Tallahassee Reports has learned that Mayor Andrew Gillum’s office has spent approximately $5,000 in city tax revenue with a campaign vendor, NGP VAN, that advertises “our new tech tools can help grow the resistance.”
NGP VAN’s website states that it “is the leading technology provider to Democratic and progressive campaigns and organizations, offering clients an integrated platform of the best fundraising, compliance, field, organizing, digital, and social networking products.”
The site also advertises that “the organizers, fundraisers, and strategists that use our tools work tirelessly to advance important causes and elect inspiring leaders, like President Barack Obama and Senator Elizabeth Warren.”
Public records obtained by TR shows that the Mayor’s Office spent $4,950 in four different transactions with NGP VAN since January 12, 2016. The transactions are categorized as General Fund expenditures.
The amount of the transactions and dates are listed below.
Date Amount
1/12/2016 $750
3/28/2016 $1,050
10/7/2016 $2,115
1/10/2017 $1,050
The details associated with the transactions contain the following description: “quarterly fee for DMO Tier 1 package.”
TR called NGP VAN and asked about the description. TR was told that the DMO is an acronym for “Democratic Municipal Officials” and that the software is used for tracking contacts in political campaigns. The software purchased by Mayor Gillum’s office has the capacity to handle 30,000 contacts.
What is the software being used for? TR called the Mayor’s office and they did not respond to our questions about the software.
However, Mayor Gillum could be using the software for the “Campaign to Defend Local Solutions” he launched in January.
In addition, there has a been a number of stories published in the local and state-wide media about Mayor Gillum running for Governor. Is the software being used to gather information for a future gubernatorial campaign?
If the software is being used for these activities, is it an appropriate use of city tax dollars?
TR has requested the records currently loaded in the NGP VAN software and will continue to investigate.
Mayor Gillum Spends City Tax Dollars on Democratic Campaign Vendor added by Staff on
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Gillum is an obama-wannabe and has a very exaggerated view of his own importance, which now includes his self-granted authority to do as he pleases with taxpayer money for his personal purposes. In a way, I hope he continues the practice and even increases his illegal spending spree, so that a long-overdue legal hammer finally comes down on his corrupt administration.
As my very wise father used to point out: “Give a fool enough rope, and sooner or later they’ll hang themselves.”
I hope that the City and State Attorney’s Offices file charges against Andrew Gillum for misuse of City/taxpayer funds, especially since that money was used to pay for a program to help “the organizers, fundraisers, and strategists that use our tools work tirelessly to advance important causes and elect inspiring leaders, like President Barack Obama and Senator Elizabeth Warren.” In other words, to promote the agenda of the leftists and Democrats. The prosecutors better darn well jump on this one. Gillum needs to be removed from his position.
He is a true politician and we keep electing them. How dumb is that
…and we wonder why we are #1 in crime…
I am curious. Why and by what authority would the Mayor be able to use city tax dollars for such a purchase? I would like some answers. Right this minute my question is how do you impeach a mayor of a municipality for misappropriations of city funds?
TR, please expound on this further. Due to whatever is going on at 100.7fm there is no other entity out there looking out for the people of Tallahassee.
We’ve gotta call this behavior out people. It’s past ridiculous. We as citizens are getting down right stupid to let this go on.
I agree not sure what is going on at 100.7 WFLA but I would recommend Freedom 93.3 where they have a weekly feature with Steve Stewart every Mon and Wed at 7:35 am. This essentially replaced the segment on the Preston Scott show, not sure why the change.
Probably because he gets more than 2 minutes between commercial breaks. He never seemed to get a rythym going.
I did not listen to 100.7 today, but according to the rundown on iheart he did not discuss Gillum today. If he is abandoning local issues, I will not listen anymore. Hope I’m wrong.
I don’t know if you’re new in town, but ones like Gillum do whatever they want and nothing happens. Many of us would LOVE to do something to prevent nonsense like this, but the only one who I know of who has tried to do something is Erwin Jackson and he gets vilified and blocked. Something should be done!
Here is an exact quote from their website: “NGP VAN is the leading technology provider to Democratic and progressive campaigns and organizations, offering clients an integrated platform of the best fundraising, compliance, field, organizing, digital, and social networking products.”
Additional Comment: It also was their software that allowed bernie sanders to ‘keep tabs’ on clinton during the presidential campaign.
Misuse of public funds is a criminal offense. Where’s Erwin?
Looks like a move by the Mayor to set up his political campaign for Governor out of his mayoral office.
Still thing we need to do away with the mayoral position and make city commissioners be elected by district not citywide.
How dare anyone question the teflon mayor!
There seems to be accountability with the Mayors office
NO! NO! NO!
Keep up the good work TR!
Nice journalism! Is this illegal? Is it worth filing this with the city’s ethics guys?
HAHAHAHAHAH!
Good one!
I have developed a comment crush on News_Maven. I don’t know if it’s the underscore in her name, the librarian pic, or her quick wit. Maybe all of the above.
I’m just thinking, city watch-dog folks got the referendum on the ballot to create the ethics committee against the wishes of the city staff and commission. So what good was doing that if no one files any complaints?
BS
Looks like Jeffie over at the Democrap finally penned their version of this story. They even cited TR, wow! But my fave part is at the end, where the mayor’s sycophant mouthpiece blasts TR as a “fake news blog.”
Pot, meet kettle.