State-Wide Media Highlights Adam Putnam Hire, Ignores Gillum Vote to Benefit Costa Rica Companion

The current Florida Agriculture Commissioner, Adam Putnam, took a beating at the ballot box on August 28th in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Despite the loss, the state-wide media is still unloading on Putnam while ignoring the actions of one gubernatorial candidate still running for office.

The report by the Tampa Bay Times on Putnam hiring 27 year-old Clay Hollis -who has family ties to the Lakeland based Publix corporation – to a $91,000 a year state job is certainly newsworthy.

However, it is hard to understand why the involvement of current gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum in awarding a contract that will benefit his friend, campaign donor, travel companion, and lobbyist – Sean Pittman – is not on the front page of newspapers in Florida.

Pittman, along with lobbyist Adam Corey, were part of a group that traveled with Andrew Gillum to Costa Rica. The trip is the subject of an ethics complaint.

In a public meeting of the Tallahassee City Commission last week -with reporters present – Gillum’s office recommended the city commission approve a contract that would benefit Mr. Pittman and then Gillum voted for the agenda item.

There was no state-wide media report on the vote.

Steve Stewart

Steve Stewart is the founder and editor of Tallahassee Reports which began in 2009 as an online blog. Steve received a Bachelors Degree from Clemson University in 1984 and a Masters degree in Political Science from FSU in 1990. He has been involved with state and local politics since arriving in Tallahassee in 1989.

View all posts by Steve Stewart →

20 Comments

  1. Todd Gulledge
    Todd Gulledge

    U people are batshit crazy.... VOTE BLUE

    1. mib8
      mib8

      Is tgat true blue Republican? True blue Libertariam?
      Or are you one of those color-reversing mean Dem/ Red/ Leftist/ Regressive utopian neo-feudalists?

      Have been wishing GM2 well.

  2. News Maven
    News Maven

    BREAKING: http://floridapolitics.com/archives/275375-new-gop-website-blasts-andrew-gillum-for-lobbyist-slush-fund
    "On Friday, the Republican Party of Florida launched ReleaseTheReceipts.com, a website that calls on the gubernatorial candidate — and front-runner in several polls — to “tell the truth about his luxury Costa Rica vacation in 2016,” as well as a “suspicious” $15,000 deposit."
    I thought if you deposited $10K or greater in your bank account that it automatically triggered an investigation, post-9/11?

    1. Hope
      Hope

      I am sure the Tallahassee Democrat will get right on it, as to where the $15,000 deposit originated from -- NOT!

  3. Hope
    Hope

    If I recall correctly, originally, the Book/Pittman contract was not the staff's first choice and the commissioners bypassed the staff's recommendation and they voted in their special interest.... as they did with the insurance contract recently.

  4. News Maven
    News Maven

    OT: A whole lotta scribbling, but no real explanation on why Jr. lost his job:
    https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/money/2018/09/20/listeners-sound-off-after-firing-radio-personality-greg-marr-jr/1349122002/
    And WHAT a photo, oh my.

    Saddened to see a great man lose his dad AND his job so close together. I know Preston's ratings will get a serious boost over this.

    1. Snidely Whiplash
      Snidely Whiplash

      So true Maven it may have been a whizzed off advertiser of any of the companies many radio stations. Quite likely some flaming leftist who also (it appears) dictated that rambling nonsensical story published in the Democrat.
      Seems the Democrat was attempting to allude the TCC Prof. may have been somehow a factor because they rambled on a lot about that without committing to anything specific. Whoever the heartless baxterd was that fired Greg should have understood the situation of his Dad's sudden passing and cut Greg a break.
      Poor Bobby Mac is not ready to take the wheel yet.
      Well we know one thing for sure it was not the good folks at Talon Training behind shutting Greg up so Andrew could be propped up easier.
      BTW I think I heard Greg's former station running an advertisement for the Edison this morning.

  5. Anhaica
    Anhaica

    I found the information below on Wikipedia regarding former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. The similarities are astonishing!

