'Gone Wild' issue gone

The Elections Commission blocks a complaint over an antitax group.

By JOHN FRANK, Times Staff Writer
Published October 16, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT Anna Liisa Covell says she doesn't plan to pursue her complaint.

BROOKSVILLE - The head of the Florida Elections Commission has rejected a complaint filed against the organizers of the "Government Gone Wild" seminars, and the local political activist who initiated the review said Monday she is content to let the issue rest.

Anna Liisa Covell, a Brooksville businesswoman and county planning board member, alleged earlier this month that the four leaders of the Hernando movement for lower property taxes violated state election laws by not filing the necessary paperwork as a political committee before hosting costly seminars critical of county tax rates and spending practices.

A preliminary review by the elections board deemed the complaint to be "legally insufficient," according to an Oct. 9 letter from Barbara Linthicum, the commission's executive director.

The commission gave Covell the opportunity to further support her argument that the group constituted a political committee. But Covell said in an interview Monday that she doubts she will follow up. "I fully respect the opinion of the Florida Elections Commission and there's nothing more to continue to file on this," she said.

Linthicum found that the group, led by Hernando home builder Blaise Ingoglia, did not constitute a political committee despite organizing a number of seminars, including the "Evening for Change," which sought to highlight the issue of alleged government waste in an effort to advocate for lower tax rates.

State law defines a political committee as a group of two or more individuals who accept or spend more than $500 advocating the election or defeat of a candidate or an issue before voters. The commission's director said "reducing ad valorem taxes for 2008 is not an issue" because it is not on any ballot.

"Therefore, Mr. Ingoglia's statements are protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution that guarantees all citizens of this country the right to speak freely on public issues," Linthicum wrote in the letter.

Covell said she was satisfied with the interpretation. "I'm not trying to take away their right to speak," she said. "I just wanted to make sure they were doing things by the book."

Ingoglia said Monday he and his allies felt vindicated with the decision. "We are just happy that the Florida Election Committee exonerated us," he said. "It was just informational and educational and I'm glad to see they agreed with us."

The other three named by Covell in the complaint were former County Commissioner Len Tria, political activist Linda Hayward and Ana Trinque, chairwoman of the county's Republican Executive Committee.

The issue of what constitutes a political committee is likely to return.

Ingoglia said he still plans to spend upward of $25,000 to influence next year's County Commission races. But he said he doesn't expect to file organizational papers as a political committee because he will not advocate electing or defeating any candidates.

The goal, he said, is to "remind" voters how three incumbent county commissioners facing re-election - Diane Rowden, Jeff Stabins and Chris Kingsley - voted during the budget deliberations last month.

John Frank can be reached at jfrank@sptimes.com or 754-6114.

[Last modified October 15, 2007, 20:29:12]