we’re going to run a race that is powered by people. It’s going to be your $25 dollar contributions, your $5, your $10, that’s going to make it possible for a people-centric message to break through. Because we need to tell these special interests that we run this state, not them. That there are more us … than there are of them.

However, the first look at his campaign donations for governor tell a different story.

The campaign is reporting that he has raised approximately $765,000.

However, of that amount about 68%, or $520,000, has been raised with Gillum’s affiliated Forward Florida Committee which can accept unlimited donations.

Prominent donors include George and Alex Soros, Norman Lear, Jane Fonda, Allison Tant, and state Rep. Loranne Ausley. The campaign says Gillum received support from 56 of Florida’s 67 counties through 3,500 online donations.

Also, the Palm Beach Post is reporting that George Soros and, his son, Alex Soros, gave $150,000 to the Forward Florida Committee. While Norman Lear, founder of Gillum’s former employer, People for American Way, gave $50,000.

Tallahassee Reports has written extensively on Gillum’s connection to George Soros and the People for the American Way.

More details about the donations will be available later this month when a campaign report is filed with the state.

Tallahassee Reports has learned through public records that Mayor Gillum has selected two individuals to fill positions in the Mayor’s Office who have worked for the People for American Way and the People for the American Way Foundation.

Also, records show that Mayor Gillum hired a Community Relations Coordinator who has only lived in Tallahassee since July, 2014 and lists his only employment in Tallahassee as being with the Florida Democratic Party.

As Mayor of Tallahassee, Gillum has the budget and authority to fill three positions that form the Mayors staff.

After his election, Gillum hired Dustin Daniels as his Chief of Staff, Angela Whitaker, his long time assistant at City Hall, as the Internal Affairs Coordinator, and Jamerson Van Pelt as a Community Relations Coordinator.

Dustin Daniels, who is paid approximately $74,000 a year as the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, was employed by the People for the American Way (PFAW) from July 2011 to September 2012.

Part of his job description at PFAW reads  “Oversaw all public policy, research, exchange and support for a network of over 700 young elected leaders serving at the school board, local, municipal, state and congressional levels of government, around the United States. Coordinated the complete restructuring and overhaul of the Network’s policy work, and spearheaded the advancement of policy interventions in areas such as education reform, economic justice and development, social equality, and franchise expansion.”

Dustin Daniels accompanied the Mayor and others to Pittsburgh late last year for a People for the American Way event. Read about the Pittsburgh trip here.

More bio information on Daniels can be found here.

Jamerson Van Pelt, the Mayor’s Community Relations Coordinator, was most recently employed by the Florida Democrat Party as a Communications Assistant beginning July 1, 2014. There is no end date listed on the application. The description  of work performed states “effectively developed a policy book for the candidate to use through the campaign.”

Who was the candidate?

The application does not provide that information, however, a quick search indicates that Mr. Van Pelt worked for the Gwen Graham campaign for US Congress.

Mr. Van Pelt appears to have only lived in Tallahassee since July 1, 2014.

Mayor Gillum also created a Mayoral Fellowship Program when he was elected. The City of Tallahassee website lists three Fellows selected by the Mayor. One of the Fellows is Sakeena Kenton who lists the People for the American Way Foundation as a former employer.

Research indicates that Ms. Kenton worked for the PFAW Foundation in Washington D.C. and also worked as an intern for Congressman Alcee Hastings.

Due to this lack of cooperation, TR has had to turn to anonymous sources, public record requests, and social media to seek answers to questions.

After being told the trip to Pittsburgh was an official trip to discuss children issues with the Mayor of Pittsburgh, Mayor Gillum’s Office reversed course. Gillum’s office most recently has said the trip was not City funded, even though the meeting that took place was on the official calendar of the Mayor of Pittsburgh.

Now a facebook post, discovered by an anonymous source,  has provided more answers.

A post on the facebook page of the Young Elected Officials (YEO) Network shows that Mayor Gillum was in Pittsburgh to pose for a picture accepting a certificate memorializing the Pittsburgh City Council’s vote  proclaiming YEO  Network Weekend in the City of Pittsburgh.

Mayor Gillum is the Executive Director of the The Young Elected Officials Network and it is described as a leadership program on the People for American Way website. Mayor Gillum is paid by the People for American Way Foundation.

More questions remain unanswered.

