The Florida Democratic Party sent out the first negative campaign mailer slamming St. Pete City Council candidate Sheila Scott-Griffin for past business dealings as an attorney.
The ad, not attributed to any candidate, plays on Scott-Griffin’s law license suspension that arose after complaints of “lack of diligence,” “failing to respond to the Bar” and “violating fees and costs of legal services” were validated.
Her license was suspended in both 2007 and 2011.
The campaign mailer quotes the Tampa Bay Times, which wrote in June that “Griffin took [a client’s] money and then stopped communicating with them.”
The mailer highlights that Scott-Griffin “abandoned her clients” by “taking $15,000 from her client” and that the action forced him “to stay behind bars instead of seeking post-conviction relief.”
Scott-Griffin responded to her issues as an attorney in an interview with SaintPetersblog earlier in the campaign. She said the mistakes were the result of miscommunication and a file that was not mailed. She also said she didn’t know about the complaints about her because she was living out of state at the time.
The front of the campaign mailer shows a photograph of an unknown African-American middle-aged woman with the quote, “Republican Sheila Scott-Griffin abandoned her clients in their time of need. I see her for what she is. She’s lost her law license, she’s lost her way, she’s lost my vote.”
The bottom of the page says, “we just can’t trust Republican Sheila Scott-Griffin.
Scott-Griffin is the only Republican in the five-way race for District 7. Aaron Sharpe is an independent while Lisa Wheeler-Brown, Will Newton and Lewis Stephens are all Democrats.
The Florida Democratic Party has not endorsed a particular candidate, but local Democratic groups, including the Stonewall Democrats, Ruth’s List of Florida and the Democratic Environmental Caucus, have endorsed Lisa Wheeler-Brown.
In a statement, Will Newton’s campaign condemned the negative mailer and speculated that Wheeler-Brown’s campaign was some how behind it.
“We denounce this mailing personally attacking our opponent. The voters of St. Petersburg and District 7 deserve better. Had we been asked if we wanted this, the answer would have been absolutely not,” the statement read. “We all know who’s (sic) benefit this was done for, and she should be ashamed.”
In a phone call, Wheeler-Brown said she knew nothing of the mailer and hadn’t even seen it.
After reviewing a scanned image of the mailer, Wheeler-Brown also denounced the negative nature of its content.
“Lisa’s been talking to voters since January about creating jobs, improving our education system, and making our streets safer. We’re focused on sharing Lisa’s story and showing the voters that she’s the best person to represent District 7. Our campaign mail reflects that,” campaign manager Meagan Salisbury wrote in a statement.
Newton and Wheeler-Brown are considered the frontrunners in the race, but Scott-Griffin is polling right behind them. If she gains momentum she could boot one of the two out of the November general election.
Only the top two vote-getters in the August 25 closed primary will move on to the general election.
Other mailers sent out to date from the Newton and Wheeler-Brown campaigns have been mostly positive. Wheeler-Brown touts her community involvement and work in solving her son’s murder. Newton sent out a campaign mailer critical of both Wheeler-Brown and Scott-Griffin for giving a thumb’s up to a candidate forum’s question asking whether candidates supported the Rays leaving St. Pete.
