Peter Schorsch
Fentrice Driskell has scored a trifecta: She’s proven herself to be ill-informed, irresponsible and irrelevant as a House District 63 candidate.
The Harvard- and Georgetown-educated Tampa lawyer issued a statement Wednesday unfairly slamming state Rep. Shawn Harrison, a Tampa Republican, for a “lack of judgment” in his hiring of district secretary Benjamin Kelly.
Kelly was fired—and rightly so—by House Speaker Richard Corcoran after he told a Tampa Bay Times reporter that two Parkland students didn’t actually attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, but were “actors that travel to various crisis [sic] when they happen.”
“Not only did Harrison hesitate to fire Kelly, he also showed a stunning lack of judgment in hiring him in the first place based on Kelly’s previous history,” she wrote.
“Rep. Harrison owes a public apology to all Parkland students and their families, who are working tirelessly to honor those lost by advocating for common sense solutions to protect our children from future gun violence in schools.”
No, he doesn’t, Ms. Driskell. You do.
Harrison didn’t hesitate to push Kelly out the door when he knew what had happened.
“Ben Kelly was fired the moment I knew he was able to be,” he told me. “My opponent is attempting to exploit an already awful situation for her own political gain, which is reprehensible.”
Question: What kind of candidate uses the deaths of 17 people in a school shooting to score a cheap political point?
Answer: One that doesn’t deserve to hold public office.
8 comments
Lois kyes
February 21, 2018 at 2:18 pm
Ms. Driskell. You are right!
Janet Kennedy
February 21, 2018 at 2:43 pm
Here is the statement released by Harrison: “Reached by phone in Tallahassee, Rep. Harrison told a reporter he was looking into the matter and that the email should not have been sent. Not long after, he released a statement: “I was just made aware that my aide made an insensitive and inappropriate allegation about Parkland students today. I have spoken to him and placed him on leave until we determine an appropriate course of action. I do not share his opinion and he did so without my knowledge.”” So clearly, he did hesitate to fire him, he had to determine “an appropriate course of action”. So your remarks about Fentrice are off-the-mark.
Andrew Nappi
February 21, 2018 at 7:38 pm
Every democrat is exploiting this, who are you kidding?
Lisa Howard
February 22, 2018 at 6:21 am
Nope. Not buying it. Harrison created an environment where his employee thought this type of statement was supported. Harrison showed poor judgement by hiring this criminal in the first place.
Rachel Zysk
February 22, 2018 at 9:14 am
Fentrice Driskell’s remarks were spot on. She has my support.
Nathalia Assaad
February 27, 2018 at 7:08 am
So… Harrison’s office (probably WITH his consent, knowing how delusional republicans are these days) makes a disgusting, monstruous comment about the gun violence victims and it’s the person pointing out to this fact that is reprehensible? You are kidding, right? Vote them out!
Helen Pantuso
February 27, 2018 at 12:29 pm
So Ms. Driskell rightly points out that Kelly should never been hired in the first place, and that Harrison held off on firing him until forced to. BOTH show stunning lack of good judgment on Harrison’s part. And you claim SHE is the one exploiting the tragedy? I think you are a bit delusional, and I think you owe Miss Driskell an apology. She is 100% right in what she said, and Harrison has shown a stunning lack of leadership and ethics.
Challener Marcee M.
March 5, 2018 at 4:38 pm
Glad to see many comments seeing through the typical Republican smoke screen. I met Driscoll this weekend and she’s got my vote.
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