door to door, or running phone banks. However, these PAC are not allowed to coordinate their spending with political candidates or parties.
WHAT IS THE "SOFT MONEY" PEDICINI'S CLIENT IS SEEKING FROM CUBANS IN TAMPA?
Juarez is in Tampa looking for individuals to give money to a PAC above the $1,000 an individual
can legally give to a candidate running for the Florida State Legislature in District 24.
Those individuals can contribute unlimited amount of money to a PAC, which in turn that PAC can give to another PAC that can legally attack Juarez's opponent or promote Juarez's candidacy,
due to them being not directly connected to Juarez’s campaign. As chairmen of PAC move PAC money from PAC-to-PAC, money can eventually land in a PAC connected to a political operative like Pedicini.
Local political fossil Neal
AN EXAMPLE HOW NEAL MOVES MONEY FROM PAC-TO-PAC-TO PAC TO PROMOTE HIS HANDPICKED CANDIATES
Jones
"Pay to Play" gangster developer Pat Neal gave $50,000 to a PAC called Friends of Vanessa Baugh on 3/30/2018 located at 115 Park Ave. Suite 1 in Tallahassee. The PAC chairman Stafford Jones was then instructed to move on 4/26/2018, $48,910 of the Neal $50,000 contributions to a PAC called Responsible Leadership Committee also located at 115 E. Park Ave. Suite 1 in Tallahassee, which is also has Jones as Chairman.
Baugh
That $48,910 of Neal's $50,000 to Friends of Vanessa Baugh becomes part of $1.6 million in expenditures for the Responsible Leadership PAC, which moves money along to other PAC who
promote Neal's handpicked candidates or attacks their opponents.
JUAREZ AND STONE CONNECTED TO PPP MONEY
In criticizing Delgado on behalf of Pedicini, Ogles did not mention that Delgado called out Juarez
and Stone for receiving questionable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds. Juarez received $ 220,000 and Stone received $100,000.
Ogles also did not mention the "puff piece" he put out on Pedicini client, which made Juarez look
like the man to beat in the special election standing with "America's Governor Ron DeSantis.
Stone
Contrast the puff piece on Juarez with Ogles's essential "hit piece" on Stone by quating various mailers attacking Stone. The "hit piece" quoted one mailer saying, "Stone caved to the radical LGBTQ Agenda." Another mailer Ogles quotes states, "that targets transgender Floridians and says they have sway over the ex-lawmaker, Stone."
Ogles also mentions this mailer about Pedicini's opponent Stone; "Images of several transgender women, apparently in an attempt to paint Stone as too supportive of the minority group. Showing his photograph under a mock school crossing sign that reads 'Indoctrination Ahead." The mailer says Stone, "Caved to the Radical LGBTQ Agenda."
Ogles went on to write that another flyer stated, "Stone's massive increase in net worth during
his first eight-year tenure in the House. That one cites financial disclosures that showed Stone’s net worth at $473,000 when he first sought a state House seat in 2012, but more than $6.3 million today. It cites financial disclosures, which show much of Stone’s net worth a result of his stake in Stone Petroleum Products."
“Dynasties pay well,”a mailer reads, “and career politicians like Charlie Stone have it all figured
out.”
Ogles also refers to another mailer; "Stone received nearly $100,000 in government loans he never paid back. That could be particularly explosive in a Special Election being held because Harding was indicted on fraud charges connected to the Paycheck Protection Program."
Schorsch
OGLES/ SCHORSCH/PEDICINI REALIONSHIP
It is no secret in Florida political circles that there is a close personal realionship between Pedicini and Schorsch and that Pedicini's clients have gotten favorable columns coming from Florida Politics. The attack piece on Delgado and Ogles suble hit piece on Stone gives evidence to that close relationship.
Beruff
PEDICINI TACTICS TURNING MANATEE COUNTY GOVERNMENT INTO A "SHIT SHOW"
Pedicini likes to wrap a flag around his candidates, put a MEGA hat on their heads and a Bible in their hands to label them "true" Connservatives, as he is doing with Juarez. Pedicini has used the same tactics in Manatee County turning Manatee County govrrnment into a "shit show" with his soulmate and another "Pay to Play" gangster developer Carlos Beruff stuffing Manatee County Commisioners in his pockets making $ millions for Beruff.
OGLES NOT A WORD HOW BERUUF AND PEDICINI HAVE TURNED MANATEE COUNTY GOVERNMENT INTO A "SHIT SHOW"
Ogles, who is carrying Pedicin's water in the Florida Representative District 24 race is based in the
Sarasota/Manatee area and has been quiet as a church mouse in how Pedicini and Beruff have turned the Manatee County Commission into a total "shit show."
NEXT
HOW BERUFF AND PEDICINI TURNED MANATEE COUNTY COMISSION INTO A "SHIT SHOW" MAKING $MILLIONS$ FOR BERUFF AND NEALS'S JUNTA
Jon Susce
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