In Just Three Weeks, Demo Boss Mitch Ceasar Matches Four Opponents’ Fund Raising
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Longtime Broward Democratic boss Mitch Ceasar’s campaign received $50,093 during his first three weeks of campaigning for Broward Clerk of the Courts.
In addition to $30,000 he kicked in himself, Ceasar got $1,000 from the campaign of U. S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fl, and $500 from Gerald Mager, a retired Florida Court of Appeals judge. The contribution from Hastings, Florida’s veteran black congressman, is interesting since three of Ceasar’s opponents are black.
Between Aug. 10-31, Ceasar raised and loaned himself as much as his four opponents have in months of campaigning.
Mitch Ceasar: Fund-raising success
Elizabeth McHugh, an administrator in the Public Defender’s Office, has raised $30,400, while Brenda Forman, wife of the current clerk, has $20,080 in donations.
Two other candidates report no contributions – Shandrell Roscoe and Rubin Young.
Ceasar is running to replace Clerk Howard Forman, who is retiring next year. The Democratic chief has taken a leave from his leadership of the party until after the August 2016 primary.
September 9th, 2015 at 2:07 pm
Are you going to mention that he gave himself 30k or is that not important?
FROM BUDDY:
It’s in the second paragraph.
September 9th, 2015 at 5:00 pm
Money will help not has much as other campaigns. Clerk is very low visibility and nobody cares about it. Name ID is more important thus Ceasar has a real lead in this.
September 9th, 2015 at 7:20 pm
Ceasar loaning himself $30K isn’t the full extent of his self-love. He also donated $100 to himself, and his wife Donnie Ceasar donated another $1K. In all, Ceasar and his wife provided $31,100, nearly all of which is a self-loan.
Self-loans should be viewed very skeptically. Since candidates generally want their campaigns to actually pay back every penny of these self-loans, the odds that the campaign will spend any of that self-loan money tend to be rather small. The main use of self-loans is simply as an accounting trick to puff up the numbers.
Here, the self-loan greatly exceeds the “real” contributions, and if we also exclude the contributions from people named Ceasar, it becomes even clearer that Ceasar’s fan club consists mainly of himself.
FROM BUDDY:
Elizabeth McHugh also lent her campaign money — $12,000 of her $30k. In addition, at least two relatives gave $1,000 apiece. There is $500 from Al Schreiber, the former Public Defender now living in Texas.
Brenda Forman put in $2,500 of her own. Interestingly, she has a lot of money from special interests — $10k from Pennsylvania collection agencies, $2,000 from Republican donor Rick Case’s auto dealerships and $2,000 from Ron Book, a big-time lobbyist.
Raising money for a clerk’s campaign is very hard for two simple reasons:
* The office has very low visibility. It isn’t perceived important to anybody but lawyers and judges.
* The Clerk doesn’t have a lot of money to spend beyond salaries. So business folks very little potential for gaining favors by donating money to the Clerk (Although collection agencies could be an exception to this.).
Lobbyist Ron Book gave Brenda Forman $2,000, but I would guess that it was for old times sake. Book and Forman’s husband go back a long way. Howard Forman, the current clerk, was a Democratic senator for years and Book is a Tallahassee lobbyist.
September 10th, 2015 at 12:12 am
“The contribution from Hastings, Florida’s veteran black congressman, is interesting since three of Ceasar’s opponents are black.”
Does that qualify Hastings as a “Coon”? Better not tell McLawrence.
September 10th, 2015 at 10:44 am
Mr Ha Ha Ha would complain if Mr Cesar raised 32 K from lawyers so if Mr Cesar lent himself 30 K why not say he’s mostly self-financing? And that is a Virtue!
September 11th, 2015 at 7:27 am
A candidate running for office who puts their own money into their campaign is to be commended. That person is truly putting their money where their mouth is. The late Governor Lawton Chiles limited contributions to $100.00 dollars. I am sure their is some bundling of monies but at the very least it was a wholesome idea that gave a working stiff skin in the game. Instead big special interest money given to the politician actually buys access. Who’s kidding who when a politician takes large contributions from special interest and who tells us that money does not influence how he or she votes or governs is whistling Dixie by the grave yard. The old saying “money is the Mother’s milk of politics” hits it right on the head. Money buys access and power. Career politicians who go from political job to political office apparently in hopes of beating term limits and salvaging their political careers are the norm of the day. I believe the founding Fathers wanted a citizen legislature serving a term or public need and then going back to their regular job or profession. Perhaps those who seek out public office would do so to serve a public need not to embellish a political career. This is surely a “pie in the sky” hope but at least we can hope in a free America.