Battie

DEMOCRAT BATTIE CAMPAIGN CONNECTED TO NEFARIOUS REPUBLICAN COUNSUTANT

BATTIE COUNSUTANT OUT OF GAINSVILLE CONNECTED TO CRIMINAL GHOST CANDIDATE

Democrat Sarasota City Commission Kyle Battie has received thousands of dollars from a PAC based in Tampa called Sarasota Arts and Cultural Coalition that has expedited over $95,000 to company out of Gainesville Florida called Data Targeting.

Baimter

The owner of Data Targeting, Inc., is Pat Bainter, a powerful devious Republican political operative based in Gainesville, who was recently involved with former Florida Senator Frank Artiles criminally convicted and sentenced for election campaign violations concerning a "Ghost" candidate in Miami..

Artilies

Artiles was arrested in Miami and convicted by a Miami-Dade Circuit Court jury, the latest fallout from the state’s 2020 “ghost candidates” scandal. Jurors found Artiles guilty of excessive campaign contributions, specifically six that totaled up to $26,812.92. He was also convicted of conspiring to make campaign contributions and procuring the falsification of a candidate oath form

Mast

Where is local States Attorney Ed Brodsky investigating elected Sarasota County Commissioner Teresa Mast in using Mast's canmpaign manager's daughter as a "Ghost" candidate?

Watkins

How much of that $95,000 from the PAC has gone into the Republican consultant working on the Democrat Battie campaign is unknow. In a call to the registered agent from the Sarasota Phoenix to Nancy Watkins at her Tampa Office, Watkins would not reveal that information since all information is confidential.

Clermont

Watkins stated she would contact Dan Clermont and Ronnie Shurgar in Sarasota, who are the Chairman and Treasurer of the PAC to contact the Phoenix—no call from the duo was received. Clermont is a City of Sarasota Planner Board member and also a major contributor to Battie’s campaign.

Ronnie Shugar & Donda Mullis, Founders/Owners, Raw Sugar LLC

Shurgar Champagne and caviar bar that Battie hopes to gather another VIP on Shugar's dime

Shurgar is the Treasurer of the Sarasota Arts and Culture Coalition PAC and the co-founder of Raw Shugar LLC. Shugar plans on opening the Sugar Champagne Bar and according SARASOTA MAGAZINE, “Shugar will be opening a swanky lounge with a live piano and caviar in Downtown Sarasota."

No doubt Shugar has witnessed how the owners of the Corona Cigar Bar in Downtown Sarasota have patronized Battie when he was the Mayor of Sarasota to promote the Corona Cigar Bar in Downtown Sarasota where Battie is a VIP at the bar.

Battie party’s hardy as a Very Important Person (VIP) at the Corona Cigar Bar and could it be Battie could become a VIP at Shugar Champagne and caviar bar.. Take a look as the then Mayor of Sarasota opening up the Corona Cigar bar in Downtown Sarasota drinking their most expensive cocktails and smoking their most expensive cigars.

BAINTER NEFARIOUS ACTIONS CENTER FOR YEARS ON ESTABLISHMENT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES

Over the years, Bainter has helped dozens of Republican members of Congress, state representatives, and state senators get elected. No reports of being involved with Democrats until now..

Battie’s Republican consultant, Bainter Republican clients have included Governor Ron DeSantis, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, and former Senate presidents Joe Negron and Mike Haridopolos.

• Bainter has worked closely with the last three Republican state Senate presidents, along with dozens of other sitting lawmakers.

• More than 60 political committees and groups close to Bainter funnel money to boost candidates' chances of winning, while creating a mind-boggling maze of campaign funds that make it near-impossible to trace the initial donor.

Galvano

Bainter’s company was an integral part of Sen. Keith Perry’s controversial re-election campaign through research, consulting, polling and mailers paid for by groups run by Stafford Jones and the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, or FRSCC, headed by Senate President Bill Galvano. 

BAINTER AND CONVICTED FELON ARTILES “GHOST” CANDIDATE

Battie’s Republican consultant has been recently involved with Antilles, who a Miami jury three weeks ago found Artiles, a former state legislator and low-level political operative, guilty of three felony counts for paying tens of thousands of dollars to a third-party sham candidate in a 2020 state senate race with the goal of softening support for Jose Javier Rodriguez, the then-Democratic incumbent who was despised by one of the state's most powerful corporations, Florida Power & Light.

Records show Artiles had an exclusive political contract with Data Targeting, Inc. worth $15,000 per month, totaling $90,000 plus expenses.

In testimony concerning the Bainter involvement with the Antilles the rarely seen Republican political consultant Bainter in a Miami courtroom took the stand. Bainter stated he paid Artiles $15,000 a month and sent $100,000 to a political action committee on behalf of the former senator for background information on incumbent Javier Rodriguez,

Bainter was asked to do so, according to defense attorneys, by the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee in Tallahassee — he’s been their lead consultant for almost two decades — in a quest to defeat Javier Rodriguez. “We were looking for someone down here with intel,” Bainter said under questioning.

What no one would openly say: Who paid Bainter to hire Artiles, who went on to spend almost $50,000 on ghost candidate Alex Rodriguez?

Bainter was also involved in the recent Republican Primary Hospital Board races. Bainter was paid over $100,000 by establishment Republican candidates, who took out the America First Health Freedom candidates.

Bainter, hasn't responded to numerous requests to speak with The Sarasota Phoenix about his business with Battie. His secretary said he wasn't interested.

