Rival seizes on workers' charges

Suits filed against Vern Buchanan are focus of campaign opponent's ads

21 Aug 2008 // Democrat Christine Jennings is seizing on accusations by ex-employees of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan that the Republican congressman violated campaign finance laws, committed business fraud and employed illegal immigrants.

Jennings, who lost narrowly to Buchanan in 2006 and is running against him again in the 13th Congressional District, unveiled a new television ad this week that focuses on current and earlier lawsuits filed against Buchanan over his business dealings. During a news conference Wednesday, Jennings stressed the importance of "character" at least 10 times in 10 minutes.

"It's almost 90 days since the first allegations appeared," Jennings told about 10 reporters in the Marina Room of Mattison's Riverside Grill. "You should be asking my opponent when he is going to hold a press conference like this and answer your questions and let the public know about these allegations."

Buchanan has denied the allegations in past interviews, saying they came from "disgruntled" former employees.

"Character is a big issue in this race," Jennings continued. "I will answer for my character, but I'm going to let Vern Buchanan answer about his character."

Four former employees at Buchanan's Florida car dealerships have filed lawsuits against the congressman alleging consumer fraud and campaign violations.

The most recent lawsuit came last week from the former director of fixed operations at Sarasota 500, Richard Thomas, who alleges Buchanan employed illegal immigrants and housed them near his Sarasota Ford dealership so they could do work on his Longboat Key home. Thomas also accuses Buchanan of fraudulently making a donation in his name to George W. Bush's 2000 presidential campaign. Thomas alleges he later received a $1,000 bonus to his paycheck as repayment for his political donation, which would violate federal campaign laws.

Three other former Buchanan employees say they were pressured to donate to his 2006 campaign. Two of them said they were reimbursed for their contributions.

This week, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission alleging Buchanan committed "serious violations of campaign finance law."

Buchanan campaign spokeswoman Sally Tibbetts called the lawsuits and the FEC complaint a political smear campaign.

"We comply with all FEC rules and regulations," said Tibbetts, who unsuccessfully tried to get into Jennings' news conference with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson on Wednesday.

Tibbetts said she wanted to monitor the event, but was told she would not be allowed in.

"No one associated with the campaign has ever encouraged anyone to violate any campaign finance laws," Tibbetts said.

CREW's executive director, Melanie Sloan, said the nonprofit Washington-based group is nonpartisan and is prohibited from coordinating with political candidates. Sloan said her group got involved because reimbursing employees for donations is one of the most serious violations of campaign finance laws. If true, the accusations against Buchanan could result in criminal prosecution, she said.

Doug Lyons, a Tallahassee attorney representing Thomas, as well as former Buchanan employees Carlo Bell and Joe D. Kezer, said he expects to file a total of nine lawsuits against Buchanan in Sarasota and Pasco counties over the next couple of months. "A death by 1,000 cuts," Lyons said.

One of Buchanan's business partners, Darrin Chrisman of Sarasota Ford, came to Buchanan's defense Wednesday by giving the media four signed affidavits from current employees who say they were not pressured to give donations to Buchanan and were not reimbursed.

Jennings, who lost to Buchanan by 369 votes in a contested 2006 election, denied that her campaign has had anything to do with the complaints.

"I do not know these employees," she said. "I have not been out there putting this forth to the public about Vern Buchanan."

But Democrats clearly see the accusations as an advantage. Florida's Democratic Party issued a press release calling on the FBI to investigate the allegations. And Jennings made it clear Wednesday that she would use the accusations to draw a contrast between herself and Buchanan this time around.

She referred to her "great respect for rules and regulations" and noted that as a banker she thought the most important "C" in the five "C's" of lending was "character."

And while Jennings said she does not know if the accusations against Buchanan are true, she praised the accusers.

"These employees that have come forth, I think, deserve a lot of credit for having the courage and the care to step forward," she said.

Jennings faces her own accusations of campaign finance wrongdoing. Independent candidate Jan Schneider, who has run three times as a Democrat for the District 13 seat, filed a lawsuit against the FEC saying the government agency did not act on a complaint she filed against Jennings in March. In that complaint, Schneider alleges that in her 2004 and 2006 District 13 campaigns Jennings diverted payroll taxes for other campaign expenses. Jennings brushed off Schneider's move, saying: "This race is between Vern Buchanan and me."

To that effect, the FEC complaints are not likely to be resolved quickly.

Bob Biersack, a spokesman for the FEC, said the process is "never fast." He said after a complaint is filed, those accused of violations are given a chance to respond.

From there, the FEC staff will review the written statements from both, then make a recommendation to the five-member commission that runs the agency. It takes four members to agree to further investigate a matter.

Sloan said CREW's experience with filing FEC complaints tells her it will be well after the November election before the FEC rules on the issue.