A plea from the citizens of district five of the City of Miami...

One of our readers forwarded us an email written by Minister Nathaniel J. Wilcox who took the time to outline, in detail, all of Reverend Richard P. Dunn's transgressions that were found in his most recent campaign treasurers report for his bid for the City of Miami district 5 commission seat.  Check it out...

Summary

 

City of Miami Commissioner Candidate, Richard P. Dunn II and his treasurer, Claytosha Owens-Fields, has violated numerous sections of the Florida Election Statutes including but not limited to:

1.      Chapter 106.11(1)(a) Expenses of and expenditures by candidates and political committees

a.       This statute was violated because expenditures were paid for in cash and not by means of a bank check drawn upon the campaign account as required by law.

2.      Chapter 106.19 Violations by candidates, persons connected with campaigns, and political committees

a.       This statute was violated because his campaign deliberately failed to include required addresses for each and every of the 221 sequence expenditure entries, the missing expenditure sequence entries #41 through #48, and the entirety of contribution pages 2,8,22, and 23.

3.    Chapter 106.07(4)(a)(7) Reports; certification and filing

a.       This statute was violated because his campaign failed to include required addresses for each and every of the 221 sequence expenditure entries and the missing expenditure sequence entries #41 through #48.

4.    Chapter 106.07(5) Reports; certification and filing

a.       This statute was violated because Loretta Richardson, a campaign worker, denies being paid 43 separate times as willfully certified by Mr. Dunn and Ms. Owens-Fields.

 

Election Law Violations

 

The election laws of the State of Florida govern the District 5 Miami City Commissioner’s election that is scheduled for a general election on November 5, 2013.  Per Chapter 99 of the Florida Statutes, Richard Paul Dunn II is duly qualified to seek election to that office.  Therefore, he must act within the confines of the election laws of the State of Florida.  Additionally, per Florida Statute 106.021(1), Mr. Dunn II and Claytosha Owens-Fields are duly appointed as campaign treasurers for Mr. Dunn’s campaign for the District 5 Commissioner seat.  It is within those respective positions that Mr. Dunn and Ms. Owens-Fields have violated the Election Laws of the State of Florida as indicated in their G1-13 Report that was submitted to the City of Miami Clerks Office.  Moreover, a couple of such violations are considered to be misdemeanor offenses and are punishable by up to 1 year in jail.

 

Florida Statute Election Code Violations

 

1.         Chapter 106.11(1)(a) Expenses of and expenditures by candidates and political committees

 

Each candidate and each political committee which designates a primary campaign depository pursuant to s. 106.021(1) shall make expenditures from funds on deposit in such primary campaign depository only in the following manner, with the exception of expenditures made from petty cash funds provided by s. 106.12:

 

(1)(a) The campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer of a candidate or political committee shall make expenditures from funds on deposit in the primary campaign depository only by means of a bank check drawn upon the campaign account of the candidate or political committee. The campaign account shall be separate from any personal or other account and shall be used only for the purpose of depositing contributions and making expenditures for the candidate or political committee.

 

Per Richard Dunn’s G1-13 Campaign Treasurer’s Report, the following expenditures were paid for in cash and not by means of a bank check drawn upon the campaign account as required by law:

 

A.    Seq. #002—Payment to Castro Malla            ($15.00)

B.     Seq. #004—Payment to Office Depot           ($40.00)

C.     Seq. #006—Payment to Conch Haven           ($8.11)

D.    Seq. #007—Payment to Tony Roma’s           ($51.95)

E.     Seq. #008—Payment to Dunkin Donut*        ($22.92)

F.      Seq. #011—Payment to Shell                         ($14.00)

G.    Seq. #013—Payment to Captain Jim’ *          ($54.31)

H.    Seq. #016—Payment to Sunshine                  ($12.00)          

I.       Seq. #017—Payment to Shell                         ($9.00)

J.       Seq. #019—Payment to Continental              ($12.00)

K.    Seq. #020—Payment to Sushi                        ($24.72)

L.     Seq. #023—Payment to Valero                      ($20.00)

M.   Seq. #024—Payment to McDonalds*                        ($20.82)

N.    Seq. #030—Payment to Service St.                ($10.00)

O.    Seq. #031—Payment to MLK Restaurant      ($12.61)

P.      Seq. #032—Payment to Service 0727            ($6.00)

Q.    Seq. #036—Payment to Boston Market         ($26.18)

R.     Seq. #038—Payment to Snappers                  ($20.30)

S.      Seq. #040—Payment to ML BP                     ($16.00)

T.      Seq. #050—Payment to 94^th Aero Sqadron* ($88.34)

U.    Seq. #051—Payment to Shell Station                        ($18.00)

V.    Seq. #053—Payment to Captain Jim’s           ($45.33)

W.   Seq. #058—Payment to Dunkin Donuts        ($9.60)

X.    Seq. #059—Payment to Sushi                        ($14.82)

Y.    Seq. #061—Payment to Winn-Dixie              ($40.00)

Z.     Seq. #062—Payment to Sunshine                  ($15.00)

AA.                      Seq. #064—Payment to BP                            ($7.00)

