Non-disclosure agreements for Duval Republicans in the offing?

Karyn Morton

Non-disclosure agreements may be in the offing for politically-active Duval County Republicans. And Florida Politics may be to blame.

In August, we ran an article: “Undercapitalized Duval GOP sets course for 2018 election.”

That article mulled the question of how a once-powerful local party, one that had just over $5,000 cash on hand at the time of the article’s writing, could pull off its ambitious $116,000 plan for the 2018 elections?

That question was especially salient given some of the more quixotic line items in the budget.

Buying (not leasing) a “high speed color copier printer” ($5,000). $6,000 slated for a “Christmas Party” (Don’t say Happy Holidays!).

Conversely, $1,000 was to be spent on social media advertising. And, in lieu of the Lincoln Day rainmakers other county parties have, a “speaker’s series.”

Our readers likely appreciated the inside look into party planning for the 2018 cycle.

Less appreciative, however, was Karyn Morton — the Chair of the Duval County Republican Party — who on Monday night castigated unknown REC members for leaking to us, and floated the idea of making REC members sign non-disclosure agreements during a harangue that lasted almost three minutes.

Morton noted that a “budget” had been handed out, “a budget that was a little vague … but for what we wanted to do for 2018.”

Morton then charged a member with taking a picture of the budget and sending it to A.G. Gancarski.

After a groan from an elderly gentleman, Morton continued to wow her crowd.

“My first inclination — actually I won’t tell you what my first one was,” Morton said, building suspense masterfully.

“My second inclination was to make sure that person had several pre-addressed envelopes made out to the DEC Chairman [SIC] Audrey Gibson and her address so they could let the Democratic Party know what we’re doing directly,” Morton quipped, “and not have to go through a third party.”

Morton noted the information discussed was not to be “telegraphed to the other side.”

Smart move! The last thing they’d want to happen is to get into a bidding war over that laser printer.

Morton is still “trying to figure out what to do” about the leaker. Removal from the REC is one option.

“I really don’t want everybody to have to sign a non-disclosure agreement when they walk in this door,” Chairwoman Morton said. “Whatever personal BS you’ve got going on inside your own head, you leave outside here, and come in here [and be] Republican.”

Listen to the audio: 

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


3 comments

  • ShesRight

    October 17, 2017 at 9:08 am

    She is right. Why share information happening inside a meeting? That is kind of stupid.

    • ShesWrong

      October 17, 2017 at 11:56 am

      The budget was placed on a table outside the meeting hall for anyone to grab.

      Between her lack of fundraising, push to release members’ private info, and now threat to force NDAs on members, the blood is clearly in the water.

      Where there’s smoke there’s fire.

  • ShamsRUs

    October 18, 2017 at 9:06 am

    It’s amazing to me that they even bother with a county party structure given the small group of donors that has already determined who’s running, and how much money they’ll have to play with. Everyone knows where the real money is, and if they don’t, they can access it by state website. The county meetings are little more than a dog-and-pony show.

Comments are closed.


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