12 November 2020

Classic "dark money" dirty politics in Florida


You want to defeat Jose Rodriguez, so you find a person named Alex Rodriguez and register him as a candidate.  That person does no campaigning, no fundraising, no public speaking, and has no platform.
"Local 10 News has found evidence to suggest three such candidates in three Florida Senate district races, two of them in Miami Dade County, were shill candidates whose presence in the races were meant to syphon votes from Democratic candidates.

Comparisons of the no-party candidates' public campaign records show similarities and connections that suggest they are all linked by funding from the same dark money donors, and part of an elaborate scheme to upset voting patterns.

In one of those races, District 37, a recount is underway because the spread between the Democratic and Republican candidates is only 31 votes. The third party candidate received more than 6300 votes."
Details at the Florida news station link.

9 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 12, 2020 at 9:26 AM

    The two party system stinks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. smittypapNovember 12, 2020 at 10:20 AM

    Are there any examples of Democrats pulling shenanigans like this? Surely there must be, considering how many races were run this year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MinnesotastanNovember 12, 2020 at 11:33 AM

      I understand what you're saying - basically a counterpart of "there are good people on both sides." I'm sure you will agree with me that it is reprehensible behavior.

      Delete
    2. smittypapNovember 13, 2020 at 10:39 AM

      Actually, not trying to 'both-sides' it at all. I honestly don't recall any recent similar examples from the other side. Either the evil media isn't reporting on it, I've blocked them from my consciousness, or they're extremely rare/nonexistent.

      Delete
  3. MinnesotastanNovember 12, 2020 at 11:29 AM

    Don't try to shift the blame from the dark money people to the voters - unless you can recite the first names of all the down-ballot local candidates you voted for.

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  4. mattNovember 12, 2020 at 11:32 AM

    I can tell you that the Illinois Speaker of the House plays a similar game. As a candidate brings in signatures to the State of Illinois to launch a campaign, he has cronies in the waiting room who will submit an alternate candidate for the same district.

    Here is one method Madigan has used.

    https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/420764-chicago-alderman-candidate-says-election-fraud-allegations-show-perversion-of

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  5. AnonymousNovember 12, 2020 at 2:55 PM

    I am very aware of this deceitful practice in the case of José Javier Rodriguez in his race for District 37 of the Florida State Senate. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal and is a member of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of South Florida. His wife Sonia is also a friend who worked with me at The Everglades Foundation in Miami (I knew them both before they knew each other.)

    Some good friends in Miami, also Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, are keeping me abreast of the vote count. As I recall, José Javier did his undergraduate at Brown and studied law at Harvard. He returned to Florida to work in migrant legal aid in Homestead, FL.

    Unfortunately, this race is a good example of Miami politics. Jose Javier was an aggressive and effective Democratic legislator in the Florida House for the last several years.

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  6. not securely anchoredNovember 13, 2020 at 8:36 AM

    Something similar happened in the primaries in Houston, Texas.

    ReplyDelete