Jacob Ogles
Stanley Campbell’s U.S. Senate campaign saw another high-profile consultant exit his operation.
Mami Kisner, a West Palm Beach faith leader, resigned her position. Campaign financial reports show she was being paid for faith-based and community outreach. But an email obtained by Florida Politics includes allegations the campaign had unpaid bills.
“It is very disappointing that our agreement has not been honored by you the candidate for a federal race in the State of Florida,” the email reads. “Yet, you have honored other agreements with outstanding fees due. To be very clear, at no time did you ever ask me to reduce my workload and I was shocked at your untrue statement in a recent text. I have always completed every task you have requested and provided major outreach to voters across 67 counties.”
Kisner, the First Lady at Historic Tabernacle Baptist Church in West Palm Beach, has done voter outreach work for federal campaigns. That includes President Joe Biden’s successful 2020 presidential campaign.
Federal Election Commission reports through the end of July show Campbell paid Kisner for services since November 2023. Payments started with $9,500 that month, and $6,000 in subsequent months through June.
But in her resignation letter, Kisner writes that Campbell was contracted to pay more, jumping to $10,000 a month after the first 60 days of work.
She also said Campbell agreed to pay $3,500 in October as retainer but that payment remains outstanding.
But beyond a failure to honor an agreement for services, she said the campaign itself has been impossible to deal with at all.
“The dysfunctional meetings and unprofessional management of this campaign has created a challenging and toxic environment to work in and I yet have remained and supported you,” she said. “There has never been an organizational structure or training with the staff hired. No onboarding process, processed NDA’s, budgets, major compliance issues with in kind activities never reported or real job descriptions.”
Those concerns echo many of those relayed by former Campaign Manager Millie Raphael in her own resignation letter to the campaign weeks prior.
Kisner said she agreed to work with the campaign despite misgivings because Campbell was a first-time candidate she believed needed to help for a serious statewide run.
She made clear she still wants to receive payment, while predicting the campaign won’t be long for the world.
“As this campaign is coming to a close (t)his month I would like to receive my outstanding agreed fees immediately,” she wrote. That includes $3,500 for the unpaid retainer and $28,000 to cover being shortchanged in monthly payments from January through August.
“I would hope someone running as a candidate for U.S. Senate would fulfill your promises to a hardworking staff member,” she wrote.
Campbell faces former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, veteran Rod Joseph and former state Rep. Brian Rush in an Aug. 20 Democratic Primary.
