State Is Investigating Car Dealer's Donations To Council Candidate
(byline from the Tampa Tribune --- see below for entire article)
ANOTHER UPDATE 3-8-07 2:55 P.M. After I posted the below I received two more emails from Ms. Brown but included at the bottom of the emails (THIS TIME) along with her corporate title and six lines of corporate status (although from the SAME EMAIL ADDRESS as yesterday which I did NOT disclose) is some type of warning along the lines of ... CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE. Don't copy this !!! In other words, another veiled threat. Not to copy or distribute or etc ... I'm just wondering --- why was that notice not on her email from yesterday? Is this something new just for me for today? The timing is rather odd considering the emails arrived about ten -- thirty minutes after I posted the below. This is all the time I have for this. I do not like to be threatened.
It should be noted that there has been much revelation about the developer connects of the one and the threatened status of the other due to developers. And that people ARE STILL allowed to formulate and state personal opinions. No matter what George says.
UPDATE: 3-7-07 I am editing the title to this article NOT because I believe it to be misleading but because Ms. Brown felt it was misleading and asked nicely. Well --- AND she also threatened legal action which does not bother me in the least. When she said please it prompted me to call a few folks and ask what they had heard from her and take opinions. People could learn from Ms. Julie Brown. Good surface manners and civility take you places that all the shoving and threats in the world will never accomplish.
However, though it is splitting fine hairs and I took my title exactly from the Tampa Tribune article --- instead of it reading "Julie Brown being investigated for Kuhn donations" --I'll say "Kuhn's Julie Brown Campaign Donations being Investigated" So be it. I'm not sure how you can investigate one half a transaction. He did something wrong, perhaps. Perhaps she went along with it. I think that's all that was said. There's an investigation starting that may lead to an investigation.
Maybe more money will change hands .... who knows?
That's not my fault, now; is it?
UPDATE 3-8-07 I totally DONT GET how ANY candidate can pretend not to know where their money comes from and the lack of propriety therein. Like they are all distant from their bank account. Right. That's beyond belief. And, I am entitled to my opinion.
As well (see below) even though Ms. Brown asked me to 'read the article' -- it's really NOT very clear WHO is being investigated. It IS CLEAR WHAT is being investigated ... it is being investigated that some money changed hands in the midst of a campaign and it was felt to be illegal by more than one person and also not reported on openly by the Tampa Tribune and apparently the complaint bore enough weight to start an investigation. So, money that changed hands between Ms. Brown and Mr. Kuhn and his employees is being investigated by the FDLE. Since both parties participated in this action : one the hand out, the other the hand outstretched --- it would seem that all facets of the cash exchange are being investigated. I guess this could go on all day. It's my personal and humble opinion that ENCAPSULATED in the WHAT is the WHO .... I happen to believe this is an (typical of Hillsborough County) attempt to stifle free speech and truth --- but, like I said, since she asked nicely --- and claimed she was not being investigated --- I am giving her the benefit of the doubt. Short of calling FDLE and seeing exactly WHO is being investigated ....
I DID NOT appreciate it that she apparently cc'd her email to ME to others and I did ask her several questions in a follow-up email which she did not reply to, again typical of others who make threats and then do not respond to queries for clarification.
But, maybe she is busy.
Now, if Jason Kuhn contacts me and says 'this is misleading and I want you to change the title' ..... I'm going to contact the FDLE and see just WHO or WHAT is going on. Because I'm not in the habit of retracting the truth and I won't do it and this is not a retraction. More a favor to someone who asked nicely. Three major columnists at three different major papers covered this issue ... numerous times. I did contact two of them and they have not heard from Julie Brown concerning this issue. Why? Because I am the little guy? hmmmmmm
Or is there a connection between my house and some on her campaign donor list? Subject for another day.
Why did the Tampa Tribune help to keep all this quiet while St Pete Times and Wayne Garcia were covering it? It can't be attributed to lazy journalism in this case because Mr. Poltilove was extremely responsive to my query.
One final note: I did change the title to this article yesterday afternoon, because Ms. Brown stated that SHE is not being investigated. But, then I realized that unless I re-published this in entirety that the URL would forever say what it did previously. As a courtesy, although it is time-consuming; I am 'drafting' the original and re-publishing the entire article with explanation.
Here is the email from Ms. Brown: (I left out her email address as it appears to be her work email)
Subject: Please re-phrase title
Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2007 15:41:41 -0500
From: "Brown, Julie"
View Contact Details Add Mobile Alert
To: fairy_taletrash@yahoo.com
Please remove the heading to the attached article you posted on your website http://tampasbackdoor.blogspot.com/2007/02/julie-brown-being-investigated-for-kuhn.html.
