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Campaign Contribution Exceeds Limits Again

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By ELLEN GEDALIUS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 26, 2008

Updated: 07/26/2008 12:14 am

  Buddy Johnson

TAMPA - For at least the third time this campaign cycle, Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson will need to return a campaign contribution because the donor appears to have exceeded legal limits.

The donations were made by Bob Clark, a former member of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority.

Clark donated $500 to Johnson's re-election campaign on Sept. 30, according to campaign finance records. Then he wrote a check for $250 on July 1, reports filed Friday show.

According to campaign finance law, a candidate cannot accept a contribution greater than $500 from any one person per election.

Johnson's campaign treasurer, Nancy Watkins, couldn't be reached late Friday. Her husband, Robert, who works with her, said the $250 will be refunded.

Johnson said he would look into the contributions.

"It's supposed to be from a different account, a different corporation," Johnson said. "But if that's the case, it'll be refunded."
Campaign finance laws allow separate $500 donations from an individual and a business.

In this case, however, the campaign finance reports show both contributions coming from Clark as an individual. Both list his home address.

Mark Herron, a Tallahassee-based elections lawyer, said candidates and contributors could face penalties for violating campaign contribution limits. A violation could be considered a misdemeanor, and fines could be imposed.

He said the true test of whether the contribution was in violation can be determined by looking at the checks to see whether they came from the same account. If they did, then the problem would be a matter of campaign reporting.

Clark said the second donation was an oversight and he had forgotten he had contributed to Johnson last year. Clark said both donations came from his personal account.

Last year he was involved in a controversy over the ousting of the authority's attorney and resigned after The Tampa Tribune reported he had failed to reveal a business dealing with an authority contractor that happened after he was appointed to the board.

In April, Johnson returned $500 checks each to Battleview Properties LLC and Battleview Investments Inc. because each company had previously contributed $500 to his campaign.

Johnson, a Republican, was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush in 2003 to fill the unexpired term of Pam Iorio when she ran for mayor of Tampa. He won election in 2004.

He faces Phyllis Busansky, a Democrat, in his re-election bid. The election is Nov. 4.

Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679 or egedalius@tampatrib.com.

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