BAINTER’S BAG MAN-JONES

Bainter friend, William “Stafford” Jones, is the former longtime chairman of the Alachua County Republican Executive Committee, was implicated in the 2012 gerrymandering scandal where Bainter's company was found to have illegally drawn district lines to favor Republicans.

Jones operates 55 political committees in Florida and several other nonprofit organizations, some of which have ties to Data Targeting. One of the PAC’S Jones is a $2.5 million Florida State Senator Joe Grouters PAC.

Anderson

Other Jones PACs, Moms Speak Out and Social Justice, were run by a Gainesville woman connected to Jones and his company, Data Systems. Those PACs helped pay for ads that targeted Venice City Council member Deborah Anderson on behalf of local developer Pat Neal. Jones, too, has declined to answer questions about some of their political work.

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIORS TO THE BATTIE CAMPAIGN HAS BUSINESS BEFORE CITY COMMISSION

Neal

Campaign contributions to the Sarasota Arts and Cultural Coalition include $5,000 from Republican multimillion dollar developer Pat Neal.

Buchanan

There is also $10,000 from 1099 Management Company, which is Sarasota Ford owned and operated by Matt Buchanan, who is the son of U.S Congressman Vern Buchanan.

Among many others include the following paying off Bainter to do his “magic” for Battie above and beyond individual contributions to Battie.

Here are some of the local white folks from the Arts and Cultural Coalition, who have stuffed Battie in their pockets after he stumbled back to Sarasota, as a failed model waking the model runways in Miami Beach and New York:

$25,000 FRIENDS OF SARASOTA'S ARTS & CULTURAL COALITION

$2,500 FROM KIM GITHLER

$1,000 FROM ROBERT ROMINIECKI HUSBAND OF THE CEO OF SELBY GARDENS JENNIFER ROMINIECKI

$1,000 FROM PAULINE WAMSLER

$1,000 FROM DAN CLERMONT

$1,000 FROM IAN BLACK

$1,000 FROM HOYT ARCHITECTS

$2,500 FROM LAWRENCE SASLAW

$5,000 FROM WILLIAM McCOMB

$2,500 SARASOTA MODERN HOTEL

Here are some of the white economic and political “leaders “who have also stuffed Battie in their pockets after he stumbled back to Sarasota after being arrested for abusing a dog and being evicted from his apartment in Indianapolis.

ALL contributors are white folks, ALL live out outside Battie’s District 1 and ALL involved with projects coming before their step and fetch waterboy, Battie.

ALL are making $millions having this DOCUMENTED dumb ass politician deep in their pockets, supporting the City of Sarasota becoming an enclave of wealthy white folks, as the racist gentrification of Battie’s District 1 continues.

Here are some of the lily white economic, political and culture white folks who have stuffed this loser Battie in their pockets after he stumbled back to Sarasota, as a failed model waking the model runways in Miami Beach and New York:

William Merrill III, Karen Merrill, Mark Vengroff, Josh Weiner, Ian Black, Main Street Partners LLT, Jeremy Schwimmer, Daid Koffman, Gary Hoyt, Cask and Ale Bar, Patrick McArdle, Jennifer Rominiecki, Sailesh Atluru, Jonathan Mitchell, Max Goodman, Jeffrey Borysiewicz, Jesse Biter, Jeremy Schwimmer, Main Street Sarasota General Partner LTD, Shore LBK LLC, Mark Caragiulo, Frank Lacivita, Scott Berger, Realtors Political Advocacy Committee, David Sessions, William Walsh, Patrick, Walsh, Eric Baird, Charles Bailey Ill and the Sarasota Kennel Club Inc..

Benderson

One of the 37 included three $1,000 contributions from Randy Benderson, who has contributed $millions into Sarasota County Commissioners stuffed in his pockets.

BATTIE'S OPPONENT FOR SARASOTA CITY COMMISSION DISTRICT 1 FELTON

Battie is running against Sequoia Felton, a political newcomer, who is running on a “people first, second and third” platform. She moved to Sarasota from Manatee County in 2006, and she said she’ll voice the perspective of her Newtown neighbors if elected to the commission.

Dissatisfied with current representation, Felton said she feels District 1 has been neglected as Sarasota continues to grow. Her own frustration with the city’s lack of affordable housing, she said, spurred her to run for the seat.

“All of a sudden, I’m working hard but I can’t afford to live here,” Felton said. “My questions weren’t getting answered.” Felton has categorized herself as a resident who’s tuned into the issues of her neighborhood with firsthand experience.

“I just want the community to understand I’m a woman who cares,” Felton said. “If you don’t have a heart for people, I don’t think you can lead properly.”

Felton states, "United we stand! Whether you call Newtown, Rosemary, Amaryllis Park, Gillespie Park, Janie’s Gardens, Bertha Mitchell, McCown Tower, Park East, Bayou Oaks, or Central Cocoanut “home,” we are all neighbors who share a common interest in seeing all boats lifted as our city grows. Let’s roll up our sleeves and work together for a better Sarasota."

Felton has been endorsed by a coalition of the city’s legacy leaders including Jetson Grimes, Fredd Atkins, Sarasota’s first Black mayor, and Willie Charles Shaw, a former city commissioner.

“When it comes to public service, character counts. Sequoia Felton is well-grounded, with strong roots in the community. Her background in caregiving gives her the skills to listen. Felton has served on the city of Sarasota human relations board and is an active member of the workforce. She is resilient, learning from life’s challenges. She has a strong spirit, the faith into representing the community well. Someone you can trust to be there in times of need, and put faith into represent the community well." - Willie Charles Shaw.

Jon Susce

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