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Johnson Pays $227,000 For Voter Ads, Mailings

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE cwade@tampatrib.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 8, 2008

TAMPA - Taxpayers have pumped more than $227,000 this year into Hillsborough County Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson's controversial voter education campaign.

That figure includes an estimated $100,000 Johnson's office spent on voter registration cards and other materials mailed to Hillsborough's 668,800 voters in the past week.

Johnson's office has contracted with Schifino Lee, a local public relations firm, to create and buy advertising spots and distribute materials bedecked with his face and name.

Those materials include:

•100,000 black ball-point pens. Cost: $23,222.

•25,000 two-sided fans. Cost: $1,290.

•Four table skirts. Cost: $1,095.

Over the past month, Johnson's voice and image have also popped up in ads on television and radio.

In the ads, Johnson introduces himself as the elections supervisor, talks about the new optical-scan voting system and assures voters the Nov. 4 elections will go smoothly.

The funding comes from $325,000 in federal Help America Vote Act grant money and the election supervisor's budget, according to figures provided by Johnson's office.
Schifino Lee has been paid $40,000 to work on the voter campaign.

Critics, including Democrat Phyllis Busansky, who is challenging Johnson for his seat in November, argue that he is using taxpayer money to fuel his re-election campaign.

On Tuesday, Busansky called for Secretary of State Kurt Browning to investigate Johnson's mass mailing of registration cards, including to thousands of residents registered to vote.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

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