Gibbons campaign says candidate's license was never suspended
The Deveron Gibbons campaign reacted to a Politifact ruling about Gibbons' driving record Saturday by saying Gibbons' license has never been suspended. As proof, Gibbons campaign manager Nick Hansen provided the St. Petersburg Times with a letter from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The letter, which you can read here, indeed suggests Gibbons' license was never suspended in the state.
The letter is at odds with much more complete Pinellas County records, which record seven different license suspensions, all for either failing to pay a fine, not attending a defensive driving course, or failing to renew a vehicle registration.
At first blush, it appears that either the county records are wrong, or the letter is a mistake.
Look for an update once governments reopen Monday.
UPDATE: We're continuing to examine the driving record of Deveron Gibbons and the seeming discrepancies between state and county records. We hope to have more on the story soon. Stay tuned.
Aaron Sharockman, Times Staff Writer
From the writers of the St. Petersburg Times, Bay Buzz offers the latest news on Tampa Bay politics. This is a public forum sponsored and maintained by the St. Petersburg Times. When you post comments here, what you say becomes public and could appear in the newspaper. You are not engaging in private communication with candidates or Times staffers.
How can anyone believe that the voters will elect someone who has consistently demonstrated such disregard for the law and immaturity. Gibbons doesn't consider the consequences of his actions, which is also reflected by his two illegitimate children.
He may make it through the primary but will be killed in the general election. This is the formula for someone like Ford to become our next mayor.
Posted by: Wazzup | July 05, 2009 at 09:55 AM
The law and order Republicans will just love Devron.
Posted by: True Blue | July 05, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Sandy Lambert is as politically connected as it gets, so Im not surprised to see this letter.
But, why inquire for this letter if there you didn't think your license was ever suspened. And look at the code words "for non-compliance with statute"...doesn't mean it wasn't suspended for not paying fines, which is what the county records indicate.
Posted by: saintpetersblog | July 05, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Peter destroyed Bennett. He pretty much destroyed Gibbons today. This story, right after the payday lender story, will be devestating.
He leaks poll numbers, disrupts rallies, uses his blog to discredit anyone who disagrees with him, has the Times running stories on its PolitiFact, files complaints, etc.
Single-handedly reshaping this race.
Posted by: Schorsch is...good or bad? | July 05, 2009 at 11:30 AM
I am doing what we should all be doing...paying attention to this race.
Posted by: saintpetersblog | July 05, 2009 at 11:48 AM
Peter, you are taking away attention from the mayor's race (and wasting the time of those that are gainfully employed and who would prefer to focus on the important issues in the mayor's race).
Are we to believe that you - out of the principled spirit of democracy - turned Bennett in for all the shenanigans as a service to the people of St. Petersburg? Or were you caught and then reverted to acting like a child trying to falsely distance yourself from anything that was happening with Bennett? Bennett had no knowledge of what Peter was doing! Peter had no knowledge of what Bennett was doing! Oh the humanity! I don't know which of you are worse - Bennett for letting a felon volunteer or you for acting like you had no involvement in the childish actions of the campaign. But that’s you - no accountability. No involvement. Just sitting back and typing away from the sidelines …
- You think it's just Curran and Polson that think you're a joke? Wow. I guess you're naive too.
- How much of your readership is due to you being a car wreck? A lot of people look at a wrecked car as they drive past - but no one thinks they should emulate the people that got in the wreck ... Don't mistake readership with respect or content interest.
I'll take your childish responses as an acknowledgement that the truth hurts …
Posted by: Sopher | July 05, 2009 at 01:45 PM
To whim it may concern,
Deveron Gibbons' license has never been suspended.
Posted by: Ebstine's Mother | July 05, 2009 at 01:46 PM
The truth doesn't hurt. Because you are far from being an arbiter of the truth.
No, what I am saying is, I don't care about what the City Council thinks. Who in this town doesn't think the entire City Council is a joke?
Who, for that matter, doesn't think this entire blog, this entire race isn't a joke.
Yes, I completely sold Bennett down the river the moment he tried to dump that ticket debacle on me. But no, I would have certainly kept up with all of the frat guy tricks, if for nothing more than my own amusement.
Because let me tell you, there was nothing funnier than watching homeless people come out to Kathleen Ford and ask her for a $1. That look on her face was hilarious.
And this damage with the license is done. Someone else should have had the cojones to post Deveron's record, but they didn't so I did. Im sure the Times had to hold its nose, but so what? Foster and Ford have the articles they need to launch their direct mail.
