But Mayor Gillum’s former chief of staff, Dustin Daniels, is campaigning on it.

What is it? It is Tallahassee’s increase in murders while Andrew Gillum was the mayor of Tallahassee.

On a campaign mailer, Dustin Daniels, who is running for his boss’s soon to be vacant Tallahassee mayoral seat, is informing voters that “Tallahassee had the highest number of murders in history last year.” See mailer below.

“Last year” would be 2017 when Daniels was the chief of staff for Mayor Andrew Gillum.

Reviewing FDLE data going back to 1995 shows that there were 17 murders in Tallahassee in 2017, the highest during that 22 year period. Also, the second highest murder total (16) during this period occurred in 2015.

Gillum was elected mayor in 2014.

Tallahassee Reports has published detailed research on the increase in the Tallahassee murder rate which began to trend upward in 2009 after Gillum and the Tallahassee city commission ignored pleas for help from law enforcement officials.

In 2017 the murder rate in the City of Tallahassee was higher than rates in Miami and Orlando.

Daniels also points out in the mailer that “we top the state for the highest crime rate.”

Daniels is referencing the fact that Tallahassee/Leon County has led the state of Florida with the highest crime rate in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Daniels says “WE MUST DO BETTER.”

The message put forth by Daniels is at odds with the message of gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum, who is telling voters Tallahassee is already doing better due to the decline in crime for the first six months of 2018. In the process, Gillum is ignoring the decisions that contributed to the record setting crimes rates in Tallahassee which include historical highs in murders.

One side of the mailer, shown below, states “Make community college truly about community…MAKE IT FREE!

A second side highlights free community college for Tallahassee residents, accountability, job creation and no new taxes.

Daniels’ campaign literature states that “I am running a progressive campaign for Mayor in the Capital City of our nation’s third largest state. I am running because I believe we need progressive leaders who believe in freedom, fairness, and opportunity for all people, and that will fight relentlessly for working class families.”

Progressives often advocate policies that redistribute wealth as a solution to the unfairness they see in economic outcomes. For example, Bernie Sanders, who Daniels campaigned with in August (see picture above), supports a government determined living wage and free college tuition.

Daniels’ campaign website states his desire to “create scholarship programs for free community college, technical, and vocational training aligned to existing and emerging high-wage jobs.” This language appears to be more limiting than the broad support for free community college tuition expressed on the mailer.

Daniels finished second in the mayoral primary and will face Leon County Commissioner John Dailey in a November runoff.

In 2016 the competitive bid process indicated that someone other than the current Daniels’ campaign donor should be awarded the federal lobbying contract.

However, Daniels – as the chairmen of the review committee -signed off on a recommendation that all bids be rejected.

The city commission adopted the recommendation and awarded a one-year $90,000 contract to Richard Spees, the second place bidder.

In 2017, Daniels recommended a one-year extension of the $90,000 lobbying contract for Spees. Again, the city commission voted to adopt Daniels’ recommendation.

Campaign records show that on April 6, 2018 Richard Spees donated $2,000 to Tallahassee Forward, the political action committee supporting the mayoral bid of Dustin Daniels.

In 2016, Daniels recommended that William Peebles P. A.  receive a tw0-year state electric lobbying contract.

Again, the city commission accepted the recommendations.

On April 30th Peebles donated $1,000 to Tallahassee Forward and and on April 23rd donated $250 to Daniels’ campaign.

Also, in 2016, Daniels recommended that Ronald Book P.A. receive the tw0-year state legislative lobbying contract.

On June 19th ESP Media and Pittman Law each donated $250 to the Daniels’ campaign.

ESP Media and Pittman Law are controlled by Sean Pittman who is part of the Ronald Book P.A. lobbying team.

In addition, ESP Media has been paid approximately $12,000 in campaign expenses by entities supporting Daniels’ campaign.

Joining Daniels in Las Vegas was Adam Corey, the owner of the lobbying group Unconventional Strategies. The trip took place during the last week of April 2016.

The group of developers present in Las Vegas – who are now presumed to have been undercover FBI agents – included Mike Miller, Brian Butler, and Mike Sweets.

Daniels’ visit to Las Vegas raises several ethical questions. Why is a city official vacationing with a registered city lobbyist -Unconventional Strategies – and developers who are looking to work with the City of Tallahassee?

Also, who paid for the trip?

Previous reports have documented Mayor Andrew Gillum in New York City with Corey and the undercover agents.

Sources say the contingent was in Las Vegas days prior to a previously reported Costa Rica trip which took place during the first week of May 2016.

Daniels confirmed the Las Vega trip during a video interview of mayoral candidates hosted by the Tallahassee Democrat. Daniels said he was in Vegas vacationing with people associated with Unconventional Strategies and that the developers were also present.

