Jim Norman says it’s only the media who cares about the issues behind the Arkansas vacation home that ultimately led to his political exile six years ago, but when asked about it at a community forum Tuesday night, the Hillsborough County Commission candidate got a bit hot under the collar while explaining what happened to a voter.
Norman is running for the Republican nomination for the Hillsborough County District 6 seat against Tim Schock. It’s his first run for office since he announced in 2012 that he would not run for re-election to a state Senate seat he captured in 2010 after an 18-year career on the County Commission.
It was during that 2010 run for state office the news broke that Norman had failed to disclose a $435,000 Arkansas vacation home “given” to his wife, Mearline, by Ralph Hughes, the late east Hillsborough County power broker and longtime friend of Norman. That led to a two-year legal pursuit. A federal grand jury investigated the Hughes-Norman financial deal but did not issue an indictment. In March 2011, Norman did admit his guilt in failing to disclose the information about the house with the Florida Commission on Ethics.
Norman said earlier this month that very rarely does he get asked that question about that situation on the campaign trail, but it was brought up on Tuesday night at the Twelve Oaks Candidate Forum held at the Morgan Woods Recreation Center.
“My wife bought that house, plain and simple, just like you bought yours,” Norman told the constituent. “There’s no funny stuff about it. If there was anything funny about it, I wouldn’t be sitting here today. You know what? I’ve got a letter that said I am 100 percent trustworthy, and 100 percent accurate about what I’m telling you.”
The man in the audience then said, “We have a rule, and the spirit of the rule.”
“No sir, my wife bought that house!” Norman immediately interjected and became increasingly upset, leading him to ask whether it was because he was a “conservative Republican in this town” that doesn’t lead the media to question other candidate or politician’s spouses and their assets.
“How ’bout Bob Buckhorn? Anybody ever call up Bob Buckhorn’s wife and say,’hey, let me look at your assets, let me look at the buildings you bought. Does anybody? And you know what sir? Mine was looked at. And it came back that I was 100 percent telling the truth, and I was 100 percent right. I will tell you this. The check cleared, sir. I bought it. My wife bought and paid for that house, from the estate and the bank.”
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