Jon Susce
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THE CIVIL WAR BETEEN DeSANTIS AND TRUMP STARTS IN SARASOTA
IT IS NEAL/BRILL VS. BRUNNI/FLYNN FOR CHAIR OF SARASOTA REPUBLICAN PARTY
REC ESTABLISHMENT VS. REC GRASSROOTS
On 12/1/22 the local Sarasota County Republican Party Executive Committee (REC) will elect either Connie Brunni or Jack Brill to be chair of the Sarasota County Republican Executive Committee (REC), as the Civil War in the Republican Party between supporters of former Present Donald Trump and supporters of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis begins in Sarasota.
Either Brill or Brunni will replace Florida State Senator and chairman of the Florida Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) Joe Gruters, who is not running for re-election as chairman of the local REC. Brill has been serving as acting chairman of local REC since Gruters became a Florida legislator.
DeSantis/Neal
THE REPUBLICAN CIVIL WAR STARTS IN SARASOTA
The election of the chairperson of the local REC between Brill and Brunni will begin a Republican Civil War. For example, Pat Neal who controls the REC under Brill and Bob Waechter's leadership is a strong supporter for DeSantis for U.S President. Brunni and her supporters, which includes General Michael Flynn's support Trump's re-election to the U.S Presidency. Neal's over $2 million to DeSantis in the 2022 election cycle gives evidence who Neal supports.
Brill/Neal
Brill, in aligning himself with Neal, believes Neal and his "Pay to Play" associates' money is more important in winning elections than a strong grassroots organization. Brunni who aligns herself with Flynn believes in a strong grass roots organization financed by contributors, who do not want to control the REC for their financial benefit.
Flynn/Brunni
The contest between Brill and Brunni is between Brill's led REC establishment, who moved away from a former strong REC grassroots organization depended on Neal and his developer cronies to finance campaigns. Brunni'and her supporters are advocates for a strong grassroots approach financed by a expanded donor base, which is not relying on "Pay to Play" developers.
BRILL'S $45,000 "DOOR KNOCKERS" FROM LAS VEGAS
Under Brill's leadership, the grassroots organizations these past few years have been none existent, as Brill depends on a major number of contributions from Neal and his cronies to win elections. The REC grassroots organization under Brill was so ineffective, that in early 2022, Brill had to bring in a Las Vegas organization for "door knockers" at over $45,000 to take down the Single Member District referendum.
$42,545 OF REC MONEY FUNNELED INTO BRILL COMPANY
Also questionable was $42,545 for REC food services to Mertz Culinary, which until February, Brill was V.P. of Business Development. Brill was downsized in February when Mertz merged with a private equity firm, NexPhase Capital.
NEAL AND HIS CRONIES BUY REC WITH "30 PIECES OF SILVER"
The election for chair of the REC has made it impossible to deny that Neal and his associates have bought Brill and the REC since 2015 with "30 pieces of silver." It is in full public view.
What anyone needs to observe is that Neal and his "Pay to Play" developers have bought the REC with over a $million$ of the 1.5 raised since Neal and his cronies took control of REC. Neal himself contributing over $200,000.
REC ENDORSES EVERY NEAL HANDPICKED CANDIDATE WHO MAKES $MILLIONS FOR NEAL'S JUNTA
Neal and his cronies controlled REC establishment is part of a political scene that has allowed Neal and his JUNTA to stuff just about every politician in Sarasota County, from Judges to Charter Review members, in their pockets for their financial gain.
Brill/Waechter/Robinson
Every local politician Neal and his cronies' handpick, the REC endorses under Brill and Neal's political operative Bob Waechter's direction, while Neal's and his cronies longtime "bagman", Eric Robinson moves dark PAC money for their candidates. Neal would like that to continue at the REC under Brill's leadership.
CONVICTED CRIMINAL WAECHTER CONTROLS REC DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS
Former Sarasota County Republican Party chairman Robert Waechter was convicted of a felony in Judge Donna Berlin's courtroom after pleaded guilty to a felony and a misdemeanor for making illegal campaign donations in the name of a political rival of Neal and his cronies' in a bid to undermine her political career.
WAECHTER CAUGHT ON CAMRRA DEFRAUDING A NEAL PAY TO PLAY DEVELOPERS OPPONENT
WAECHTER RECENTLY APPROVED AS A REC MEMBER BY BRILL
As Brill is Neal and his cronies' face of the REC, Neal's longtime political operative, Waechter pulls Brill's strings. For example, Brill's appointed executive director Kelly Irwin runs day to day operations of the REC out of Waechter's Sarasota business office on Sawyer Road.
Brill and Neal have had no problem with Waechter for over the past 25 years having been actively involved in various Republican leadership positions as Vice Chairman and Chairman of the local Republican Party, while having a criminal record of being arrested and convicted of car theft, burglary and political fraud.