Based on the timing of events, Corey left Las Vegas, returned to Tallahassee and, within a day or two, headed to Costa Rico to meet up with a group that included Mayor Andrew Gillum, Jai Gillum, Sean Pittman, Audra Pittman, Adam Corey, Austin Rain, Cody Schwartz, Darcie Morningstar and Mary Kucek.

The timing of the Las Vegas trip means that Adam Corey was with the undercover FBI agents just days before he set up a meeting with Gillum to meet the “developers” while he was in Costa Rica.

The Tallahassee Democrat reported that “during that Costa Rican vacation, Corey sent a calendar invite to Gillum scheduling a May 16 meetup at the Edison between himself, Gillum and the now infamous undercover FBI agent Mike Miller..”

TR will continue to investigate.

In addition, Schweers authored the “Costa Rica Coincidence”, a story that many viewed as a negative portrayal of a family trip by one of Daniels’ opponent’s.

Daniels is the former Chief of Staff for Mayor Andrew Gillum and a current candidate for Tallahassee mayor.

This is the same Dustin Daniels that met with Tallahassee Democrat editor William Hatfield in 2016 and agreed to pay the Democrat $10,00o in city tax dollars for favorable coverage of a Gillum initiative.

In an election cycle that has seen more candidates filing for local office than in the past – six in the mayors race -why is the Tallahassee Democrat focusing so much press on Dustin Daniels?

Also, none of the stories mention any of Daniels’ questionable actions with the NGP VAN software controversy, his travels with city lobbyists and city vendors, and his use of free tickets for concerts and football games.

Where are the difficult questions about his actions as Gillum’s Chief of Staff?

The Tallahassee Democrat Stories

The reports on Daniels began in January 2018 before he was a candidate for any public office with a story about a possible candidacy.

Schweers wrote a story titled “Dustin Daniels launches website; is campaign announcement next?”

Then in April, when Daniels was still not a candidate, Schweers wrote a story titled, “Dustin Daniels, mayor’s chief of staff, launches campaign video.”

Then, just over a week later Schweers wrote an article titled “Dustin Daniels, Mayor Gillum’s chief of staff, to run for boss’s job.”

Then on June 5th Schweers wrote an article titled “Restaurant to share proceeds with Dustin Daniels for mayor’s race.”

Next, on June 11th,  was an article by Schweers titled ” Costa Rica coincidence: Mayoral candidate John Dailey vacations at Kearney bungalow” two months after Leon County Commissioner John Dailey entered the mayor’s race.

This article did not mention Daniels, but rather, highlighted his opponent.

Coming on the heels of a report about a Costa Rica trip by Andrew Gillum involving lobbyists, city vendors and untraceable payments of cash, the title of the article alone reflected negatively on Dailey.

But the article went further and included a discussion of the ethically questionable details of the Gillum trip.

Hatfield defended the article, but one reader stated, “In this case the Costa Rican connection IS a coincidence, but the paper connecting it to the Gilliam (sic) story isn’t. It gets clicks.”

Then on June 21st Schweers wrote an article entitled “Dustin Daniels turns Children’s Services Council into campaign issue.”

Hopefully not.

Tallahassee Reports reached out to Daniels to include him in the paper’s ongoing political profiles of candidates running for local office. Evidently, he was unable to return any of our calls.

Questions for Daniels were designed to determine if Daniels was looking to be Gillum 2.0 or his own man.

As the former Chief of Staff to the Office of the Mayor, does he see being Gillum’s right-hand man as a curse or a blessing in his quest to become Tallahassee’s next mayor?

How is he different from Gillum? What are his priorities if elected? Which of the city’s many projects he oversaw is he most proud? What are some Gillum’s priorities or projects that Daniels would like to amend or do away with?

How would Daniels’s address Tallahassee’s crime problem? Does he see the FBI investigation as an isolated incident or is there a climate of corruption and cronyism in the Capital City? What changes, if any, would he make in the City’s dealings with lobbyists? With the Ethics Board?

Who knows?

All voters can ascertain from his campaign website is that he was “product of poverty and social hardship” but the beneficiary of “a great deal of privilege.” He is highly educated, having graduated from Florida State University (FSU) and the London School of Economics.

He was Chief of Staff to the Office of the Mayor and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the City of Tallahassee for the last four years. He is the youngest teaching faculty member at FSU’s College of Social Science and Public Policy, and lectures frequently on International Development, Social Entrepreneurship, and Interdisciplinary Social Policy.

