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Taking sides costs Democrats

The state party won’t return any filing fees to Pinellas County candidates because the local party broke rules during the primaries.

By WILL VAN SANT
Published October 11, 2006

The Pinellas Democratic Party continues to display a keen knack for stumbling.

On Tuesday, state party chairwoman Karen Thurman wrote local party chief Ed Helm and told him not to expect any cash for his group’s November election efforts.

The state party normally returns a portion of the filing fees local Democratic candidates pay to get on the ballot.

The money helps county parties aid local Democratic candidates.

But under Helm, Thurman’s letter says, the local party broke rules by using its resources to endorse one slate of Democrats over another in the primaries.

“As Chair of the FDP, I regret having to take this action,” Thurman wrote Helm. “However, under your leadership the Pinellas County DEC has continually ignored the requirements of the Constitution and Bylaws of the FDP.”

Not much money is at stake, only about $6,000. But the decision confers a distinction: Out of 61 local Democratic parties in the state, only Pinellas is not getting filing fees returned this year.

“We really stand out in Pinellas County, don’t we?” said Arlen Briley, the local party’s vice chairman and a Helm foe.

“As a Democrat, Ed Helm embarrasses me.”

Helm did not return a reporter’s calls for comment by Wednesday evening.

News of the decision comes days after state investigators began to ask questions about possible campaign finance law violations by a political action committee run by Helm’s wife, Adrien Helm.

Before the September primaries, the PAC mailed fliers that urged voters to pick certain Democratic candidates over others. One mailer went out under the bulk mail permit of the Pinellas Democratic Party.

There are contribution limits for PACs that support candidates. Complaints have been filed with state regulators that allege Adrien Helm’s PAC violated those limits.

These events are unfolding as tensions between Helm backers and opponents are intensifying.

At a meeting Tuesday night, an attempt was made to censure Helm for “taking actions depriving the PCDEC Treasury of approximately $6,000,” according to a prepared resolution.

But there were not enough party members present to bring the censure to a vote.

Tony DiMatteo, who chairs the Pinellas Republican Party, said he’s happy not to have any such distractions, especially so close to election day.

“Everybody doesn’t love each other,” DiMatteo said of his party. “But we want to win, so we work together. That’s something the Democrats don’t understand.”

[Last modified October 11, 2006, 23:56:36]