And my blog is what it is because it's the best material in town.
Bennett's down, Deveron's done. Wonder who will be next...
Posted by: saintpetersblog | July 05, 2009 at 01:56 PM
That letter had better be real; otherwise, someone is in serious trouble. Either way, it looks like someone is lying, or badly mistaken. This should play all the way out, based on the pure dichotomy of the offerings.
Posted by: 'sayin | July 05, 2009 at 01:59 PM
'saying, I only looked into Deveron's record because I had heard he told Go Davis, his finance team, etc., his license had been suspended, but only once.
I think the main point of that letter is the qualifier "non-compliance with statutes". That qualifier doesn't preclude his license being suspend for not paying fines, etc.
I think Nick Hansen, as is typical, made a huge mistake by, now daring the Times to look further into Deveron Gibbons' driving record.
Posted by: saintpetersblog | July 05, 2009 at 02:30 PM
Peter,
Great job showing us the truth behind some of these candidates. Please keep it going, but try to leave at least one of them for us to vote for. Thanks!
St. Petersburg resident.
Posted by: Go Peter! | July 05, 2009 at 02:35 PM
It makes me sick that the Times is taking its cues from some angry dead beat. I hope the Times can become self sufficient, not just spoon fed stories from a wildly biased and unstable felon.
Posted by: sickened | July 05, 2009 at 03:10 PM
Whatever the reason, Peter is doing a tremendous job in this election showing us the facts about what's really wrong with Deveron.
Posted by: Keep it up! | July 05, 2009 at 03:22 PM
I don't use fake names; I don't have to. I don't fraternize with Aaron or Cristina, but they read my blog for the same reason you do.
But keep this up. I just get stronger from every blog post.
Posted by: saintpetersblog | July 05, 2009 at 04:06 PM
Politics and Felons go together. I don't care where the info comes from.
Posted by: shuturyap | July 05, 2009 at 04:10 PM
Correction: You become more of a car wreck with every one of your posts.
What's really amusing is that you have no idea who the people are that rip on you on these ridiculous blogs. So many people know you as a fraud that you would have no chance of even narrowing it down. That must suck.
Sorry - I cannot keep responding to you. I have a job and need to get ready for work tomorrow. Have fun typing in your mom's house. Maybe someday you can start chipping in and paying some of the bills yourself. Fraud.
Posted by: Sopher | July 05, 2009 at 04:12 PM
Sopher, you're making quite a difference. You keep grindin' away, making that rent. Ill be by the pool.
Posted by: saintpetersblog | July 05, 2009 at 04:15 PM
Who cares how the information gets delivered, as long as it gets delivered.
I have no idea who I am going to vote for. I know who I am not going to vote for.
Posted by: shuturyap | July 05, 2009 at 04:18 PM
Larry Williams is looking better and better
Posted by: oldtimer | July 05, 2009 at 05:02 PM
thats the latest from those IN THE KNOW. Holding hands discretely at Bella Brava.
Posted by: Scorsch&Edwards in love? | July 05, 2009 at 06:09 PM
Did anyone else catch the state letter was dated April 1st?
First, it's April fools. Second, why get a letter more than three months ago and wait until now to release it - after the article is published. If you asked for the letter months ago, you had to know the issue was out there. Why not use the letter to keep the story out of print in the first place?
Very, very odd.
Posted by: don | July 05, 2009 at 06:27 PM
Deveron didn't deny the suspensions - news of which has been out there on blogs, including here, for months - until now. What say we ask who had whom write that letter.
He also has two illegitimate kids and works for a pay-day loan operation as a schmoozer and fixer. (Did we mention he claimed to run it, then lied about it?)
Here we are, less than two weeks before vote-by-mail begins, and he hasn't given us a platform.
St. Petersburg deserves better than this Romney/Sembler-money puppet.
Posted by: Wash your hand twice, Mr. Bergen | July 05, 2009 at 06:38 PM
I always wash my hands twice... once before I feed the water-slot in the Grand Boy-All Casino, and once again after.
Posted by: ~ | July 05, 2009 at 08:16 PM
Deveron lived in California for how many years? His driving record and license status there was what? Does he have a criminal or civil record in those places?
Posted by: Chris | July 05, 2009 at 08:21 PM
LOL. I am not Peter! I don't agree with everything he has done in his past. But I do think he is one of the most politically enabled citizens we have with a voice that get's heard. Great job educating us about the candidates Peter! Stay the course!
Posted by: Go Peter! | July 05, 2009 at 10:16 PM