Did the City of Tallahassee fund any part of the trip? If not, who did?

Why were City of Tallahassee vendors in Pittsburgh the same time as Mayor Gillum and his Chief of Staff, Dustin Daniels?

And finally, why has Mayor Gillum been so reluctant to answer questions about the trip?

TR has a number of public records request pending with the City of Tallahassee and will provide more information when it becomes available.

Gillum is employed by the 501(c)3 arm of the organization called People for the American Way Foundation.

The show, “Flip It Forward”, was scheduled to begin in October and would have chronicled the Benham brothers helping families purchase homes they otherwise could not afford.

On May 6, 2014, the Right Wing Watch, which is financed by the PFAW, posted a story titled “HGTV Picks Anti-Gay, Anti-Choice Extremist For New Reality TV Show.”

The blog described one of the Benham brothers as a ”dedicated right-wing activist in the mold of his father, Flip Benham, who has headed the abortion-clinic protest group Operation Save America.”

The blog focused on the brother’s activities supporting the biblical definition of marriage and their pro-life position when it comes to abortion.

Tallahassee Reports has learned that the HGTV show was not based on the brother’s religious views, but rather on their ten years of success in the real estate industry.  

CNN reported that after the post by the Right Wing Watch blog went public, HGTV tweeted, “HGTV has decided not to move forward with the Benham Brothers’ series.”

CNN also reported that the brothers believed HGTV was bullied into its decision because of the media firestorm. “It was too much for them to bear and they had to make a business decision,” David Benham said.

The People for the American Way

The blog was written by Brian Tashman who is employed by the PFAW. The Right Wing Watch blog is described on their own website as a “project of The People for the American Way.” Also, public records indicate the URL for the Right Wing Watch site is owned by PFAW.

In addition, the PFAW website provides a link for the the Right Wing Watch on its home page. See screen capture below.

The PFAW is a progressive advocacy group and was founded by television producer, Norman Lear, in response to the rise of tele-evangelists in the 1970’s. Actor Alec Baldwin is one of the group’s more popular board members.

While the PFAW claims to be non-partisan, many people acknowledge the group supports liberal causes, including New York Times reporter Charles Savage, whom described the Right Wing Watch blog as a “division of the liberal People for the American Way.”

Public records indicate that City Commissioner Gillum has been affiliated and/or employed by the PFAW through their People for American Way Foundation since 2002 and is currently employed as the Director of Youth Leadership programs.

In addition, City Commissioner Gillum has appeared on MSNBC promoting Right Wing Watch projects on two occasions.

The first time was in May 2011 when he appeared on the Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell to discuss a Right Wing Watch: In Focus report on a group that helps corporate donors get legislation they like placed in statehouses.

And the second time was  in October 2011 when he appeared on PoliticsNation with Rev. Al Sharpton, pictured above, to discuss a Right Wing Watch: In Focus report on attacks on voting rights.

During the second visit, the Rev. Al Sharpton introduced Mr. Gillum and said “your group is breaking a new story on voter suppression.”

Gillum’s Response

Tallahassee Reports reached out to Commissioner Gillum and asked him if he approved of the tactics employed by the Right Wing Watch blog and if personal religious beliefs should be a factor in employment decisions?

Commissioner Gillum first stated he had no affiliation with the group and chose not to answer the questions posed by Tallahassee Reports. Commissioner Gillum’s email response is below.

“I don’t have an affiliation with RWW. Any comment to the contrary would be a blatant disregard for the truth.”

However, the PFAW About Us page, shown below, indicates that both the author of the HGTV article and City Commissioner Andrew Gillum are employed by PFAW.

In a second response to our inquiry, Commissioner Gillum again failed to answer the questions, but provided this comment:

“I have done two interviews about ALEC and voting suppression tactics as a result of reports done by RWW (Right Wing Watch). Two issues that are near and dear to me. I however don’t work for RWW and have no authority to make comments on their behalf. I have commented on their reports when they impact issues I care about, just as I have done any number of times that I have given an interview to any number of TV outlets or newspapers when asked.”

In addition, Commissioner Gillum has told Tallahassee Reports that he is employed by the People for American Way Foundation, not the People for the American Way.

In our next report, Tallahassee Reports will seek to understand how Commissioner Gillum’s relationship with the PFAW influences his positions on issues that are important to the citizens of Tallahassee.