Update: Out-Of-Office And Still Costing Money

 

BY BUDDY NEVINS

 

 

Former state Rep. Perry Thurston Jr. may be out of office, but he is still costing taxpayers money.

Thurston is appealing a decision by the Division of Elections to deny state matching funds to his campaign for Attorney General.

That’s the campaign Thurston lost on Aug. 26, 2014 – six months ago!

 

Perry_Thurston,_Jr.Perry Thurston Jr.

 

It is not known how much it is costing the state to defend the appeal.

At stake in the appeal is a large amount of money for a campaign that is already history.

Thurston is owed roughly $34,000, according to his Tallahassee attorney Mark Herron. Thurston could use the money to pay bills for services that were contracted based on the assumption he would get the matching funds, the attorney says.

The state handed out $628,441 in matching funds to two Attorney General candidates in 2014 — $328,016 to the winner, Attorney General Pam Bondi and $300,424 to George Sheldon, the Democrat who beat Thurston in the primary.

The state claims Thurston did not file on time the proper documentation that he had collected the $100,000 in donations required for the match. By the time Thurston documented that he had the necessary contributions it was too late because he had already lost the primary, the state contends.

Thurston’s lawyer Herron alleges that the election division made an arbitrary decision to deny the funds because Thurston was defeated.

“They are denying the payment because he got excluded from the race in the primary,”  Herron says. “If he had won, he would have gotten the money.”

The state’s position can be seen here in their lengthy filing for the appeal.

Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, (There was a question whether he really lived in his district) was a House member from 2006-2014 when he was termed out.

 

 



4 Responses to “Update: Out-Of-Office And Still Costing Money”

  1. Talks like a politician says:

    Talk about playing the system! Put “L” for loser on your forehead, Mr. Thurston, and stop plundering taxpayer monies.

  2. C'mon says:

    Obviously, as usual with perry, too stupid and/or lazy to comply with the law. Obviously as the documents show, had he timely showed he qualified for the money he would have received it in early August like the others who got it. He didn’t show he qualified until a couple days before the election.

    Seems obvious, perry Is trying scam the tax payers of Florida for 34k

  3. you must be joking says:

    now he needs to find a real job –
    practice law and try to snare clients? how many years ago did he actually have to do that? maybe some law firm will hire him for his Tally connections.

    separately day late and dollar short so to speak on the filing
    “…The state claims Thurston did not file on time the proper documentation that he had collected the $100,000 in donations required for the match….”

    Can you imagine him as AG missing court deadlines and other responses driven by deadlines and court orders?

    Thank You Pam Bondi.

  4. Lamberti is a Criminal says:

    Go away azzhole.