Florida Trend’s Jason Garcia notes on Twitter today that the scandal which engulfed the Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority is the focus of a direct mailpiece targeting HD 47 hopeful Mo Pearson, who is running against Mike Miller.
Pearson is a capable candidate and probably has a bright future in politics, but I don’t think he will get past both Miller and Democrat Linda Stewart, so this mailer almost feels like overkill.
Still, it’s interesting to see the OOCEA scandal used as a bludgeon against a candidate.
Pearson is an environmental consultant whose firm, 3E Consultants, Inc., lists the Expressway Authority as a client. Pearson also applied to serve on the Expressway Authority Board at the same time as Marco Pena, who resigned earlier this year from the board and reached a plea agreement with state prosecutors about his role in a conspiracy to subvert Florida’s Sunshine laws.
According to filings submitted to the Florida Department of Elections, Pearson had received at least $7,800 from Expressway Authority members and vendors – including from indicted board members. Pearson did the right thing and spokesman returned the questionable contributions.
That wasn’t good enough for a political committee named “Truth Matters,” which received most of its money from committees linked to state Senator Joe Negron and Representative Mike Hill.
“The ‘Expressway Authority’ wanted to take over the Expressway Authority to control the government contracts,” the mailer reads. “But when Mo Pearson was passed over for the appointment, they turned their sights on the Legislature.”
The mailer then details those “questionable contributions” Pearson received, including $500 from former state Rep. Chris Dorworth, whose named is used as a pejorative all over the piece.
Here’s an image of the mailer via Jason Garcia.
