Ponte Vedra Recorder: Campaign Finance Investigation

Campaign Finance Investigation
Mark Pettus | August 7, 2008 | 0 Comments


One county office seeker is now answering investigators’ questions about his current office – and several other current and former candidates may soon join him in the investigators’ hot seat.

Randy Brunson, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the St. Johns County Commission District 5 seat is the subject of a Florida Elections Commission investigation into whether or not he violated campaign finance laws by failing to report the lease terms on his campaign headquarters.

Brunson moved into the office in the old Bozart Ford location at 1800 Ponce de Leon Blvd. in St. Augustine in January. His campaign finance reports, which can be viewed online at the St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections Web site show he has been paying water, electric, sewer and phone bills on the property since that time.

Local resident and community activist Ed Slavin says he noticed in May that Brunson had not reported paying any rent, and so Slavin filed a complaint with the Elections Commission.

In July, after he had been notified about the complaint and investigation, Brunson filed a report showing he had recently paid $800 rent for the year, through Aug. 31. He also sent a notarized copy of a lease requiring him to pay $100 per month for the property, payable at the end of August.

Brunson confirmed that he was under investigation, but said, “All I can tell you is that everything is legal.”

Slavin said in his complaint the property in question is owned by a rich hotelier who often asks favors of local government. Brunson and Slavin both say the property is valued at $2.7 million.

But you would have to go in and see it,” Brunson said. “I’ve had ladies come in who couldn’t stay because of the termites, and mites and etc.”

Slavin believes the office is worth much more than $100 per month. “Do you know where I can get a deal like that?” he asked.

The investigation is continuing, and Brunson’s case will likely be heard during the Elections Commission’s meeting in November. For more on this story read next week’s Ponte Vedra Recorder.

Slavin has also filed complaints against one other current candidate and two candidates who ran in 2006. All three cases are pending, and the Ponte Vedra Recorder will report details as soon as they are available.