Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Politics

PAC activities under investigation

The elections commission is looking into a House District 53 mailer sent out before the Sept. 5 primary.

By WILL VAN SANT
Published October 7, 2006

Florida Elections Commission investigators want to know whether a political action committee led by Adrien Helm, wife of Pinellas Democratic Party chairman Ed Helm, violated campaign laws in advance of the September primaries.

On Tuesday, the commission mailed questionnaires to candidates who received support from the Pinellas Democrats PAC.

Norm Roche and Charlie Gerdes, both of whom lost primary bids, said they had each received the letter, which asks whether they were aware of the PAC's activities.

The letter makes clear that recipients such as Roche and Gerdes are not the subject of an investigation, but are people "who may have information regarding a matter that is being reviewed by our office at this time."

As a matter of policy, the elections commission does not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation. So it isn't known precisely what possible violations are being probed.

But the commission's questionnaire deals with one of two mailers the PAC sent in late August.

It went to House District 53 voters. In the mailer, PAC treasurer Jim Donelon wrote, "I would urge you to cast your ballot for the following candidates:"

A list of eight Democrats, including former governor's office hopeful Rod Smith and Pinellas School Board candidates, followed. Roche and Gerdes were on the list, too.

The PAC also sent a second letter to House District 52 party members. It bashed candidate Bill Heller and urged recipients to "Vote for Liz McCallum on Tuesday, Sept. 5."

The mailer, which praised McCallum as "the only real Democrat," apparently wasn't persuasive enough. McCallum lost.

Among the donors to the PAC was Frank Lupo, who now directs the Pinellas Democratic Party's campaign planning efforts. He gave $5,000 on Aug. 23.

That prompted Maureen Eppley, who produced signs, fliers and other campaign trappings for Heller and other candidates, to file a complaint with the elections commission in early September.

In her complaint, Eppley quotes from Florida's campaign finance law, which states that "no person ... may, in any election, make contributions in excess of $500 ... to any political committee supporting or opposing one or more candidates."

For Eppley, it's obvious the PAC and it's administrators violated the law when they accepted a $5,000 donation while campaigning for favored candidates through mail.

"In my mind they were clearly in support of one candidate over another," said the 30-year-old Eppley of St. Petersburg. "That really didn't sit well with me."

Violation of the contribution law is a first-degree misdemeanor.

Adrien Helm, the PAC's chairwoman, said that under state law, she could not discuss any issues related to Eppley's complaint. In the past, she has said that the PAC is not bound by the $500 donation limit because it's focused on issue, not candidate, advocacy.

It's not the first time the PAC has made waves. In late August, the state party demanded that Adrien Helm stop using the word "Democrats" in its name.

But according to the Florida Department of State Web site, Pinellas Democrats PAC is still active, if not exactly thriving. It has about $605 in its coffers and hasn't taken a contribution since August.

Roche, Gerdes and others touted in the PAC's mailings said they had no idea the committee was working for them. As for any wrongdoing, that's for state investigators to decide.

"The law is the law," Roche said. "And if the law is violated, you have to stand accountable. If not, it will go away."

[Last modified October 7, 2006, 06:00:03]