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Governor Requested To Appoint Special Prosecutor In Campaign Sign Case
July 30, 2010
State Attorney Bill Eddins is requesting that Gov. Charlie Crist appoint a special prosecutor from Panama City to investigate an alleged campaign sign theft case.
Once approved by the governor, the State Attorney’s Office in Panama City will decide if any charges will be filed in connection with an incident last week where Florida House District 1 candidate Greg Brown was videotaped removing campaign signs belonging to his opponent, Doug Broxson.
Eddins requested that the investigation be transferred away from his office due to a potential conflict of interest. Eddins said in his letter to Crist that a longtime employee in his office is a close family relative to Broxson, and Eddins’ stepson has been employed by Brown’s father for a number of year. [Click here to read Eddins' letter to Crist.]
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is expected to complete their investigation into the incident as early as today and present their findings to the State Attorney’s Office.
Using a night-vision camera, Broxson’s campaign videotaped Brown and his wife Jennifer removing campaign signs belonging to Doug Broxson. Brown has not denied that he and his wife removed Broxson’s signs, but he calls the entire situation a “masterminded set up”.
The video has sound, with Brown and his wife caught speaking. The volume of the conversation is very low; however, text superimposed on the video suggest what is being said.
“Is that good?” the video alleges that Jennifer Brown said after removing signs.
“Wait…your fingerprints are still on the ones laying down,” the video claims Brown responded.
Brown said he had permission from the property owner to remove the signs, but Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser records appear to show the signs were nearly 200 feet from private property. Brown said he “was totally under the impression” that the signs removed from the intersection were on private property.
Brown and Broxson are two of the four Republican candidates seeking the District 1 House seat. Ricky Perritt and Ferd Salomon are also seeking the post. Florida House District 1 includes the northern two-thirds of Escambia County, most of Santa Rosa County and a portion of Okaloosa County. The seat is being vacated by Greg Evers who is running for Florida Senate District 2.
Perritt was arrested on felony drug charges, including trafficking, Monday night. Perritt said he is still a viable candidate in the race.
Comments
22 Responses to “Governor Requested To Appoint Special Prosecutor In Campaign Sign Case”
REGARDING:
“Then Ricky Perritt, another political outsider, is arrested for allegedly defrauding some pharmacies into allowing him to purchase the EXACT amount of prescription medication that he and his wife were supposed to have for the conditions that they suffer from. Huh?”
Are you really saying he really needed all that medication but all the doctors withheld it? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THOSE HEARTLESS DOCTORS????
If he does need that much chemical help to function, how well will he function in office?
Even if he can function perfectly in office with enough dope in his system, should he be in office while breaking the law on a daily basis?
Yes, it is political as well as criminal because he chose to go into politics and it looks like he decided to go into crime.
David for informed voters
What we need is an end to the politically motivated prosecutions around here. First we have Gene Valentino charged with asking for money while in his government office. While I agree, Valentino is an incumbent, he is still outside the good ol’ boy network. The only witness to his alleged misdeeds, Dan Gilmore who is listed as a fund raising chair for George Touart, Valentino’s political opponent. For some reason no one thinks that this is suspicious.
Then Ricky Perritt, another political outsider, is arrested for allegedly defrauding some pharmacies into allowing him to purchase the EXACT amount of prescription medication that he and his wife were supposed to have for the conditions that they suffer from. Huh?
Does the states attorney find this odd? Nope, it full speed ahead.
But wait, we have an issue between two good ol’ boys regarding some yard signs. It seems that the good ol’ states attorney has decided that he better recuse himself to avoid the look of impropriety since all of these good ol’ boys, including the good ol’ States Attorney, have good ol’ family members that work in each others good ol’ offices.
So, he is going to recuse himself on a 3rd degree misdemeanor BUT he is going to go full speed ahead on the felony case against Ricky Perritt. Nothing odd about that, right.
Now, the word on the street is that there may even be a speed bump in the case against Valentino. Shocking!
I guess that if you are a good ol’ boy, things just mysteriously go your way. Your opponents just HAPPEN to find themselves in legal hot water just before the election and wouldn’t you know it there is no way to clear your name until after the election.
I guess that it is no different than we are used to, but it is amazing what you can get used to.
REGARDING:
” Broxson is the muck slinger by going posting the video evidence on YouTube before a criminal investigation could be completed.”
To do so would be to withhold factual information from the voters. It wouldn’t be to withhold rumor or innuendo.
I get the impression some are simply looking at the matter from a legal/criminal viewpoint. I suspect Mr. Broxson is mostly interested in the political viewpoint rather than worrying about winning a few hundred dollars in compensation at best but losing the election. (Which he still may lose.)
