Sunday, February 20, 2022

ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH COMMISSION CANDIDATE INELIGIBLE TO RUN OR BE APPOINTED TO OFFICE IN 2022, WITHDRAWS

Update, February 20, 2022: HAROLD DAVID BISHOP, JR. withdrew as a candidate for St. Augustine Beach Commission on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, the morning after my original blog post, February 14, 2022 below. BISHOP's hand-signed letter informed the Supervisor of Elections that it had "come to [his] attention" that he did not meet the durational residency requirement to be a St. Augustine Beach Commissioner. 

February 14, 2022:

HAROLD DAVID BISHOP, JR. has thrown his MAGA hat in the ring to run or be appointed to St. Augustine Beach City Commission. 

City of St. Augustine Beach Charter Laws, Section 1-4(c) states: 
"The city commissioners shall have been residents and qualified electors of the City of St. Augustine Beach for a period of one (1) year prior to the date of qualification for election, or appointment to fill a vacancy on the city commission as a result of the death, resignation or disqualification of a city commissioner. Once elected, city commissioners must maintain physical residency and voter registration in the city throughout their terms of office."


BISHOP registered to vote on June 23, 2021,

BISHOP is not legally eligible to seek the job in 2022.

BISHOP  has not been an elector of the City of St Augustine Beach for a year.

BISHOP will not have been an elector for a year before the February 28, 2022 Special Meeting to select a new Commissioner to replace disgraced, resigned ex-Commissioner ERNESTO JUAN TORRES-PEREZ, a retired Florida National Guard Lt. Colonel and former St. Augustine Beach City Code Enforcement Chair.

BISHOP will not have been one for a year before the June 13-17, 2022 qualifying period. 

BISHOP filed last year to run against Commissioner Margaret England. 

Here's my letter to Mayor Donald Samora, et al:




