FBI seeks voter ad records

Federal authorities requested financial documents this week from a Tampa advertising firm hired by then-Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson to help educate voters during last year's election.

FBI officials went to Schifino Lee Advertising + Branding on Monday to request copies of invoices and other records related to work performed by the firm, sources familiar with the situation said.

The FBI launched its investigation two months ago into financial dealings by Johnson while he was in office. Johnson spent nearly $2 million last year on an expansive voter education campaign that included his hiring multiple consultants, in part to help target black and Hispanic voters.

Schifino Lee was hired by Johnson's office to spearhead overall community outreach and voter education. Documents show that the firm billed the supervisor's office for more than $618,000 in work, including print and radio advertisements, direct mail advertisements and online Web site and e-mail notices.

Johnson did not return a call for comment Wednesday.

Ben Lee, principal of the advertising firm, said his company was hired through a public bid process.

"Everything we created was approved and authorized by the office of supervisor of elections," Lee said. "We are pleased to provide copies of all projects, deliverables and invoices."

Johnson spent about $944,000 in federal Help America Vote Act funds, plus $1 million in county money, on the education campaign. One reason was to inform people about the change in voting machines from touch-screen to optical scan.

Much of the education effort prominently featured Johnson, prompting critics to say he had used taxpayer dollars to enhance his visibility. Federal voter education funds cannot be used to campaign for office.

Johnson's office hired other consultants, outside of Schifino Lee, to help reach black and Hispanic voters.

One of those, Michelle B. Patty, who owns a legal and medical referral service, received more than $16,000 in October to do outreach in the black community. There is nothing on file with the supervisor's office to show how she spent the bulk of the money.

She was accused last month of paying $100 to at least one woman to stand outside a polling precinct on Election Day to stump for Johnson. Patty denied the allegation, but refused to comment further.

Johnson was defeated in November by Phyllis Busansky. He left office in January with a budget deficit in the millions.

In February, FBI agents visited the accounting firm Ernst & Young and subpoenaed documents related to an audit of Johnson's office that the company released Feb. 3. The audit was highly critical of Johnson's fiscal management of the office and concluded he violated state law by overspending his budget by nearly $1 million.

In March, the Florida Department of State requested another audit to look specifically at how Johnson spent the federal funds his office received.