Politics

Top officers leave Democratic posts

After recent gains, the Hillsborough party again has a void in two leadership positions.

By JANET ZINK, Times Staff Writer
Published January 5, 2008

TAMPA - Hillsborough County Democrats are searching for new leadership after the abrupt resignation of the party's top two local officers.

Mike Suarez said he resigned last week as chairman of the county's Democratic Executive Committee halfway into his two-year term because he doesn't want to serve with treasurer Thomas Squires.

Squires announced at a meeting in December that he had used an ATM card to withdraw $1,200 from the party's bank account in October and November, Suarez said.

According to Suarez, Squires said he needed the money for a party booth at the state fair in February, but lost the cash.

Squires paid the money back and resigned from his post as treasurer. But Squires changed his mind about resigning, and some party leaders pushed to allow him to keep the position.

That prompted Suarez to resign.

"I'm not going to serve with someone that so actively flouted the rules concerning our money," Suarez said. "You have to have authorization to use the card. He did not."

At an emergency meeting Wednesday, the party's steering committee voted to keep Squires on board. Squires did not return calls for comment.

Deborah Cope resigned as vice chairman of the party on Dec. 24. She said she left the post because it's too time consuming, not because of the controversy surrounding Squires. But she said his activities should be investigated at the state level.

"It's a big issue," she said.

The state party, though, won't investigate until someone in the local organization files a grievance. That hasn't happened yet, according to Florida Democratic Party spokesman Mark Bubriski.

Infighting among Hillsborough County Democrats is nothing new. State officials investigated the previous chairwoman, Janee Murphy, after her vice chairman filed a formal complaint of mismanagement and improper spending.

Murphy was cleared of any offenses and finished her term. Suarez replaced her last year.

After years of living in the shadow of the county's highly effective and well-organized Republican machine, local Democrats appeared to be showing some muscle in the past 12 months. They rallied behind Tampa City Council candidate Mary Mulhern, helping the newcomer defeat a Republican with eight years on the council. New Democratic clubs popped up around the county, and the party reinstated its annual Jefferson-Jackson Fundraising Dinner after a years-long hiatus.

Special elections of new officers are scheduled for Jan. 22.

Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or 813 226-3401.

[Last modified January 4, 2008, 23:16:11]