He felt no reason to do a criminal investigation to know if his son accurately recorded the actions of one of his opponents. For all I know the recording would not even be admissible in court. Nonetheless, he surely considered it something the voters should know about. (Do you think the information should have been withheld from the voters?)
If he is slinging muck (muck: rubbish, something that is distasteful, disgusting, manure), the opponent generated the muck in the first place. I’m not even sure if “muck” applies but he definitely showed a person not acting at his best. Pity is appropriate but respect is not so much due.
I hope he regains his respect and standing in the future.
David wishing people wouldn’t drag loved ones down
Actually I’m not mad at any of the canidates, just disappointed in how they are acting in the public arenia. I’ve already said it in other post on other stories that Brown is a thief as demonstrated on the “sneaky” video and Broxson is the muck slinger by going posting the video evidence on YouTube before a criminal investigation could be completed. Both are about equal in my book – sorry as two old yard dogs that get into your chickens.
“Oversight” it’s sad that instead of being mad with Greg Jr for stealing signs you are mad at Broxson’s campaign for reporting it to law enforcement and the community which needs to know that the hard-earned money his supporters have been contributing to his campaign was basically being stolen away sign by sign by thieves, including an opponent caught on tape.
If he’ll steal signs, just imagine what he would do if he actually had some power…….
In response to “louis,”
Broxson could have taken the high road and turned his “video evidence” to the sheriff’s office for an investigation, but instead he chose to take the low route down in the in the pig wallow by putting his film on YouTube. So, no I don’t see Broxson being any better than Brown or even the arrested Perritt for the way he has conducted himself.
Again, when people are running for office they should be careful of what they do, Mr. Brown for instance. There was only one thing missing in this video to make them look like the theives they were and that was masks on their facees. Look at the video, they were running back and forth to their sign (Brown sign) and touching it every time a car would come by like they were putting out one of their signs. Sneaking around just like theives in the night. Since they were stealing signs, the Browns, just what kind of honest state representative do you think he would make? Why did he hook up with Bo Johnson, who along with his wife spent time in jail for stealing from the government. Birds of a feather flocked to gether. Did Bo Johnson show him the ropes?
Having just read the Florida Constitution in preparation of my YouTube debut, I notice it spells out right to privacy in two places as mentioned elsewhere. The first forbids governmental intrusion into privacy. The second deals with the privacy rights of minors.
I am saddened to realize neither actually deals with the very real threat of nongovernmental types callously recording my conversations while vandalizing the property of others while trespassing. For that, we have to turn to statutes.
To truly address the danger, we really need a separate law authorizing the destruction of other people’s property with impunity from observation and/or recording. That way there will be no doubt we favor such actions.
[NOTE: If any of these Browns are any relation to Kathy, I renounce any denunciation of the vandalism, not because I agree with it but just because I don’t want her mad at me.]
David covering his bases
To Mr. “oversight” Why don’t you know the facts before you comment. Mr. Broxson has been having signs stolen ever since he starting putting them out. Mr Broxson has not done anything illegal. If you had had your property stolen and stolen would you want to know who was doing the stealing. Would you not do just what he did and wait and try to find the thief. Mr. Broxson is a fine, descent, christian man and you are judging him for protecting his property. You are putting him the same place as Brown who was stealing signs and any body with one eye and half sense can see from the video what he was doing, and you are putting him in Mr. Perritt place who has been arrested for pill shopping. Why are you blaming Mr. Broxson for this he has done nothing like this. He was just trying to protect his property.
David you rock, man!!! TOO FUNNY!!!
“For Real” went totally emo on pnj, too. Why reason when you can just attack so much easier? Lol!
After reading what “For Real” has to say, I’m going to take my surveillance cameras down right now. They have only caught one crook…oops I mean person stealing something off my carport in the past couple of years. Besides every time the cat jumps up on the shelf he sets off the motion detector and I get a recording of him cleaning or scratching himself.
REGARDING:
“publish your address and I’m sure someone will be happy to eaves drop on you and put it on YouTube.”
It’s in the phone book and the post at the end of the drive on Bluff Springs Road reads 151 THE GREENS if it’ll make you happy. (Will I get royalties?)
I see you don’t make any distinction between what you do at home and what you do while sneaking around at night and trespassing on other people’s property. It takes all kinds to fill the world.
AND
“Have you EVER read the Florida Constitution? Have you looked at the Florida Statutes?”
Nope, I depend on you to keep me informed. Nor am I as concerned as you believe I should be.
Neither party strikes me as worthy of a position of public trust even though one is the candidate himself and the other is simply his caring brother.
I’m not as concerned with the legal niceties as you are. I’m amused at how someone is shown vandalizing the property of others and wanting to be put in a position of public trust. I’m amused at how he–and you–think all the blame should fall on the one who recorded his misdeeds. I don’t know if he’s stupid or if he thinks the good people of Santa Rosa County are.
