Something’s up with Jeremy Ring’s emails

Former state Sen. Jeremy Ring has been blasting out emails repping his CFO campaign for a while, as candidates are wont to do in an election year, but anyone seeking a reprieve from those messages may see something rather odd.

Clicking the unsubscribe link included at the bottom of each email directs recipients to a page where they can end their subscriptions to three mailing lists maintained by the campaign.

The first, titled “General,” appears ordinary enough on the surface. The second, “FDP List,” is likely something the campaign bought or borrowed from the Florida Democratic Party. But the third, “General (without Putnam and Atwater),” is a real head-scratcher.

Why are Ag Commissioner Adam Putnam and former CFO Jeff Atwater, both Republicans, named in the title of a mailing list being used by Ring, a Democrat?

That’s just the first of many questions that title elicits without even touching on the technical issues that led to it being publicly viewable — from the campaign of a former tech company executive, no less.

Is Ring’s campaign using email lists obtained from Republican candidates? If so, how did he get them? If everything is aboveboard, what Republican campaign or political operative greenlit the handoff?

And the kicker: What emails do those on the “General (without Putnam and Atwater)” list receive that users in the “General” list do not?

Ring spent a decade in the Florida Senate and his record is that of a moderate Democrat, making it entirely unclear what positions he could take or what he might say that would be considered unfit for Republican eyes.

A snap of the unsubscribe page is below.