    FBI corruption investigation of Kilpatrick family and friends[edit]

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated corruption within Detroit's city hall; in particular, how contracts are awarded. Through the use of undercover video, wiretaps, and informants, the FBI investigated whether Bernard Kilpatrick, father of Kwame Kilpatrick and ex-husband of U.S. Representative Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick, was involved in payoff schemes to steer city business to contractors and then illegally funnel any money or kickbacks back to his son, the mayor.[97][98] The FBI also announced that Derrick Miller, a close friend of Kilpatrick's who was a top adviser in the Kilpatrick campaigns and most recently (2007) was the chief information officer of the City of Detroit, was named as a target of the corruption investigation.[99] Kandia Milton, deputy mayor, who ran the city for one day when Kilpatrick was in jail for violating his bail, pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges involving the sale of city-owned land.[100]

  6. Anhaica
    Anhaica

    Why doesn't a conservative group(s) purchase some of the mainstream media outlets across this country and restore the media outlets' integrity? Why do all mainstream media outlets have to be liberal? Can you imagine if Steve Stewart and Tallahassee Reports one day purchased the struggling Tallahassee Democrat???? And reported fact-based stories???

    1. News Maven
      News Maven

      Anhaica: Google "Blockchain Journalism."
      You can read about what Civil is doing, and their cryptocurrency token CVL, which they started selling yesterday. Buy $1,000 worth, and you can start your own newsroom under their template.

      1. Anhaica
        Anhaica

        Thanks...I will take a look this weekend!

  7. Mike
    Mike

    One of the main reasons the so called mainstream media has lost is clout is the ability of alternative media to point out stories such as this one about Gillum. As long as mainstream media continues to act in a tribal manner, protecting those it favors politically - Democrats - it will continue to lose clout, even among Democrats. Locally TD is no exception, they comfort those Democrats in power and attempt to afflict any who dare oppose them. The opposite of what media was designed to do, these politicos (Gillum) know their media and they play them accordingly.

  8. News Maven
    News Maven

    Yep.
    With PM as the consigliere, rest assured the fix is in on that one.
    Back to the Lamestream Media. Does anyone remember the mailer sent out in 2010 that had a map of Florida, and points where about 10-13 of the biggest newspapers were? And each one showed the paper in that market was endorsing Alex Sink over Rick Scott?

    And yet, who won?

    November 2, 2010: the moment in time when I knew Big Media no longer held sway over voters. It was one of the most shocking revelations I have encountered.

    1. Anhaica
      Anhaica

      Good point, News Maven! I think most common sense people are aware of the liberal bias of newspaper across the country. Newspapers are becoming more irrelevant each and every day. Soon advertisers will leave them altogether.

    2. Mike
      Mike

      Great comment, News Maven. I also saw an article about two weeks ago (can't recall the exact site, it was linked on Drudge) on how the mainstream media has long ago lost it's credibility - the vast majority of Americans understand their game and don't care what they say. One ending summation line said "No matter how many Trump-bashing commentators shout on CNN, no matter how many huge-headline negative stories about Trump run in the NY Times and Wash Post, no one hears their screams anymore."

  9. Snidely Whiplash
    Snidely Whiplash

    The Federal trial stage of a case like this is often a .30 minute affair where the Judge finalizes pre made araingements.
    Seldom a back and forth affair taking days, weeks, or months.

  10. Domino
    Domino

    Marsh is a former federal prosecutor who supports Gillum through campaign donations and fundraisers.

    1. alex
      alex

      Marsh is also the former Obama appointed U. S. District Attorney in Tall. that was over the FBI that used Hanna's book of lies to smear Supt. Pons. She went. to work with the Ausley Law Firm which also represents Leon County Schools. WOW, deep state in Tally.

      1. Confused
        Confused

        And lets bring your point back to the article Alex. The lobbyist / friend is the campaign manager of one of the School Board members currently running and the former campaign manager of the spouse of the school board attorney who ran for the elections spot. The school board member and the spouse both got lots of NAI-Talcor money for their races even though real estate shouldn't be a big part of running a school or an election office. Oh and the school board member and the spouse of the school board attorney are supporters of each other. Do you think that could influence the school board member to vote against settlements or pick unnecessary legal fights in order to provide more fees to the law firm/spouse? School Board member was the only one who voted against Lambert's settlement and also spearheaded the charter fight, both of which would have resulted in legal fees. Just a thought..

  11. Snidely Whiplash
    Snidely Whiplash

    FYI the local grandaddy of corruption Harold Knowles Middle Georgia trial is set to begin in Macon this coming Monday 9/24/18. He will be represented by local Atty's Jimmy Judkins and Pam Marsh. Many feel Tallahassee's local usual suspect Federal investigation got it's start from circumstances uncovered in the Knowles case.

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