In my legal and philosophical ignorance, I’m not as upset with recording what people say while trespassing as I obviously should be. As far as I’m concerned the legislators outlawed such recordings to keep themselves from being found out as easily as they might–and should–be.
I could be wrong though, ignorant as I am.
David contemplating my own ignorance
and coming fame on YouTube
“Brown said he ‘was totally under the impression’ that the signs removed from the intersection were on private property.”
Ignorance of the law is no excuse!
They may not be able to ascertain exactly how many signs he and/or his wife stole from Broxson, but does any one know how many were recovered in Brown’s garage???
I think the signs cost about $10 each. If Mr. Broxson has had a hundred or so stolen that puts it up around $1,000? That’s a lot of campaign contributions down the drain! I imagine the financial backers of his campaign are justifiably furious! If there’s a victim in this, it is them!
Last post should have quoted poster “David Huie Green”. Sorry for any confusion re the missing quotation marks. I obviously did not agree with the first paragraph of my last post and included it for reference.
ABSOLUTELY! If they go after HIM for vandalizing other people’s property, they might go after ME the next time I decide to vandalize other people’s property.
David all shook up with worry
Have you EVER read the Florida Constitution? Have you looked at the Florida Statutes? What’s good for the goose… One is a felony. One is a second degree misdemeanor. If we are going to start this, then there is enough justice to go around. I for one and concerned about my constitutional rights, but publish your address and I’m sure someone will be happy to eaves drop on you and put it on YouTube.
So the Santa Rosa County Sheriff says the potato is to hot and drops in the State Attorney’s lap for a decision, and what do you know, it’s to hot for him too and he can’t do it either! We’re only talking a minor theft of a couple of campaign signs here. Broxson must be going after the juggler on Brown otherwise this would have never gotten this far. Thanks old buddy Brox… you’re a piece of work wasting our tax dollars by going after charges on Brown. You’d think that Broxson would have been happy with the bad press Brown got. Again, NO THANKS and I won’t vote for either one!
I don’t live in that area and can’t vote in this election. But I have one question. Does Santa Rosa County and the state of Florida have so much extra money lying around that they want to spend a bunch of it hiring a special prosecutor to investigate a man and his wife stealing campaign signs? At least they weren’t out dealing drugs. This is almost as entertaining as a Century Council Meeting.
REGARDING:
“This is our constitution people! Our rights! If you let them be trampled on no matter if you like the candidate and his wife or not, they can be trampled in the future – maybe when it is you or someone you do like whose privacy is being invaded!”
ABSOLUTELY! If they go after HIM for vandalizing other people’s property, they might go after ME the next time I decide to vandalize other people’s property.
David all shook up with worry
HA! Did you get your law degree in the mail? You do know that you must analyze a “reasonable expectation of privacy” right? You don’t have one where you are a trespasser, you don’t have one when you are in a public road in a busy place where drug deals are known to frequently take place, you don’t have one a public meeting. Pretty good chance you have a subjective expectation and theat society (meaning the public interest, not your opinion) will recognize that right where a husband and wife are speaking privately to one another in a secluded location. You are dead wrong and the illegal intercept of a private conversation violates the Florida Constitution and is a FELONY. One would think that you would put more emphasis on a constitutionally protected right to privacy (it is mentioned at least 2 places in the Fla. Const.) rather than on an accusation of petit theft, a second degree misdemeanor. This is our constitution people! Our rights! If you let them be trampled on no matter if you like the candidate and his wife or not, they can be trampled in the future – maybe when it is you or someone you do like whose privacy is being invaded! Think about the big picture, and not just a political race. These things have ramifications beyond just this candidate, this race, and these accusations.
Under the statute Fla. Stat. ch. 934.03, consent is not required for the taping of a non-electronic communication uttered by a person who does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in that communication. See definition of “oral communication,” Fla. Stat. ch. 934.02. See also Stevenson v. State, 667 So.2d 410 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1996); Paredes v. State, 760 So.2d 167 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2000).
I’m not sure why the state would pursue a charge in this case since the signs were illegally placed in the public right of way to begin with, and surely Broxson forfeited ownership of the signs when they were haphazardly placed there and he should have expected that code enforcement would remove his signs anyway. Look at it this way, Brown was doing Santa Rosa a public service by getting ahead of the eight ball so the county wouldn’t have to pay for the removal! Either way, charge Brown or not, I’m not going to vote for him or any of the others in the laughable trio of Brown, Broxson, and Perritt (sounds like it could be a lawyer’s office) because neither is worthy of representing us as demonstrated by each one’s actions.