What do you expect from Brill, Neal and the local REC officials, who for years have allowed Waechter to evolve from being a failed businessman, a local handyman and burglar to become a major part of the political power structure in Sarasota County playing a key role in helping elect Neal and his cronies handpicked county commissioners and numerous other local politicians.
WAECHTER ONCE ARRESTED FOR BURGLARY UPON ARRIVAL IN SARASOTA
After coming to Sarasota at the age of 37 as a retired New York City fireman, Waechter was arrested on a burglary charge; since then he’s been working for years as a devious local political operative.
WAECHTER REQUIRED "PSYCHIATRIC TESTING"
The arrest record states that Waechter's arresting officer was Sarasota County Sheriff Deputy, Dario Valentine. According to the adjudication of the charges, Watcher was given a $2,102 fine and placed on probation. A “specific condition" of the probation was "Psychiatric Counseling.” The record also shows Waechter’s attorney was ACLU attorney, Larry Spelling.
Waechter failed to inform then Governor JeB Bush's staff when he applied for the Sarasota/Manatee Airport Authority that he had that previous burglary arrest, After being appointed in 2000, it was revealed he submitted a fraudulent application and he was asked to resign from Airport Authority and Chairman of the local REC.
ROBINSON AND JONES MOVE NEAL'S DIRTY DARK PAC MONEY
With Neal's takeover of the REC, Robinson move dirty dark PAC money in and out of the accountant office he shares with Gruters in Venice in support of Neal and his cronies' handpicked candidates.
Robinson, who is called "The Prince of Dirty Dark PAC Money", has begun the last few years sharing moving Neal's and his cronies' dirty dark PAC money for their handpicked candidates with Stafford Jones out of Tallahassee.
JONES THE PUPPETEER OF PHONY PAC's
Jones has managed over 120 PAC'S in the last ten years moving millions of dollars from one PAC to another in order to essentially corrupt the political system in a devious way. Jones has been described by Daniel Roth of the Tampa Bay Times as, “A master of the dark arts of creating phony political committees.
BRUNNI STRONG SUPPORTER OF ZEM CANDIDATES FOR SARASOTA COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
Brunni was part of a coalition of various groups, who led a grassroots organization made up of volunteers who were strong supporters of the Republican candidates running County- wide in the 2022 election cycle.
Brunni and other grassroots activists were a moving force in electing the Republican Sarasota School Board candidates opposed by the local Democrat School Board, despite being outspent 2 to 1. Brunni put various groups together in a united group under the logo "Support the ZEM candidates" (Ziegler/Enos/Marinelli).
BRUNNI TRANSPLANT FROM BAKERSVILLE CALIFORRNIA
Brunni has been very active in local Conservative Republicans campaigns centered in the North Port area since she moved here from Baskerville, California, which is the home of the future Speaker of the U.S House of Representative, Kevin McCarthy.
Brunni was very active in the Baskerville and Kern County politics, being part of the local political machine under the direction of former U. S Congressman Bill Thomas and the late political operative, Mark Abernathy. Thomas was also Chairman of the powerful U.S House Ways and Means Committee. Brunni was elected a Bakersville City Commissioner in 1994 with Thomas and Abernathy's support.
LOCAL REC ESTABLISHMENT HAS TURNED THEIR PARTY OVER TO DOCUMENDED FORMER JIMMY CARTER DEMOCRAT AND RINO
The so-called REC conservative establishments have turned a blind eye to Neal, who was a former Florida Democrat Jimmy Carter State Senator for 12 years and bitter opponent of former President Donald Trump. REC Conservatives have taken Neal and his fellow cronies 30 pieces of silver to turn control of the REC over to Neal and his cronies.
NEAL'S "RINO" CREDENTIALS
Neal's RINO'S (REPUBLICAN IN NAME ONLY) credentials are well established. For example, there is the Pat Neal back in Pennsylvania who after graduating from Pennsylvania University, worked for, who he still references as his political mentor, Pennsylvania Republican U.S Senator, Arlen Specter. No need to explain what type of Republican, Specter was back in the day.
Neal as a Florida Democrat State Legislator 48 years ago
After his Specter days in Pennsylvania, Neal moved to Sarasota, became a Democrat and was first elected to public office 48 years ago, back in 1974. Neal then spent the next twelve years as a Democrat Florida legislator before being voted out in 1986 by a Reagan Conservative Republican.
The REC establishment and the so-called leading media never acknowledge that Neal was a Democrat State Legislator when Neal states he is a former Florida State legislator for 12 years.
The Lovingoods
NEAL'S FATHER-IN-LAW EASED NEAL INTO LOCAL REPUBLICAN PARTY
After Neal lost to a Reagan Conservative Republican in 1986, Neal returned to Sarasota and became a Republican with the help of Sarasota's Mr. Republican (back in the day) Joe Z. Lovingood. Conveniently for Neal, Lovingood was also his father-in-law.
