John Simmonds, running for re-election to Venice City Council, took time during Wednesday's debate at the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce to criticize web writer Joe McKee for publishing details of a PAC financial report in an email that was sent out to his mailing list. Simmonds denied accepting money or support from the PAC's supporters and hinted at taking legal action against McKee for libel.
"This is libelous," Simmonds said early in the debate, referring to the email.
Later, he added, "I'm really curious as to whether whoever that was that sent that, it's not true, if he hadn't stepped over the line of the protection that the people have that can attack attack public officials on the basis that they are public figures. I think he crossed the line and I think he may be very sorry that he did that."
His opponent, Ernest Zavodnyik, used the opportunity to attack Simmonds on his voting record, stating that Simmonds had voted affirmatively on every annexation that had come before him while not asking any questions about the impact of those annexations on existing residents.
McKee had previously sent out a mass email that listed contributors to the Citizens for Quality Government PAC. According to the CQG, they collect money solely for the support of selected candidates. This year, they are a single issue PAC, that issue being the support of John Simmonds' re-election campaign. McKee was quoting an online article from Venice Gondolier columnist Ed Martin's web site.
Ed Martin was, in turn, quoting from the October 2005 and September 2006 treasurer's reports filed at the elections supervisor's office by the CQG. This year's September report is available online at the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections web site and contains most of the same contributors as last year's October report. The Boones haven't shown up on the reports so far this year, but they will likely appear on the treasurer's report filed after the election.
Simmonds denied the existence of the donations, stating they had never happened. Simmonds insisted that he had refused to accept financial support from local developer Mike Miller as an example, and stated that Miller had agreed not to donate.
In this year's CQG PAC treasurer's report on the election supervisor's web site, Mike Miller is listed as having donated $500 while his brother Tim donated an additional $250. Other contributors are listed on the report as having donated the exact sums that Simmonds denied were donated.
Simmonds has stated that he is one of the co-founders of the CQG PAC.
Among the many contributors to the PAC are the usual area developers and land use attorneys, but one new face shows up as supporting Simmonds through the PAC: The Sembler Company, a St. Petersburg firm that specializes in building shopping centers. While Simmonds is insisting on the campaign trail that he hates growth, if money is any indication, growth loves Simmonds.
When Zavodnyik was questioned about his accepted campaign donations, he admitted to accepting $200 from The Sierra Club.
Simmonds denied the details as given by McKee in his email and wondered aloud if by republishing the information, McKee hadn't stripped himself of legal protections and had made himself open to an attack for libel.
When questioned after the debate (and after being told by this reporter of the authors' real identities), Simmonds did an about face and denied that he was making any legal threats. Simmonds continued to state that he had been libeled. Simmonds repeatedly denied accepting donations and support from the PAC or its supporters. When asked about the CQG's treasurer's report that listed the very donations that Simmonds had cited, Simmonds stated that he hadn't seen the treasurer's report and questioned its validity: "They get those things wrong all the time," Simmonds said.
Reached by phone after the debate, McKee was told of Simmonds' allegation of libel. McKee chuckled and said "No comment."
The information has since been taken off of Martin's site. Meanwhile, McKee has republished the so-called libelous email on his Venice Resident web site. McKee maintains both the Venice Resident site and Ed Martin's web site.
Simmonds repeatedly stated during the debate that growth was not an issue in this election, that the voters weren't as concerned with growth as his opponent was insisting. Simmonds called growth a created issue, a diversion and instead attacked his opponent, stating that Zavodnyik, a retired attorney who worked for the American Bar Association, wasn't qualified to be on city council.
The debate was moderated by VACC's director, John Ryan.