BB.                       Seq. #067—Payment to Dunkin Donuts        ($9.60)

CC.                       Seq. #071—Payment to Snappers                  ($9.00)

DD.                      Seq. #072—Payment to Counter Checks       ($4.00)

EE.            Seq. #077—Payment to Shorty’s BBQ          ($96.21)

FF.             Seq. #079—Payment to Shell                         ($18.00)

GG.                      Seq. #084—Payment to Pollo Tropical           ($16.23)

HH.                      Seq. #086—Payment to 54^th Street                ($16.00)

II.                Seq. #091—Payment to Sunshine                  ($18.00)

JJ.                Seq. #093—Payment to Red Lobster             ($73.94)

KK.                      Seq. #095—Payment to Sunshine                  ($20.00)

LL.            Seq. #099—Payment to Snapper                    ($10.73)

MM.                    Seq. #100—Payment to Jackson Soul Food   ($18.38)

NN.                      Seq. #101—Payment to Wendy’s                  ($16.22)

OO.                      Seq. #103—Payment to TGI Fridays             ($53.63)

PP.             Seq. #105—Payment to Regina Johnson, Carol Thomas, Gwen Thompson, Vashawn Johnson, Loretta Richardson, Darcene Potter, & Angela Chain($60.00)

QQ.                      Seq. #106—Payment to BP                            ($10.00)

RR.                       Seq. #108—Payment to Blue Collar               ($33.48)

SS.             Seq. #109—Payment to 71^st St                       ($22.00)

TT.             Seq. #111—Payment to 0727 Service            ($10.00)

UU.                      Seq. #114—Payment to Boston Market         ($37.22)

VV.                      Seq. #123—Payment to Ihop                         ($26.27)

WW.                   Seq. #125—Payment to Chevron                   ($20.00)

XX.                      Seq. #128—Payment to Hess                         ($20.00)

YY.                      Seq. #132—Payment to Ruby Tuesday          ($69.82)

ZZ.            Seq. #134—Payment to Offie Max                ($32.09)

AAA.                Seq. #135—Payment to Sushi                        ($28.73)

BBB.                  Seq. #136—Payment to Exxon Mobil            ($16.00)

CCC.                  Seq. #139—Payment to Florida Continental  ($18.00)

DDD.                Seq. #141—Payment to Chevron                   ($18.00)

EEE.                   Seq. #142—Payment to Wendy’s                  ($6.41)

FFF.                     Seq. #145—Payment to Monty’s                   ($82.84)

GGG.                Seq. #147—Payment to Sonoco                     ($24.00)

HHH.                Seq. #152—Payment to Margaret Restaurant            ($83.94)

III.             Seq. #153—Payment to Regina Johnson, Carol Thomas, Gwen Thompson, Vashawn Johnson, Loretta Richardson, Darcene Potter, & Angela Chain ($20.00)

JJJ.             Seq. #156—Payment to McDonalds              ($9.29)

KKK.                Seq. #157—Payment to Jackson Soul Food   ($13.94)

LLL.                   Seq. #161—Payment to 54^th BP                     ($20.00)

MMM.             Seq. #164—Payment to Shell Service            ($20.00)

NNN.                Seq. #167—Payment to Sushi                        ($14.82)

OOO.                Seq. #168—Payment to Royal Castle                        ($16.41)

PPP.                     Seq. #170—Payment to 54 BP                       ($10.00)

QQQ.                Seq. #171—Payment to Exxon Mobil            ($10.00)

RRR.                  Seq. #173—Payment to Pollo Tropical           ($17.84)

SSS.                     Seq. #178—Payment to Pollo Tropical           ($11.21)

TTT.                     Seq. #179—Payment to Jomar Petroleum      ($20.00)

UUU.                Seq. #182—Payment to Sushi                        ($15.63)

VVV.                Seq. #183—Payment to Jomar Petroleum      ($18.00)

WWW.            Seq. #189—Payment to Margaret Restaurant            ($68.67)

XXX.                Seq. #191—Payment to McDonalds*                        ($14.00)

YYY.                Seq. #194—Dunkin Donut*                           ($9.27)

ZZZ.                   Seq. #202—Payment to Jackson Soul Food   ($21.61)

AAAA.          Seq. #203—Payment to Five Guys                ($23.69)

BBBB.            Seq. #204—Payment to Sushi                        ($15.63)

CCCC.            Seq. #205—Payment to Exxon Mobil            ($22.00)

DDDD.          Seq. #206—Payment to Winn-Dixie              ($8.10)

EEEE.              Seq. #210—Payment to 54^th Street                ($15.75)

FFFF.                Seq. #213—Payment to Sunshine                  ($20.00)

GGGG.          Seq. #217—Payment to 79^th St Vallero          ($15.00)

HHHH.          Seq. #218—Payment to Exxon Mobil            ($16.00)

IIII.                      Seq. #220—Payment to Exxon Mobil            ($18.00)

* Misspelled words as written in the G1-13 Report.

