Jacob Ogles
Republican congressional candidate Randy Fine is hammering his Democratic opponent for pulling a campaign salary.
A week out from a Special Election in Florida’s 6th Congressional District, Fine criticized Democrat Josh Weil after federal campaign disclosures showed the candidate has received more than $9,500 in “candidate salary.” Fine listed that as one of several questionable expenses by Weil’s campaign.
“Every media outlet that has fallen prey to his grandiose claims of how much money he has raised owes it to their audience to expose how he has actually used the money,” said Fine, a Palm Bay Republican.
Weil announced last week that he had raised more than $10 million to run in the Republican-leaning district. His campaign brushed off criticism from Fine, who has reported less than $1 million for the race.
“Randy Fine is lashing out with lies and attacks because he knows he’s in trouble in this race,” Weil said. “Our campaign has the momentum, and that’s reflected in what we’ve seen in the early vote, because we remain focused on what truly matters to the voters. Our campaign is dedicated to protecting Medicare and Social Security and lowering costs, ensuring that our seniors and families have the support they need to thrive.”
Fine and Weil face each other in an April 1 Special Election to replace former U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, who resigned to become White House National Security Adviser.
Weil’s campaign said federal law allows him to take a salary equal to his professional salary as a teacher while he is campaigning.
But Fine’s campaign spotlighted several unusual expenses even beyond Weil pulling a salary from his coffers.
That included more than $51,000 spent on an Airbnb rental on March 6, part of a total of $62,000 in such rentals over the course of the campaign. The campaign also spent $372,000 for “voter engagement event musicians/talent” through Vote Influencers.
Fine also criticized Weil for using ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising platform that has been criticized for pulling small donations from donors without permission. That tool, however, remains a popular one for Democrats to raise funds.
Fine in the past has criticized Weil for facing professional discipline for picking up a student by their throat. A canvasser for Weil was arrested in Flagler County earlier this month for passing out campaign literature while on a stolen bicycle, something else Fine has heavily criticized.
7 comments
Fine has no shame whatsoever
March 26, 2025 at 8:10 am
Rich criticism from a “gaming executive” whose filings indicate a net worth over $30 million, unhappy that a mere teacher dares run for office.
JustBabs
March 26, 2025 at 10:00 am
Randy Fine is going to innundate with the whining and bullying, during this campaign. He can’t win on his own merits, because he has none. Just a corrupt politician with too much money and plenty of hate to spew. MAGA will still vote this lardazz in, because bad behavior and lack of humanity is their jam.
Paul Reinhardt
March 26, 2025 at 5:40 pm
Folks Randy Fine is the Republican Party’s Answer To AOC and Crockett. Loud, Obnoxious, and a new style of politician that shows us corrupt morons can succeed big with all that dark money from all those Party 527 PACs and 501 (c) (4)s run by RPOF officials that break their own Loyalty Oath contained in the Party Bylaws during a Republican Primary against a grassroots candidate. This crap will end this year. I’m tired of a De Facto Florida Legislature operating under color of law.
kitty
March 27, 2025 at 2:50 am
Josh Weil is the kind of fresh politician we need. He wont bow down to Elon Musk. Weil will actually work for the people. Trump just wants to give tax cuts to the rich. Trump supporters have been betrayed. He is taking away social security and health care from the elderly – making human rights a distant memory. No one even dared to touch social security before him. Billionaires say missing a social security check is no problem- no problem for them they mean. I need my social security that I worked and paid for and so do you. We arent parasites, we earned that money.
Jesse
March 28, 2025 at 10:46 am
According to the FEC Filing, Weil paid himself exactly $9,485 in “candidate salary” between all reporting periods. No payments were in 2024, and for payments between Jan 1. 2025 and March 12, 2025 (the most recent filing), that total amounts to a candidate salary of not quite $950 per week, or the equivalent of a whopping $49,400 per year. Does Randy Fine believe congressional candidates and incumbents should be restricted to earn less than $50,000 year from their political endeavors, and will he commit to introducing legislation to that effect that is binding on both major parties?
Robert Douglass
March 28, 2025 at 12:55 pm
Only a cult follower — no real R or D — could buy scam artist Randy Fine’s gaslight that Weil’s honest, reported legal salary is bad in contrast to his own frauds, shakedowns, and pay-to-play corruptions he spent his political might trying to hide to benefit himself instead of doing his JOB to benefit constituents is good. Geez!
Robert Douglass
March 28, 2025 at 1:07 pm
Florida Politics: Why are you publishing a rewritten one-sided press release from Randy Fine — and while early voting is going on? One obligatory drive-by quote from Weil didn’t balance that this is campaign propaganda, not original FP reporting. Are you and Fine/Elon’s PAC reporting to the FEC your labor and ad space as in-kind campaign donations? It seems desperate, even, given the skeptical feedback.
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