Scott Swope Democratic Candidate for Pinellas County Sheriff P.O.

Box 1021 Palm Harbor, FL 34682-1021

Contact: Scott Swope 727-743-0800 SwopeforSheriff@gmail.com

Gualtieri should decline contribution from jail building company

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (Nov. 2, 2012) Scott Swope, the Democratic candidate for Pinellas County sheriff, said today that interim sheriff Bob Gualtieri should ask an Electioneering Communications Organization that supports him to return a $3,000 contribution from a company that specializes in the construction of jails. The Electioneering Communications Organization, or ECO, is called Citizens for a Safer Pinellas. It was formed to support Gualtieris candidacy. The $3,000 contribution came from Pauly Jail Building Co., a company that specializes in the construction of jail facilities. It was detailed in a report submitted at the end of July in a financial report submitted to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections. Pauly Jail Building Co. is based in Noblesville, Ind., but it maintains an office in Pinellas County. While the Citizens for a Safer Pinellas is an ECO that is not controlled directly by the Gualtieri campaign, I believe it is inappropriate for a company that builds jails to contribute

dollars to a sheriffs campaign, Swope said. I believe that Bob Gualtieri should immediately demand that Citizens for a Safer Pinellas return the $3,000 to Pauly Jail Building Co. Further, Gualtieri should reveal whatever connections he has with Pauly Jail Building Co., or its executives, because this contribution gives the impression of a conflict of interest, Swope said. Is Pauly Jail Building Co. trying to buy influence with the Sheriffs Office, a potential future client? If such a contribution were made in support of my campaign, I would insist that the money be returned. According to the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, an ECO is defined as follows: An electioneering communications organization is any group, other than a political party, political committee, or committee or continuous existence, whose election-related activities are limited to making expenditures for electioneering communications or accepting contributions for the purpose of making electioneering communications and whose activities would not otherwise require the group to register as a political party, political committee, or committee of continuous existence A recent story in the Tampa Bay had this to say about ECOs: Critics say that (ECOs) do candidates' dirty work by funding attack ads and that their impenetrable structure conceals special interests at work behind the scenes. Scott Swope is the Democratic candidate for sheriff, running against Gov. Rick Scotts appointee, interim sheriff Bob Gualtieri. Swope, a former traffic homicide investigator and magistrate, is running on a platform focused on violent crimes, traffic safety, crimes against seniors and children, human trafficking, and responsible gun ownership. He has broad support across party lines includes numerous current and former elected officials, the AFL-CIO, and the Libertarian Party of Pinellas County. -0Editors note: For additional information or comments, please contact Scott Swope at 727743-0800 or at SwopeforSheriff@gmail.com . ##