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Campaign donation leads to resignation

A Largo worker gave $100 to former Mayor Bob Jackson's campaign, which violated Largo's charter. The rule has since been repealed.

By LORRI HELFAND
Published June 17, 2006

At the time of Lou Hilton's donation, Largo's charter banned city employees and elected city officials from contributing to city campaigns. It also forbade elected city officials from accepting such contributions.

But the charter provision, which led to accusations against three city officials last year, was repealed by Largo voters on March 7.

"My chin is high. I don't feel like I did anything wrong,'' said Hilton, 54, who resigned June 9 as Largo's annexation program planner.

City Manager Steve Stanton said Hilton, who had a role in about 90 percent of the city's annexations, did his job well but made an "error in judgment.''

"My concern was his effectiveness as a staff person from this point forward,'' Stanton said.

Hilton's trouble began about a week or two before the March 7 election. That's when he placed a $100 cash donation in Jackson's mailbox at City Hall, he said. A couple of days later Jackson, who could not be reached for this story, told Hilton he could not accept the contribution.

On June 4, Jackson called Hilton again to tell him he needed to return the donation, according to an administrative investigation conducted by Largo police.

The following day, Jackson stopped by City Hall and handed a sealed white envelope with the words "Lou Hilton Personal" written in red marker to City Commission secretary Shirley Frick.

After hearing of the sealed envelope, Stanton told Frick he wanted Hilton's boss, Mike Staffopoulos, to see him immediately.

Stanton said he was suspicious because Jackson had involved Frick in "shuttling confidential information'' to another city employee.

Frick stuck a note on the envelope asking Staffopoulos to see Stanton and placed it on his secretary's desk. Staffopoulos later opened the envelope because he thought it was from Stanton, he said. After finding a $100 bill inside, he went to Stanton's office for an explanation. And Stanton turned the matter over to the police department for an administrative investigation, which concluded that the contribution was a possible violation of the city charter.

Hilton, whose salary was $63,440, was first hired by the city in May 2001, then left the city in March 2003 after he was reprimanded for a failed annexation. He returned to his previous position that September.

In a June 12 letter to commissioners, Stanton said there was also evidence that Jackson may have violated Florida election code because the donation was not recorded properly.

City Clerk Diane Bruner said contributions that candidates receive, but do not want to accept, should be listed in treasurers' reports as contributions and recorded as expenditures when they're returned. Bruner said she does not enforce state election law and that complaints on such matters go to the Florida Elections Commission.

City Attorney Alan Zimmet said a criminal investigation of possible charter violations is unnecessary because he previously advised the City Commission that the provision was unenforceable. The U.S. Supreme Court found that citizens have First Amendment rights to make campaign contributions, and Zimmet had said the law would not withstand a First Amendment challenge.

Hilton insisted that he didn't know about the charter provision, but thought he had a constitutional right to make a donation regardless of the ban.

"If I want to make a contribution to someone running for mayor or the commission I should have that right,'' he said.

Stanton said Hilton should have known because the issue was discussed in staff newsletters and received a great deal of media attention last year.

"The whole thing was so divisive last year and it was disappointing for another staff member to fall back into the controversy again,'' Stanton said.

The charter provision came under scrutiny last year after a resident said the charter was violated during the campaign leading up to the 2005 city election.

Commissioner Harriet Crozier had contributed to Gigi Arntzen's campaign. Mayor Pat Gerard, who was a commissioner at the time, had made a donation to Rodney Woods' campaign. And then-Commissioner Pat Burke had contributed to both Arntzen and Woods' campaigns.

Two residents filed criminal complaints with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. But the State Attorney's Office did not file charges, saying the violations were not willful and the charter provision might be unconstitutional.

[Last modified June 17, 2006, 09:22:13]