-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Slavin <easlavin@aol.com>
To: comdsamora@cityofsab.org <comdsamora@cityofsab.org>; comdrumrell@cityofsab.org <comdrumrell@cityofsab.org>; comugeorge@cityofsab.org <comugeorge@cityofsab.org>; commengland@cityofsab.org <commengland@cityofsab.org>; dfitzgerald@cityofsab.org <dfitzgerald@cityofsab.org>; mroyle@cityofsab.org <mroyle@cityofsab.org>; lex@dhclawyers.com <lex@dhclawyers.com>; carswelld@sabpd.org <carswelld@sabpd.org>; carswelldp@sabpd.org <carswelldp@sabpd.org>
Cc: hdbishopjr@gmail.com <hdbishopjr@gmail.com>; larizzar@sao7.org <larizzar@sao7.org>; shorsteinb@sao7.org <shorsteinb@sao7.org>; executiveinvestigationscomplaints@fdle.state.fl.us <executiveinvestigationscomplaints@fdle.state.fl.us>; klancke.caroline@leg.state.fl.us <klancke.caroline@leg.state.fl.us>; voakes@votesjc.com <voakes@votesjc.com>; wfusco@votesjc.com <wfusco@votesjc.com>; fec@myfloridalegal.com <fec@myfloridalegal.com>; hutson.travis.web@flsenate.gov <hutson.travis.web@flsenate.gov>; cyndi.stevenson@myfloridahouse.gov <cyndi.stevenson@myfloridahouse.gov>; bcc5hdean@sjcfl.us <bcc5hdean@sjcfl.us>; bcc1cwhitehurst@sjcfl.us <bcc1cwhitehurst@sjcfl.us>; bcc1jjohns@sjcfl.us <bcc1jjohns@sjcfl.us>; bcc3pwaldron@sjcfl.us <bcc3pwaldron@sjcfl.us>; bcc4jblocker@sjcfl.us <bcc4jblocker@sjcfl.us>; eaverysmith@rtlaw.com <eaverysmith@rtlaw.com>; paul.renner@myfloridahouse.gov <paul.renner@myfloridahouse.gov>; Tim.Forson@stjohns.k12.fl.us <Tim.Forson@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Patrick.Canan@stjohns.k12.fl.us <Patrick.Canan@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; nicole.cubbage@stjohns.k12.fl.com <nicole.cubbage@stjohns.k12.fl.com>; Beverly.Slough@stjohns.k12.fl.us <Beverly.Slough@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Tony.Coleman@stjohns.k12.fl.us <Tony.Coleman@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; bill.mignon@stjohns.k12.fl.us <bill.mignon@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Kelly.Barrera@stjohns.k12.fl.us <Kelly.Barrera@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Paul.Abbatinozzi@stjohns.k12.fl.us <Paul.Abbatinozzi@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Quinterrance.Cooper@stjohns.k12.fl.us <Quinterrance.Cooper@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Dearmas.Graham@stjohns.k12.fl.us <Dearmas.Graham@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; sheltonhull@gmail.com <sheltonhull@gmail.com>; sheldon.gardner@staugustine.com <sheldon.gardner@staugustine.com>; jclark@firstcoastnews.com <jclark@firstcoastnews.com>; aschindler@firstcoastnews.com <aschindler@firstcoastnews.com>; fdupchurch@ubulaw.com <fdupchurch@ubulaw.com>; tgray9937@comcast.net <tgray9937@comcast.net>; rsniffen@sniffenlaw.com <rsniffen@sniffenlaw.com>; mspellman@sniffenlaw.com <mspellman@sniffenlaw.com>; tupchurch@citystaug.com <tupchurch@citystaug.com>; nsikeskline@citystaug.com <nsikeskline@citystaug.com>; rhorvath@citystaug.com <rhorvath@citystaug.com>; jvaldes@citystaug.com <jvaldes@citystaug.com>; bblonder@citystaug.com <bblonder@citystaug.com>; jregan@citystaug.com <jregan@citystaug.com>; ilopez@citystaug.com <ilopez@citystaug.com>; sheriff@sjso.org <sheriff@sjso.org>; bpatty@stjohnsclerk.com <bpatty@stjohnsclerk.com>; mminer@stjohnsclerk.com <mminer@stjohnsclerk.com>; taxcollector@sjctax.us <taxcollector@sjctax.us>; wflowers@llw-law.com <wflowers@llw-law.com>; ralfbrookes@gmail.com <ralfbrookes@gmail.com>; jack@naplesandspencelaw.com <jack@naplesandspencelaw.com>; megan.wall@jaxlegalaid.org <megan.wall@jaxlegalaid.org>; cmroyle@cityofsab.org <cmroyle@cityofsab.org>; lex@dhclawyers.com <lex@dhclawyers.com>; sunshine@floridafaf.org <sunshine@floridafaf.org>; tanner@sunshine-lawyer.com <tanner@sunshine-lawyer.com>; pat.gleason@myfloridalegal.com <pat.gleason@myfloridalegal.com>; reganj@bellsouth.net <reganj@bellsouth.net>; lfountain@citystaug.com <lfountain@citystaug.com>; hamann@law.ufl.edu <hamann@law.ufl.edu>; ankersen@law.ufl.edu <ankersen@law.ufl.edu>; hudsonb@law.ufl.edu <hudsonb@law.ufl.edu>; angelo@law.ufl.edu <angelo@law.ufl.edu>; flournoy@law.ufl.edu <flournoy@law.ufl.edu>; little@law.ufl.edu <little@law.ufl.edu>; mills@law.ufl.edu <mills@law.ufl.edu>; waltbog@nytimes.com <waltbog@nytimes.com>
Sent: Mon, Feb 14, 2022 7:21 pm
Subject: HAROLD DAVID BISHOP, JR. INELIGIBLE For Appointment/Election to St. Augustine Beach City Commission

Dear Mayor Samora, Vice Mayor Rumrell, Commissioners England and George, Mr. Royle, Ms. Fitzgerald, Mr. Taylor, and Police Chief Carswell, et al:

1. Mr. HAROLD DAVID BISHOP, JR. registered to vote in the City of St. Augustine Beach on June 23, 2021.

2. Under the City's one-year durational residency requirement for election or appointment to City Commission, Mr. BISHOP is ineligible to be selected for the vacant Commissioner seat at your February 28, 2022 Special Meeting.

