Is Ken Hagan using Buddy Johnson tactics?

A potential political opponent of Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan is making hay of a flier Hagan is handing out to county residents. Hagan now represents northern Hillsborough on the commission. But he’s running for a countywide seat in 2010. His fliers are showing up in South Tampa.

One landed on the South Tampa door of City Council member Mary Mulhern, who is considering a run against Hagan in 2010. That prompted Mulhern’s husband, marketing consultant Cameron Dilley, to send out an e-mail to reporters questioning who paid for the fliers and suggesting that they’re campaign pieces masquerading as community outreach.

The e-mail subject line reads "Buddy-style Hagen (sic) Fliers - Who paid?” drawing a comparison to former Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson, who featured his own image prominently on voter education pieces paid for with federal grant money. Those pieces are now part of an FBI investigation of Johnson’s spending. Read the e-mail here (PDF).

Hagan’s fliers identify him as chairman of the County Commission, include the county logo and county services phone numbers and a tear-off card soliciting opinions on mass transit and budget cuts. He said his legislative aides, family and friends are handing out the doorhangers, and he cleared them with the county attorney.

Distributing the pieces countywide surely will help Hagan’s campaign. And if the piece was paid for with campaign money, presenting it as county business would be illegal.

But Hagan said he paid about $1,000 out of his own pocket for the fliers. He said he did a similar piece in 2003, and that was paid for with county money. He decided not to do that this time, he said.

“With the budget crisis we’re in, it wouldn’t be appropriate to use taxpayer dollars,” he said.

Hagan said the piece is “completely constituent service oriented.”

“It’s a shame that you can be criticized for doing constituent service,” he said.

Janet Zink, Times Staff Writer

Comments

[Ned]

Did it show up anywhere else in South Tampa? Sounds like Mulhern's hubby is fabricating a bit of hype.

[Nod]

Every elected politician in Tampa Bay does this in one for or another. Stop picking and choosing and GET THEM ALL!

[Susan S]

This piece seems like a clear violation of campaign finance laws to me. My friend got a similar flier (clearly labeled as campaign literature) from Hagan's aide, Rich Reidy, who is running for HD 47. If Reidy is using it for campaigning, how can Hagan deny that he is doing the same?

And can Hagan use the county logo without permission and without a disclaimer from the county?

Gotta love the audacity of the Republicans. They think they are above the law and that no one will call them on it.

[Tom]

The Republicans are not above the law - they are the law.

[Gene]

Oh dang, Susan… and you were doing so well up to the point where you assert that democraps are somehow less advanced criminals than republicons.

[Cam (my wife does not love me enough to take my name) Dilley]

Cam,
If you are going to criticize someone for a typo maybe you should learn to spell his name correctly.

[Sybil]

I see a complaint being filed with the State Elections folks to get this investigation started.

[Junior]

Hysterically funny! Maybe we can name the moral courage award after Hagan now.

[Susan S]

4:58 PM,
It's the 21st century, not the mid 20th.

The fact that you don't seem to realize that explains a lot.

[Tampa P.O. Box]

You should see the four color glossy brochure Cong. Castor mailed to all . . .and, yes, cut my property taxes.

[Jon]

Ken Hagan is clearly violating campaign law. As he says, his prior piece was paid for by the county - exactly! Ken Hagan has no more right to use the county logo than you or I unless the piece is paid for by the County and is official county business. If it is not "official" county business, then it is a campaign piece - which it clearly is. Hagan needs to pay for his campaign piece with his campaign funds and do a proper disclaimer as a candidate.

He knows he is violating the law and if he doesn't we should all question his ability to hold office as a County Commissioner. What other laws does he so casually dismiss? He is not even putting these pieces out in his district. If the County Attorney approved these, it is because she is too beholden (remember he can vote to have her fired) to render an independent legal opinion.

[Mark Ferguson]

oh how the mighty have fallen. You give enough rope to someone that is corrupt and they hang themselves. This does not surprise me one bit.

[MenckenJr]

What do you expect? The Republicans in this area have caught hubris faster and to a greater degree than the Democrats ever did. Hagan is just the latest symptom of a statewide disease.

[Whit Chambers]

Hubris is their worst trip-up. What some seem to miss is that South Tampa is not Hagan's constituents. Rose Ferlita ably serves them now. So, it is an obvious campaign ploy for 2010. Hagan and his staff totally ignore many emails, including mine, but Reidy will actually reply and argue with you. He has done this over the years to both me and my daughter in North Tampa. So much for sincerely wanting to draw out our opinions. The use of the County logo and his staff's participation needs to be investigated thoroughly. Shades of Buddy Johnson and that old devil named "Hubris"........

[Owen]

In an obvious "realignment and adjustment" for upcoming elections, Hagan is now distancing himself from the Ralph Hughes Award, changed from the Moral Courage Award this past year. In a very public fit of pique, Hagan tossed a returned award into his trashcan, showing his allegiance to Ralph Hughes, his sugardaddy. Norman, Higginbotham and all the other commissioners just sat and watched. That day spoke volumes to me about the man behind the politics.

[Alyce]

Ned: What a hokey thing to suggest that Mulhern's husband is hyping this. Do you think that an entire staff of Haganites went only to Mulhern's house to place the offending literature on her door? It is being placed all over South Tampa.

Any citizen who values democracy in our county and state should seriously scrutinize locals Hagan, Higginbotham, and Norman as they pursue political stations. I'm a republican myself, leaning toward being libertarian, but these guys are et up with both crooked and legal moneymen behind the scenes. Dibbs, Roy Davis, and many large landowners are our enemies, and they have the ears of some of our commissioners. VOTE them out!!!