In the Arena: A Code of Ethics

After running a successful State Representative campaign in late 1976 in Broward County, I moved to Tallahassee. By April 1980 I was Chair of the Leon County Democratic Party, a position I held for twenty years until January 2000.

During my time as County Chair I helped progressives, moderates and conservatives get elected provided they were Democratic candidates. Before helping I wanted to learn the code of conduct for each candidate so that I could communicate within their code to create a framework for assembling a mutually supportive coalition for each election. I also shared with these candidates my own code, some of which I present below.

First, I encouraged each candidate I supported to, when elected, never take a gratuity or gift from anyone, especially from those who may be doing business under the office upon which they sought election. This would apply all the way down to declining a cup of coffee from any vendor, lobbyist or employee. Even such a small ‘kindness’ might one day skew a rational or neutral decision. I advised thank junkets paid for by other entities should be strictly avoided regardless of how much one may rationalize it as an informational and educational event.

Second, I suggested they stay true to themselves and to vote their conscious in a manner to better our community. The ability to look at yourself in the mirror with satisfaction is more important than praise from friends of the office and even better than holding the office itself. I told all the candidates upon election that suddenly, as if by magic, upon being sworn in that people will say you are funnier, smarter, better looking, and more deserving of trophies or plaques of recognition by community groups. Once out of office, those “friends of the office” will move on to the new occupant.

Third, despite managing or advising many winning elections, I never took a job with the newly elected officeholder. If an elected official had hired me then I would no longer be doing what is best for the party but what is best for my boss. A party chair must serve the best interests of the entire party when it comes to voter registration, voter education, voter turnout, and voter performance. You cannot succeed in achieving the broad goals of the party if you are employed to represent the narrower interests of the employer. One cannot be fully committed to an inclusionary party if the ambitions of the boss must first be attended. The only honorable action is either to step down as party leader or resign the government post. Of course many would disagree with me as the prefer to receive a steady check each month.

Fourth, as a general rule I prefer electoral systems that lower campaign costs so more citizens can consider running for office. It is why I support the five single member district and two at-large seats for County Commissioners when I served on an earlier County Charter Revision Committee. I would have preferred a 7-0 system but I compromised to get the 5-2.

Likewise I strongly supported the School Board moving to a 5-0 system that exists to this day with one school board seat, District 5, being entirely within the City. There is nothing inherently better by slicing the district pie starting at a central point and spreading out to the county boundaries.

While serving on another County Charter Revision Committee, I introduced a successful motion to limit donations to a maximum of $200 per person or legal entity. The Florida Legislature later undid that effort by setting higher maximums.

Lastly, I support a party rule that would allow all non-partisan voters, and perhaps minor party registrants, to vote in the Democratic primaries. The United States Supreme Court in Connecticut approved the Republican Party of Connecticut adopted rules allowing non-partisan voters to cast ballots in the Republican Party primaries as superior to the Connecticut state law there that provided for a closed primary.

The reason for this post on ethics is that I recently learned that in January of this year a former FDP State Chair, Terrie Brady of Jacksonville, and one other officer had been indicted by a Federal grant jury for allegedly taking $1.2 million each by selling back to their union, that she led, vacation time the grand jury said “they had not accrued and did not earn” between 2013 and 2022. Another former FDP State Chair, Scott Maddox, plead guilty to multiple fraud charges in 2019.

While the above allegations and crimes may seem horrendous, there are local candidates who take “free” pizzas for their campaign workers without recording it as a donation to their campaign. Just taking the free and undeclared pizzas from a person raises the question of ethics. But especially when they are seeking someone to provide them a third vote. It is a slippery slope once you do so. This gets me back to don’t even, or ever, “take a cup of coffee.”

Jon M. Ausman is the longest serving Chair of the Leon County Democratic Party in Leon County’s history (April 1980 to January 2000). He can be reached at 850-321-7799 or at ausman@embarqmail.com.