3. Mr. BISHOP is ineligible to qualify to run for Commissioner in 2022. The qualifying period is from June 13-17, 2022.

4. City of St. Augustine Beach Charter Laws, Section 1-4(c) states: 
The city commissioners shall have been residents and qualified electors of the City of St. Augustine Beach for a period of one (1) year prior to the date of qualification for election, or appointment to fill a vacancy on the city commission as a result of the death, resignation or disqualification of a city commissioner. Once elected, city commissioners must maintain physical residency and voter registration in the city throughout their terms of office.


5. I have reached out to Mr. BISHOP and requested an interview on his candidacy.  See our e-mail exchange, below.   Mr. BISHOP wrote me earlier tonight that he hopes the "error" (sic) can be "fixed" by "legal."   In fact and in truth, Mr. BISHOP did not become an elector of St. Augustine Beach elector until June 23, 2021.  The date of his closing on his condominium is irrelevant.  He is not qualified to run or to be elected to St. Augustine Beach City Commission in 2022.

6. I have sent him a copy of this e-mail.

7. I am mystified as to why Mr. BISHOP would apply for appointment to the vacant seat and file to run for City Commission when he is ineligible to be appointed or elected.

8. The Rule of Law must be vindicated.  

9. Please vote to declare Mr. BISHOP ineligible to be either appointed or elected.  Kindly consider a motion to certify or refer the facts to our St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections, State's Attorney, Sheriff and Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Elections Commission, Florida Ethics Commission, et al for any appropriate actions on his putative candidacy.

10. It is, at best, ironic that Mr. BISHOP: 
  1. is a developer, https://9avilesstreet.com, but states he is against overdevelopment in St. Augustine Beach, and 
  2. declares his fealty to a 1/6 insurrectionist (disgraced, twice-impeached ex-President DONALD JOHN TRUMP), while,
  3. making offensive, misleading or demagogic statements about current SAB Commissioners. https://www.vote4bishop.com/about, including: 
Harold is currently running for the St Augustine Beach Commissioners Seat 4 in the November 8, 2022, General Election. We need Pro-American leadership during these stressful times, and science-based decisions with regard to Covid. The emotional leadership that is currently in place is unacceptable, not pro-American, and unconstitutional.






Thank you.  

With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
Box 3084
St. Augustine, Florida 32085-3084
904-377-4998





-----Original Message-----
From: Harold Bishop <hdbishopjr@gmail.com>
To: Ed Slavin <easlavin@aol.com>
Sent: Mon, Feb 14, 2022 5:23 pm
Subject: Re: Harold David Bishop, Jr. Candidacy for St. Augustine Beach City Commission

Hi Ed,

Thanks for the email.
I will have to schedule something a few weeks out.
Your question is a good one, as I just was made aware this morning, that my Voter ID date is a week out of the deadline window for St Augustine beach. I am checking with legal now to see if this error can be fixed without too much trouble. If not I will have to rethink my direction. I actually moved and closed on the condo March 11, 2021.  So physically I was in the window of the requirements, however I did not update my address on my drivers license until June 21. So unless I can get this fixed I may have to abandon the St Augustine Beach position and run for a higher level office position which would be acceptable to me. I’ll get back with you in the next few days once I know the results of my legal inquiry. I want to be as transparent as possible for my supporters.

I will be posting the result of this online as soon as I know what I am going to do. 

I am not a lawyer so I need to wait for a reply from legal before proceeding. Hopefully this helps until we can talk.

Thanks again,
Dave
On Feb 14, 2022, 5:08 PM -0500, Ed Slavin <easlavin@aol.com>, wrote:
Dear Mr. Bishop:
1. I have some questions about your eligibility to run or be appointed to St. Augustine Beach City Commission.
2. When are you availability for an interview?
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,




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