 

2.         Chapter 106.19 Violations by candidates, persons connected with campaigns, and political committees

 

1) Any candidate; campaign manager, campaign treasurer, or deputy treasurer of any candidate; committee chair, vice chair, campaign treasurer, deputy treasurer, or other officer of any political committee; agent or person acting on behalf of any candidate or political committee; or other person who knowingly and willfully:

           

            (a) Accepts a contribution in excess of the limits prescribed by s. 106.08;

            (b) Fails to report any contribution required to be reported by this chapter;

(c) Falsely reports or deliberately fails to include any information required by this chapter; or


(d) Makes or authorizes any expenditure in violation of s. 106.11(4) or any other expenditure prohibited by this chapter;

is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

 

Per Richard Dunn’s G1-13 Campaign Treasurer’s Report, there are numerous entries where it is evident that his campaign deliberately failed to include information required by the aforementioned chapter.  Those entries include each and every of the 221 sequence expenditure entries, the missing expenditure sequence entries #41 through #48, and the contribution pages 2,8,22, and 23.

 

3.        Chapter 106.07(4)(a)(7) Reports; certification and filing

 

                        (4)(a)   Each report required by this section shall contain:

 

                        7.         The full name and address of each person to whom an expenditure for personal services, salary, or reimbursement for authorized expenses as provided in s. 106.021(3) has been made and which is not otherwise reported, including the amount, date, and purpose of such expenditure.

 

Per Richard Dunn’s G1-13 Campaign Treasurer’s Report, there are numerous entries where it is evident that his campaign failed to include information required by the aforementioned chapter.  Those entries include each and every of the 221 sequence expenditure entries and the missing expenditure sequence entries #41 through #48.

 

4.          Chapter 106.07(5) Reports; certification and filing

 

(5) The candidate and his or her campaign treasurer, in the case of a candidate, or the political committee chair and campaign treasurer of the committee, in the case of a political committee, shall certify as to the correctness of each report; and each person so certifying shall bear the responsibility for the accuracy and veracity of each report. Any campaign treasurer, candidate, or political committee chair who willfully certifies the correctness of any report while knowing that such report is incorrect, false, or incomplete commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

 

Claytosha Owens-Fields and Richard Dunn II willfully certified to the correctness of the G1-13 Campaign Treasurer’s Report on October 4, 2013.  Of the many entries that are included as expenses, there is at least one person (Loretta Richardson) who was listed as receiving 43 separate payments from the Richard Dunn Campaign.  However, Ms. Richardson has publicly expressed that she has only received two payments from the Richard Dunn Campaign and those payments were made in cash.  She vehemently denies receiving 41 additional payments from the Richard Dunn Campaign.  Her statement was captured in a Miami Herald article titled, “Dunn campaign workers: We were paid in cash” that was published on October 28, 2013. 

 

In that article, Mr. Greg King, the campaign manager, explained that checks were written to him and he cashed them to pay workers in cash.  However, those checks written to him are not properly listed in the expense report.  Therefore, Ms. Owens-Fields and Mr. Dunn have violated the aforementioned statute and are subject to criminal prosecution because they willfully certified to the correctness of the G1-13 Campaign Treasurer’s Report while knowing that the information contained within the report was incorrect and false.  

YIKES!  The document speaks for itself.  What's it gonna take for the folks over at the City of Miami PD, the State Attorneys Office, or Florida Division of Elections to take action?  If no one on the local level wants to do anything, since Mr. Dunn used the postal service to mail in these potentially fraudulent campaign finance reports, his potential misdeeds come under the purview of the feds as well.  Considering the magnitude of the crimes that may have been committed by Mr. Dunn and his campaign and the number of different agencies, both local and federal that can investigate and subsequently prosecute Mr. Dunn, it would be the ultimate travesty to the citizens of the City of Miami's district 5 if nothing is done.  Like Reverend Wilcox says in his letter...

Our community will not prosper if individuals are allowed to willfully violate the laws and are not held accountable.

With just days left till the election, we'll have to wait and see ultimately what the voters of Mr Dunn's district have to say about Mr. Dunn's activities...