'Nightmare scenario': How FPL secretly manipulated a Florida state Senate election

[William769]

Florida Power & Light had a problem.

A strong Democratic challenger was threatening to unseat a friendly Republican incumbent in a Gainesville-area state Senate race in 2018. FPL, one of the country’s largest utilities, needed to make sure the GOP held onto the seat.

So FPL used a shadowy nonprofit group to secretly bankroll a spoiler candidate, a longtime Democrat named Charles Goston, according to new documents obtained by the Miami Herald. Running as a no-party candidate in the general election, Goston helped split the liberal vote, siphoning off enough votes from the Democratic challenger to swing the race to the GOP incumbent.

The documents show that FPL sent $200,000 to the nonprofit, a Washington, D.C.-based group called Broken Promises, in the fall of 2018. Within five weeks, Broken Promises had donated $20,000 to Goston’s political committee and spent roughly $115,000 on mailers and advertising supporting him. Best of all for FPL: Because of its nonprofit status, Broken Promises didn’t have to disclose its donors — meaning the cash was untraceable. No one would know that FPL had paid to secretly manipulate a state election in favor of Republicans. Voters were in the dark about who funded Goston and why.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/nightmare-scenario-how-fpl-secretly-manipulated-a-florida-state-senate-election/ar-AA10lKDV?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=730f9d9411b6448d8a680006e94a36aa

[A HERETIC I AM]

1. Conservative political ideology can not win in this country unless they cheat.

That's why they have concentrated on local and state government, so it's easier for them to take over larger issues.

FPL keeps sending me mail, even though my utility is JEA.

I don't trust Florida Power and Light as far as I can throw them.

[William769]

2. I can't trust them either.

My electric is Lee County Electric Co-Op.

[A HERETIC I AM]

3. I lived in Ft. Myers and Bonita!

I had an apartment off Summerlin and Gladioulus and then down in Bonita Springs off 41 just north of Bonita Beach Blvd. Lived there from '06 through '09 and then moved up to the Port Charlotte area (Englewood).


My oldest brother lived in that area for 30 years.

Where are you?

Shitfire, we could have been neighbors!

There's at least 2 other DU'ers I've come across that live in Lee County.

[William769]

4. I grew up in Naples, did my career in Miami.

I have lived in North Fort Myers since 1998.

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. Dad was stationed in Miami shortly after Kennedy was shot

He bought a house off of SW 112th street and Galloway Road. We moved away in '64 for ten years and came back in the mid 70's. I graduated HS from Miami Killian, Class of 77.

I've been in JAX now since 2012.

Well...howdy fellow Floridiot!



As to the subject at hand, no doubt FPL is a bit of a fucked up organization. They've been bullshitting about Turkey Point for decades.

[William769]

6. I know Turkey Point well

I lived in Hartford Square across from the Air Force Base. I found out about the monthly emergency siren test before anybody told me about it. And is it loud.

[A HERETIC I AM]

7. Our house was about 16 miles due north of that facility.

So I don't think I ever heard their siren.

Fighters from Homestead AFB on their way to the Avon Park bombing range often flew right over the house though, albeit at 5000' plus.

Ahhhh.....the good ol' days in Dade County! The 70's and 80's. Cocaine Cowboys and Square Grouper!

[William769]

8. I miss the 80's in so many ways

Especially in Dade County!