Mystery GOP-connected group in Senate race shut itself down

The mysterious GOP-connected “progressive” group targeting the Democratic primary frontrunner in a key state Senate race shut itself down sometime in the last week after Democrats filed an elections complaint.

The group’s alleged violations “deprive the public of the ability to know ‘who gave it and who got it,’” according to the complaint, filed with the Florida Election Commission by Democratic field director Jacob Flaherty and sent to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office earlier this month. “Violations of this nature, so close to the election, are especially serious.”

Floridians for Equality and Justice registered with the state on July 21 but had already created a website on June 2, emailed out questionnaires on June 24 and sent out mailers beginning July 18, according to the complaint.

In addition, the group listed itself as its sole contributor of $249,925, listing its “occupation” as “starting balance.”

The group targeted Democratic frontrunner Patricia Sigman, using progressive-sounding language and endorsing one of her opponents in Tuesday’s primary, Rick Ashby, as the “true progressive,” though he said he had never heard of it.

But the group’s entire advertising budget, $131,500, was paid to a company called “Victory Blue,” which despite its Democratic-sounding name is listed as being managed by Republican Tallahassee attorney David P. Healy, according to campaign filings. Healy represented members of the GOP-aligned firm behind the Florida redistricting process overturned by the courts in 2014.

“The [Florida Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee] filed this complaint because dark money is a scourge in Florida politics,” said Democratic Senate Victory spokesman Anders Croy. “Tallahassee Republicans resorted to these corrupt dirty tricks because they know Patricia Sigman will beat Jason Brodeur this fall.”

The state Republican Party and GOP state Senate candidate Jason Brodeur have said they had nothing to do with the group.

The complaint alleges that Stephen Jones, the group’s treasurer and only listed officer, took in and spent money for “purchase of the website URLs, preparation of the blast emails and dissemination of electioneering communications” without registering within 10 days as required by law.

The complaint also alleges the group “falsely or deliberately failed” to include required information on where it got its money. Even with laws allowing for socalled “dark money” groups, non-profit organizations that do not legally have to reveal their funding sources, political committees cannot just list themselves as contributors.

The penalty for spending money on campaign materials without officially registering is three times the amount paid, according to the complaint.

Jones and Healy did not return repeated requests for comment.