REC ENDORSES EVERY NEAL HANDPICKED CANDIDATE WHO MAKE MILLIONS FOR NEAL'S JUNTA
Those REC members backing Neal's puppet Brill close their eyes to Neal's dislike for Trump, which began during Jeb Bush campaign against Trump in 2016 when Neal made these remarks concerning Trump in the Sarasota Herald Tribune:
IT WORRIES NEAL THE GOP BASE SUPPORTS TRUMP
Neal was quoted in the Sarasota Herald Tribune saying, "He (Neal) views Trump as an incredibly "vulgar" candidate who "is leading our party off a cliff." Neal continued: "It worries him that the GOP base has embraced Trump."
In addition, there is this quote from Neal when he decided not to run for the CFO of Florida only after he found out that then Governor Rick Scott would not appoint him: "The primary reason is that my career is incompatible with the idea of this public office and the personal, emotional reason is I've been dispirited with what I see every morning having to do with the Trump." Neal told the Herald-Tribune.
NEAL HAS CONTROLLED REC SINCE 2015
Neal has controlled the local REC ever since 2015 after Neal operatives ran a personal attack on Gruters, which was spread on social media. It could have ruined Gruters political career if it continued.
Gruters as chairman of REC prior to 2015 had the displeasure of Neal and his followers when he backed Marco Rubio for the U. S Senate and Rick Scott for Florida Governor against Neal and others who supported for Charlie Crist against Rubio and Scott.
The Flynn/Brunni team must be aware of Neal's past support of Charlie Crist when Crist ran against Senator Marco Rubio and Governor Rick Scott. Neal also stayed in the background when Democrat Margaret Good defeated James Buchanan for the Florida Legislature in 2018.
For example, there was this article written by the Sarasota Herald Tribune reporter, Jeremy Wallace concerning a fund raiser for Crist at Gary Kompothecras Siesta Key mansion:
Zdravecky
NEAL AND ZDRAVECKY
"It was a group rarely, if ever, seen together on Florida’s political money trail. There was Pat Neal, former executive director of the Florida Christian Coalition, mingling near Barbara Zdravecky, the head of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida."
Brown
WAECHTER AND BROWN
"Nearby, former Sarasota Republican Party Chairman Bob Waechter chatted amiably at the appetizer table with the very Democrat, Shirley Brown, he worked to defeat four years earlier for School Board and has vowed to defeat this year."
Crist
“Isn’t it amazing?” Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said of the eclectic mix in the room at his first big political fundraiser in Sarasota since he abandoned the Republican Party to run for the U.S. Senate."
GRUTERS CHANGES ASSESSMENT OF RINO NEAL/WAECHTER /ROBINSON IN 2015
Gruters changed his assessment of Neal, Waechter, Robinson and a few other Crist supporters shortly after he was blackmailed in 2015, which avoided his political career being put in jeopardy. After the social media attacks on Gruters ceased, which were placed on Craig's List and other social media outlets, Gruters turned the local REC over to Neal.
NEAL'S $50,000 "KISS" TO GRUTERS
After Gruters turned the REC over to Neal's direction and became Chairman of the RPOF, Neal gave Gruters a $50,000 "kiss" to a Gruters PAC called, FRIENDS OF JOE GRUTERS. Neal openingly buying Gruters was so outrageous that Gruters returned $40,000 of the $50,000 "kiss."
GRUTERS IS CHAIR OF LOCAL REC IN NAME ONLY
Gruters remained chairman of the REC in name only after becoming a Florida State Representative, Florida State Senator and Chairman of the RPOF with Brill, as vice chairman ran the REC for Neal. At the first meeting with Brill running REC meetings, Brill installed over 35 of his supporters.
Ley
BRILL AND LEY
One of Brill's 35 supporters he has brought into the REC was the disgraced former Sarasota County Administrator Jim Ley, who was the Sarasota County Administrator from 2000 to 2011.
Ley was the Sarasota County Administrator for the “Pay to Play” developers from 2000 to 2011 until he was forced to resign after becoming the documented center of a scandalous corrupt Sarasota County government.
AS THE REPUBLICAN CIVIL WAR STARTS IN SARASOTA
IS IT TIME TO GO FOR THE POLITICAL FOSSIL NEAL AND TAKE BRILL AND WAECHTER WITH HIM?
As REC members ponder who will lead them in the 2024 political cycle as this Civil War begins in Sarasota, it should be questionable that Neal is still a force in Republican politics with this quote in a major statewide media outlet about Neal:
"Considering the current electoral environment, anyone who first got involved in politics 48years ago as a Democrat and became a Republican is a political fossil who offers nothing new, exciting or needed to Florida’s government."
Rest assured DeSantis will be watching from Tallahassee and Trump from Mar-A-Lago to see if Neal/Brill or Flynn/Brunni prevail in the first battle of the DeSantis/Trump Civil War.