His website says, “Before taking his role in local government, Dustin worked as a consultant in international development and corporate social responsibility, working with clients such as IBM, Barclays Bank, CARE International, Practical Action Sri Lanka, and the Rwandan Ministry of Education. Dustin has worked in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in over 10 countries, and continues to serve in various volunteer roles with several global and local nonprofit organizations.”

But as far as any specifics on his plans for the city, voters need to take his word that he will “move the city forward” in a positive manner. No other local media has dared to ask Daniels these questions. When Tallahassee Reports attempted to ask, the silence was deafening.

In addition, Corey was a registered lobbyist with the city of Tallahassee.

The trip has been confirmed by multiple sources.

Sources have told TR that the travelers included Andrew Gillum, Jai Gillum, Sean Pittman, Audra Pittman, Adam Corey, Austin Rain, Cody Schwartz, Darcie Morningstar and Mary Kucek.

Sources also say Ms. Kusek worked with Computer Aid Inc., which hired Corey’s firm to lobby the city of Tallahassee during 2015 and 2016. At the time of the trip, Corey’s lobbying business -Unconventional Strategies – was actively seeking business with the city of Tallahassee for Compute Aid Inc.

Previous reports indicate Gillum has a history of traveling with Corey and/or Pittman.

In February, 2015 TR broke a story about a Gillum trip to Pittsurgh that took place in January, 2015, which included Corey, Pittman and current mayoral candidate Dustin Daniels.

The Tallahassee Democrat followed up with a story and reported that the trip was not an official city trip and no city dollars were used. Daniels retroactively took a vacation day after reports about the trip went public.

In August 2017, TR broke a story about a Gillum trip to Tampa which took place in February, 2016. The trip included Adam Corey and Dustin Daniels. The trio flew on a private plan owned by a developer with an interest in doing business with the City of Tallahassee.

The Tallahassee Democrat followed up with a story and reported that the Mayor Gillum paid for the Tampa trip out of his office account, which can only be used for official business related to his office.

Also, in August 2017, TR broke details about a Gillum trip to New York city  which took place August, 2016. The trip included Corey, developers that are now believed to have been undercover FBI agents and Gillum’s brother, Marcus. Gillum has yet to say who paid for anything on the trip.

Florida law requires public officials to disclose gifts from lobbyists with a value over $100. None of Gillum’s gift disclosure forms obtained by TR mention anything about the trips outlined above.

In the limited public comments made by Gillum about his travels with city vendors, lobbyists and developers, Gillum shows little concern about the perception and/or the possiblity of conflicts of interest. For example, referring to the New York trip, Gillum told WCTV , “It was frankly a couple of friends getting together.”

WCTV reporter Mariel Carbone broke the initial story about the New York trip.

A review of the Dailey’s report shows 374 donations totaling approximately $80,725.

One of Dailey ‘s donors was gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham. Ms. Graham donated the maximum allowed -$250. Dailey previously endorsed Graham in her campaign for governor.

Also filing his first report, Dustin Daniels reported donations of $4,228 from 44 donors. A review of his report shows that over 50% the donors were from outside Tallahassee.

Daniels is Mayor Andrew Gillum’s former chief of staff.

The Political Action Committee believed to be affiliated with Daniels, Progress Tallahassee, has reported 43 donations for a total $16,468 since it was opened in March. A review of donors shows that less than 50% of the donations, approximately $7,400, listed addresses in Tallahassee.

Two other mayoral candidates also filed campaign reports. Joe West’s campaign  has raised a total of $2,455 through 23 donations and the Erik David campaign has raised $1,435 through 32 donations.

However, the web of local government connections that exist between members of the Board of Directors at TLFCU and local government vendor Vancore Jones, raises several questions about possible conflicts if she is elected.

A review of the Board of TLFCU reveals that Dustin Daniels and Ben Pingree, the Director of Tallahassee/Leon PLACE which oversees Blueprint activities, serve on the Board.

Dustin Daniels, the former chief of staff for Mayor Andrew Gillum as of March 21, 2018, is considering a run for local office himself.

But beyond his political aspirations, Daniels has courted controversy through his actions relating to Mayor Andrew Gillum’s email flap and the ticket scandal that forced City Manager Rick Fernandez to resign.

Pingree, in his role as a local government official, reports to the Intergovernmental Agency (IA) where city and county elected officials sit jointly.

Pingree is responsible for the management and oversight of Planning, Land Management, and Community Enhancement departments, including the nearly $1 billion “Blueprint 2020” program.

Pingree has served on the TLFCU board since 2006. This means that Mr. Pingree more than likely had a role in hiring Ms. Brown as CEO.

If elected, Ms. Brown would be voting on Blueprint proposals generated by Mr.Pingree’s office as a member of the IA.

Over the next four years the IA will be voting on how to spend millions of dollars in Blueprint economic development money.

