From sex dolls to profit: Margaret Good donors include child porn defenders
Margaret Good

Margaret good
Good has accepted thousands in donations from lawyers who specifically represent child sex offenders.

Democrat congressional candidate Margaret Good has accepted thousands of dollars from lawyers who specifically specialize in defending child pornographers, according to her campaign finance disclosures.

Defense lawyers are an important part of the criminal justice system and, sometimes, they have to defend the seemingly indefensible. However, Good’s acceptance of donations from donors who openly flout beating child exploitation laws is particularly troubling considering not only her curious no-vote on a childlike sex doll ban, but the donors’ extensive records of defending heinous crimes.

One lawyer who contributed multiple times to Good’s campaign has labeled police the “true predators” and alerted prospective clients on avoiding specific websites monitored by law enforcement for child sex crimes.

Good made national headlines last month when this publication revealed that she was the only lawmaker in the Florida legislature to vote against a bill to ban lifelike sex dolls resembling children — a product purchased by pedophiles for sexual gratification. Good, who later claimed the vote was an accident, was subsequently lambasted by child advocates who not only denounced her vote but openly questioned the sincerity of her explanation.

The list of contributors to Good’s congressional campaign includes a husband and wife from a Sarasota law firm who defended a person found guilty of 68 counts of child porn possession with intent to distribute. The same firm also defended individuals accused of sexual battery against a child under the age of 12, impregnating a child under the age of 16, and fondling a child under the age of 12, according to court records. In total, the couple has donated to Good four times over the past 14 months totaling $3,250.

Another contributor to Good’s campaign is a criminal defense lawyer who boasts on his website that he lessened the prison sentence of a man accused of traveling to meet a minor and solicitation of a minor in Sarasota County.

But it is the multiple contributions from a self-described child pornography defense attorney that is likely to raise the most alarm bells.

Good has accepted multiple campaign donations from a Sarasota attorney who operates a blog where he openly criticizes the state attorney for targeting kiddie porn offenders and accuses police of being the true predators.” He also warns people to avoid being placed on a registered sex offender list by alerting them to what websites police are most likely to monitor.

In a 2015 blog post, the attorney defends those of possessing child pornography by using the same logic used by opponents to the child sex doll ban sponsored by Florida Sen. Lauren Book and signed into law last year.

“Some people assume that if a person possesses child porn, they go on to molest children,” he wrote. “Viewing pictures of minors does not mean that a person molests minors.”

While there are many in Florida and across the nation who fight against the scourge that is child sex crimes, it’s an issue that often goes overlooked.

Worse, it’s an issue almost glorified in pop culture.

Think back to the 90s when the cult classic “Clueless” romanticized a relationship between a 20-something college student and a barely old enough to drive teenager.

It has not changed with the times. It’s gotten worse. I’m looking at you, Netflix, with your horrendous and profit-driven support for the film “Cuties.”

That movie is not your typical coming of age drama, meant to empower young girls to become fearless professionals. It’s a gross exploitation of their burgeoning sexuality that serves, whether intentionally or not, to sexualize young girls.

Look at the tragedy that befell JonBenét Ramsey after her parents dolled up a six year old girl, likening her to a much more mature, adult-like woman.

Hell, even Honey Boo Boo was sexualized.

This is a genuine problem in our country and one not to be swept under the rug, explained away or ignored. As the father of a young girl, it plagues my mind to think there are people out there who would see her not as the fun-loving little girl she is, but as a sexual object to be claimed.

Good’s changed vote raised numerous red-flags. Her explanation for it, that it was made in error, was suspect, but provided at least some cover.

These donations appear to show her vote resonated with those who defend the indefensible. They add further suspicion to what was already a major stain on her campaign.

Good, a trial lawyer at Eastmoore, Crauwels & Dubose, did not return requests for comment.

She is running against Congressman Vern Buchanan in Florida’s 16th congressional district.

If Good truly supports protecting children from predators, she should denounced support and return contributions from anyone who makes their living defending disgusting predators.

Peter Schorsch

Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises and is the publisher of some of Florida’s most influential new media websites, including Florida Politics and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. Schorsch is also the publisher of INFLUENCE Magazine. For several years, Peter's blog was ranked by the Washington Post as the best state-based blog in Florida. In addition to his publishing efforts, Peter is a political consultant to several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms. Peter lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Ella.


3 comments

  • Angela

    September 16, 2020 at 9:59 pm

    I don’t find your column sincere. You know far too much about how campaigns work … and about how candidates on all sides take all kinds of donations from all kinds of individual and interests and that doesn’t mean they support all or even some of what the donors do in their own professions and lives. No insider actually thinks Margaret Good has a soft spot for sex predators. Not even you.

    • just sayin

      September 17, 2020 at 8:52 am

      And all candidates get criticized for who donates to their campaign, Angela. Especially when it’s an unusual amount of support from child porn advocates AND the candidate has voted in accordance with that support. You can make the argument that she’s taking a principled stance against government overreach, but you can’t claim this article has some sort of agenda, at least on the surface.

  • Concerned

    September 18, 2020 at 6:08 pm

    This article is both eye-opening and misleading. There are no “child porn advocates.” And there are certainly no “attorneys who defend child porn.” That’s like saying that an attorney who represents a murder suspect “defends murder.” No, they are defending the suspect as per the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution. ANYBODY accused of such an awful thing is going to need a lawyer.

Comments are closed.


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