Jax

A.G. GancarskiDecember 22, 2017

A Change.Org petition seeks to remove the name of Corrine Brown from a regional transportation center in Gainesville. Brown, who is headed to prison for five years after being convicted on 18 felony counts in a fraud case this year, once represented Gainesville — and pushed for the appropriation for the center named after her. However, some […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 22, 2017

Rontel Batie, a former Corrine Brown staffer who is now running to take back her seat in Florida’s 5th Congressional District, issued the first salvo of the 2018 Democratic primary campaign against the incumbent Thursday evening. That incumbent — Rep. Al Lawson, a moderate Democrat from Tallahassee — does not align with the priorities of the Congressional Black […]

Staff ReportsDecember 22, 2017

Vestcor Chairman John Rood was reappointed to the Florida Prepaid College Board on Thursday. Rood, who served as Ambassador to the Bahamas during the George W. Bush Administration, chairs the politically connected Jacksonville development company Vestcor. Rood and Vestcor are frequent donors to Republican causes and candidates in Northeast Florida and beyond. Rood has been on the […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 21, 2017

Sen. Jack Latvala is no longer a factor in Tallahassee; his resignation Wednesday sealed that, ending what accusers in two separate independent reports called “decades” of sexual harassment and quid pro quo coercion. However, Jacksonville politics saw prominent players on both sides of the Latvala scandal – and those players will have to deal with each other […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 20, 2017

Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown was found guilty of 18 counts in the One Door for Education case. She faces a five-year prison stretch. Brown is asserting she should be free during the appeal process; however, Judge Timothy Corrigan sees it differently, declaring: “The law presumes that a person who stands convicted and sentenced will begin service of her […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 20, 2017

One of the under-the-radar political stories of the 2018 cycle in Northeast Florida: the move by religious conservatives to overturn Jacksonville’s LGBT protections. Empower Jacksonville, a political action committee, brought in $10,100 in November — pushing it to $31,430 raised and just over $23,000 on hand. Empower Jacksonville seeks to have two ballot items next […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 19, 2017

The News Service of Florida reported Monday about some apparent inconsistencies in a list of supporters recently rolled out by Attorney General hopeful Jay Fant. It seems that not all of those listed as supporters actually support Fant, a Jacksonville Republican. Carolyn Otworth, the Clay County chair of the Trump Club, told NSF’s Dara Kam her name […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 19, 2017

Longevity runs in Corrine Brown‘s family, and that seems to be part of the calculus of a federal lien against the congresswoman-turned-felon. A lien notice totaling $664,292 was filed this weekend. There is good news, however; 20 years after the date of filing (December 2037), Brown is freed of the obligation. Corrine Brown was found guilty […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 19, 2017

If one wanted a captive audience for a political rally, a good place to start would be Jacksonville’s Town Center at 5 p.m. on a weekday. Better still: when that weekday is just six days before Christmas. Irked by the recent Federal Communications Commission vote to end net neutrality, the Duval County Democrats will rally […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 18, 2017

Corrine Brown had some of the most prominent people in the country writing on her behalf pre-sentencing, amidst dozens of letters of support asking for leniency. As well, prominent locals — including a former Jacksonville mayor, a sitting city councilwoman, and a prominent state senator — likewise appealed for a light sentence for Brown. The […]

Jax

Petition seeks to remove Corrine Brown name from Gainesville transit center

Primary challenger questions Al Lawson fealty to Congressional Black Caucus

Jacksonville insider John Rood reappointed to Prepaid College Board

‘Family is everything’: Will Jack Latvala fallout affect Jacksonville politics?

Lockdown ordered for Corrine Brown during appeal process

Opponents of Jacksonville’s human rights ordinance continue to raise money, organize

Déjà vu in Jay Fant endorsement flap

20-year lien dropped on Corrine Brown

Duval Democrats plan Net Neutrality rally at Jacksonville Town Center

Prominent Corrine Brown supporters fought for her before her sentencing