And finally, Vancore Jones, who reportedly courted Ms. Brown in the time before she announced her candidacy, is a vendor for Blueprint – the office overseen by Mr. Pingree.

TR has reached out to Ms. Brown to inquire about her view on the potential conflicts.

On the heals of brokering a deal with Mayor Andrew Gillum to crop an embarrassing picture in return for a favorable interview, the Tallahassee Democrat continues to show favor to those who are operating within in the Gillum orbit. These power players include Dustin Daniels, Sean Pittman and Kevin Cate.

First, there was a story about a website for a Daniels’ potential candidacy.  The article was by Jeff Schweers. The same Schweers that penned the “cropped picture” story.

This story came as others who actually filed for local office struggled to get coverage in the Tallahassee Democrat.

Now comes more free PR a story about a video that clearly promotes Dustin Daniels before he has even filed for an office. The story, again, is penned by Jeff Schweers.

This free publicity for a potential candidate, combined with other actions by the Tallahassee Democrat has other candidates raising serious questions about the bias of the Tallahassee Democrat.

And there is more.

Back on March 7, 2018 FloridaPolitics.com broke a story about a campaign video released by a filed candidate for city commission, Jeremy Matlow. A few days later TR followed with an article.

From the TR article:

“The campaign advertisement, coming from a Democrat and self-proclaimed progressive, implies the current City of Tallahassee leadership has ignored struggling families on the southside. The video provides imagery of Cascades Park and the million dollar bridge over South Monroe Street and informs viewers that poverty is not far from these publicly financed amenities.”

The emotional video, to date, has garnered in excess of 27,000 views but has been unable to garner any attention from Mr. Schweers or the Gannett owned Tallahassee Democrat.

Especially if you are filming a video in front of city hall within view of the politicos trading war stories about the recently completed legislative session outside of the Governor’s Club.

This is even more complicated if the video production is being over seen by Kevin Cate and stars Audra Pittman, former City Manager Anita Favors-Thompson and Dustin Daniels – Mayor Gillum’s chief of staff.

Tallahassee Reports was told by several people this was the scene in front of city hall Friday afternoon.

Kevin Cate is a communications consultant for Andrew Gillum’s gubernatorial candidacy.

Audra Pittman is the Executive Director of COCA – the Council on Culture & Arts – and the wife of local attorney and political consultant Sean Pittman.

These people also claim that the contingent of insider local politicos gathered in front of city hall were making a video for the eventual Dustin Daniels campaign for city commission.

They also note that if this the case, Daniels is following the roll out of his boss’s camapign by violating campaign laws.

Back in March of 2017, Gillum made a campaign video for his gubernatorial candidacy before filing the proper campaign paperwork.

Under Florida statute, a potential candidate is generally prohibited from accepting political contributions or making expenditures for a future campaign until that person has opened a campaign account.

Politico reported that the Gillum ad was made well before a campaign account was opened.

Currently there is no record of a campaign account for Dustin Daniels – maybe he filed late today.

If not and if there is an eventual Daniels candidacy be ready for some one to file an elections complaint.

Sources confirm that Daniels watched the concert from Adam Corey’s Civic Center luxury box.

Tallahassee Reports was told that the box or suite costs approximately $30,000 a year to lease.

The Tucker Civic Center leases 34 suites with benefits that include their own private entrance and private concourse, preferred parking, private Arena entrance, food and beverage catering and from the Premium Services Department.

Sources say that approximately $1,200 was spent on catering and beverages during the concert.

Also, Tallahassee Reports has recovered a text message from Dustin Daniels to an Adam Corey associate inquiring about the tickets. The text message, shown below, said:

Hey is Adam having folks in his box tonight for earth wind and fire.

During 2017, Corey’s lobbying business, Unconventional Strategies LLC, was registered with the City of Tallahassee to represent the interests of six businesses.

Adam Corey is a central figure in the ongoing FBI investigation.

Tallahassee Reports has published a number of stories about the relationship between Daniels and Corey, including a report on Daniels referring business to Corey in his role as Mayor Gillum’s Chief of Staff.

Also, the Tallahassee Democrat recently wrote an article about Daniels possibly running for office. From the Democrat:

“Dustin Daniels, chief of staff to Tallahassee mayor and gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum, has launched an Internet page that has all the makings of a campaign website, minus the political disclaimer. There’s a professional-looking, full-faced, color portrait photo. A short, moving bio of his humble beginnings and redemption after hints of trouble with the law. A glowing educational and work resume. A sponsored post on Facebook ensuring it was at the top of news feeds.”

The concert ticket revelations come amid a continuing scandal involving reports that a number of city officials received FSU football tickets that provided access to Adam Corey’s football skybox.