Public records indicate that Sean Pittman, who was the campaign manager for Sheriff Walt McNeil during the 2016 election cycle, is listed as the state lobbyist for the Leon County Sheriffs Office (LCSO) in 2019.
Campaign records show that the McNeil campaign paid Pittman’s company, ESP Media, approximately $182,000 during the campaign for advertising and consulting.
Information provided online by the Lobbyist Registration Office shows that Mr. Pittman and Jasmyne Henderson, both with the Pittman Law Group, have been registered lobbyists for the LCSO since January 2019.
The registration records, which date back to 2006, indicate that 2019 is the only year during this period that LCSO has hired a state legislative lobbyist.
Upon request, the LCSO provided TR with two letters of engagement with the Pittman Law Group. One was dated November 27, 2018 and one was dated July 31, 2019.
Both letters state that “in exchange for this representation, you agree to compensate our firm with a retainer of $49,000. We require the retainer to be paid over 7 monthly payments of $7,000 each…”
The payments detailed in the letters total $98,000. The letters also indicate a set of deliverables which include:
- assistance with all matters related to the State Legislature, the Office of the Governor and/or Agencies
- assistance with legislative priorities
- issue support
- assist in efforts to secure appropriations
See exact language from letter below.
TR has requested documents sent from LCSO to the Pittman Law Group requesting services under the contracts. Also, TR has requested any status updates provided to the LCSO by the Pittman Law Group.
Those requests are pending.
TR will update report when requested documents are provided by LCSO.
This is so sad Walt. I thought you were straight up, this stinks. You have the FSA for lobbying, Pittman knows nothing about sheriff issues. Shame on you Walt.
I am grateful to the FBI for cleaning up local corruption.
It is a sad day for Leon County to learn that the head of our local law enforcement the sheriff of Leon County, Walt McNeil, is funneling funds to his campaign manager. A sad, sad day indeed.
So what’s the big FBI announcement in Panama City tomorrow and how’d our local weasels contribute to that issue? I’m saying News Maven or Snide - make that tie in with our usual Tallahassee suspects with just the headlines. FBI - we still got plenty of house cleaning to do at City Hall?
Gillum’s Costa Rican travel companion, that’s who. And Walt MCNeil’s wife no other than the previous City of Tallahassee’s Human Resource Director. And Sharon Ofuani of Crime Starters.....same at COT HR gig, whose husband - Reginald - is in charge of City Waste Management - aka kickback to Maddox SWS Group...; FBI?
A lot of locals do not like being reminded that for 8 long years under Obama the local FBI were all in on being Jim Comey's Weasels turning a blind eye to local Democrat political corruption.
Now reluctantly under Trump our local FBI is making some movement in the direction of addressing local Democrat political corruption.
Does anyone really think the same Jim Comey's Weasels are "all in" on this effort????
Just saying dont expect too much. And dont be a hater when I remind you that "I Told You So"
Just saying.
What a waste of the taxpayers hard earned money.
This band of thieves knows no bounds.
When FBI? WHEN!!!
The entity of The Leon County Sheriff's was created way back in the year 1825. That is 194 years ago.
In all that time there has been no need for a State Lobbyist.
Zero, Nada, none whatsoever.
Please do not give this theft and illegal transfer of public funds any legitimacy at all.
I call upon Sheriff McNeil to arrest himself and Mr. Pittman and throw each other in jail today!
Thank you.
"the McNeil campaign paid Pittman’s company, ESP Media, approximately $182,000 during the campaign for advertising and consulting." …………………. The stupid thing is, McNeil only raised $199,974.50. A lot of Candidates are spending over 3/4's of the Money they raised on Consultants. THAT'S CRAZY.
I believe most of the money isn't for consulting it is for airtime TV commercials.
So, is Sheriff McNeil embezzling Leon County funds under the guise of lobbying and building up a fund with Pittman for TV commercials?
Are the county administrators and County Manager aware of this payment to Sean Pittman by LCSO?
Who approved this and did this go out for bid?
Why would LCSO retain their own lobbyists, wouldn't this go through the county administrators office?
I believe this should go through the Florida Ethics Commission, FDLE, the FBI and the governor should look at this and determine if he needs to remove Mr McNeil from office for misusing funds to siphon to his campaign manager.
Leon County has some of the worst leadership in the state and I use that in the present tense.
How many more sewage spills do we have to have before the city commission wakes up and fires the city manager? Do they not realize that over 10,000 gallons of sewage Spilled Out recently and probably made it to the aquifer which will end up in Wakulla County?
When you have sewage spills in a city the city manager is the one who is held accountable. This is one reason we need a qualified city manager to protect us from further public health and safety issues. At least one commissioner gets it.
It looks like commissioner Matlow was right. Come on Mayor Dailey and the county manager, wake up!
Sean Pittman who was a point person on Rocky Hanna's questionable/fraudulent campaign when Rocky admitted he gathered all the documents for his notebook, Rocky purposely wrote and admitted he wrote all the false and misleading summaries in each section. Rocky admitted he made up everything in his notebook costing taxpayers $600,000 Sean Pittman endorsed Rocky who hid from child support and had to be sued for back child support, now a lobbyist for law enforcement, tragic Sad.
Also for Darryl Jones for the 2018 LCSB Election. He paid him most of the money Raised for his Campaign.
Just brotherly love. If Pittman get arrested and put in jail, he can work from home. Tally politics continue.
From COT trough to LCSO trough!
Patronage 101.
Just like in Chicago when they had a Mayor Daily too.
You know the Florida Sheriff association does that for a lot less.
The county hires lobbyists for all the offices.
Did you know most Sheriff deputies are getting barely a 1% pay raise this year.
That’s after Wally eliminates the agreed to step pay plan because Campbell got it done.
They lied to employees that they were bringing it back and they would get more pay.
Did you know there are nearly 20 people in command staff positions and Wally just hired another one.
They are all paid on average over $105 thousand a year? Plus benefits and cars, etc?
LCSO takes a significant amount of the Leon County budget.
Why didn't this go through the County Commission for approval?
How does Sheriff McNeil justify even one penny being paid to his campaign manager?
I believe the County Commission needs to step in and clawback the amount from Pittman and return it to LCSO and McNeil and Pittman need to be charged with theft.
While no inocent childern were killed like what happened at MSD Highschool which resulted in The Governor suspending the Broward County Sheriff ... The Governor might just take a look at what appears to be the McNeil/Pittman local money laundromat right here in good old Leon County. At a minimum it will result in Pittman returning some of that money in McNeil's next election as campaign contributions.
That money would be better spent giving the deputies or raise. Very disappointing.
Is it really necessary for LCSO to pay a lobbyist 49,000 a year to ask state government for support? I thought that was the Sheriff's job! That's like getting the job and then recusing yourself from part of your job responsibilities!! Geez ...sounds too much like political payback to me anyway.