Hillsborough judicial candidate appears to have violated campaign rules

Tampa attorney Lanell Williams-Yulee signed up two months ago to run for the judicial seat occupied by County Judge Dick Greco Jr.

To kick start her efforts, Williams-Yulee's campaign recently sent out a letter in which she appears to personally seek contributions. One problem: Judicial candidates aren't allowed to solicit their own donations.

Though the letter, which also appears on her campaign Web site, includes Williams-Yulee's signature and is written in first-person, her campaign manager said Williams-Yulee didn't write it. He said her committee members drafted the letter and didn't understand the restrictions that judicial candidates face.

Stetson University political science professor T. Wayne Bailey was surprised by the campaign mailing.

"Gee, I've run into many issues, but this one I hadn't run into," he told the Times. "Because it's so black letter, you see."

To read more, click here.

Colleen Jenkins, Times Staff Writer

*