It is inaccurate and is misleading. I AM NOT being investigated for Kuhn donations. Read the story which you posted. I will seek legal action if you do not remove it at once. Thank you.
Julie Brown, Esquire
Cellular phone: (removed)
Here is my email in reply:
Wed, 7 Mar 2007 13:31:14 -0800 (PST)
From: "Fairy Tale Trash" View Contact Details Add Mobile Alert
Subject: Re: Please re-phrase title
To: "Brown, Julie"
Dear Ms. Brown, I took the title straight from the Tampa Tribune. Are you saying that your campaign is not being investigated currently or that you were not being investigated at the time of the posting of the below referenced article (both articles referenced in this email communication as we published on the same day?) Because I took my heading precisely from what I read in the Tampa Tribune as quoted exactly in the article. Which states:
State Is Investigating Car Dealer's Donations To Council Candidate
Skip directly to the full story.
As well, since this piece of email went directly to my bulk mail folder where it was THIS CLOSE to being trashed away ... or lost after seven days this means you cc'd it to others. I would like to know who you cc'd it to. I believe if you intend to take legal action you should do better than that or you would have no proof that I ever received your email ... and as I said, it nearly got deleted. Then what? You would be assuming I would be ignoring your request when nothing could be further from the truth.
Also I would inquire as to what would please you for the article heading as I have an idea in mind but would like to know your preference before I edit it?
I believe I should view the mention of legal action as a threat but since you did say please I am perfectly willing to listen and perhaps I am mistaken and you did not mean it as a threat, at all.
Email communication is very difficult that way. Thank you for the communication and I look forward to your reply.
UPDATE: Ms. Brown, I just had a brief conversation with another party to this and believe I understand the nature of your problem with the heading. However, I would appreciate clarification from you as I would not like to set a precedent by changing some writings because someone threatens me. That's the nature of politics and journalism as accepted by all players, I guess. Sad but true.
Again, I look forward to your clarification and preference.
You should know that there are many places on the web where people revealed alot more about you than you'll find on my site or on sticks. They speak of your marriage, your connections, etc ... at any rate, this could be an endless task for you to threaten legal action where you felt you were wronged ...
people had plenty to say about this matter ...
TO WHICH I RECEIVED NO REPLY.
Not only did I re-title at her request, upon her word that she is not being investigated; I entirely re-published the article so that the URL would not read the original way, even though it was not requested -- as a courtesy.
It will be interesting to see how the chips fall.
By JOSH POLTILOVE The Tampa Tribune
Published: Feb 20, 2007
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State Is Investigating Car Dealer's Donations To Council Candidate
By JOSH POLTILOVE The Tampa Tribune
Published: Feb 20, 2007
TAMPA - With almost $115,000 in her campaign coffers, first-time candidate Julie Brown is helping drive the most expensive race for Tampa City Council.
Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 835-2105.
ADDENDUM:
ROAD TO CITY HALL
Host Pulls Switcheroo
A builder's Tampa City Council fundraiser on Monday afternoon is expected to have a surprise guest: District 4 candidate Julie Brown.
Originally her opponent, incumbent John Dingfelder, was invited to attend the fundraising event along with one other candidate from each city council race. But Brown was called Monday morning and invited to attend instead of Dingfelder.
"I'm just excited by the positive change and support," she said.
Brown said she had no idea why Riverview builder Charles "Bing" Kearney changed his mind and invited her instead. (Kearney is VERY CLOSE with Sheriff David Gee and I'm not sure but suspect this could have a bit of influence on events I have highlighted in my blog)
Messages left at Kearney's office were not returned Monday.
At the fundraising event, $500 donations are suggested for each candidate. (isn't this getting redundant????)
Josh Poltilove
I just wanted to ruminate on this: WHY IS IT that the cheerful employees of Kuhn can be reached for their delighted opines but that major players such as Kuhn and Kearney canNOT? That's kinda odd, huh?? You'd think they'd want to get their position out there, eh?? AND from Wayne Garcia at Blurbex
Posted by Vox Populi at 2/20/2007 06:23:00 AM
REPOSTED MARCH 8, 2007 12:15pm
Labels: maybe going downtown julie and jason
ach: I'll have to remember to update pertaining to my conversation with Josh Poltilove. Then I see that Wayne Garcia points out that the dollar amt. (though readily accessible HERE) was left out of Tampa Trib article by Josh Poltilove. Kinda explains my conversation with Josh.....