Campaign finance reports show some local candidates well-funded

As local political candidates continue to raise money for the 2016 general elections, campaign finance reports show that coffers are filling up fast.

Charles Hines, Sheriff Tom Knight, Mike Moran and Eric Robinson have all raised nearly or more than $50,000 for their runs at various seats in 2016.

Of those four, only Moran has a registered opponent, though his opponent, Fred “Glossie” Atkins, has only raised $1,000 since July, when he began filing finance reports for the 2016 cycle. Atkins is running against Moran for the District 1 seat on the Sarasota County Commission. Moran has raised almost $54,000 since February.

Hines, who is running for District 5 seat on that board, has raised more than $47,000 since July, and as yet has no opponents registered.

Knight, who also has no opponents registered, has raised more than $83,000 since May.

Eric Robinson is also unopposed, and has raised more than $53,000 since July.

Robinson on fundraising

Robinson said he needs to raise funds to get his message out without resorting to negative campaign tactics, saying political rivals can use media to propagate negative messages.

“I have to pay to get my message out,” he said.

Robinson said that what he called a clerical error would become the subject of a smear campaign. He reported to the Florida Division of Elections on Oct. 22, 2015 that an electioneering communications organization, Citizens United for Future Leaders, for which Robinson is the chairman and treasurer, erroneously made a $1,000 donation to his political campaign. He said the error was the result of a new employee’s clerical mistake.

That $1,000 has since been refunded to Citizens United, but Robinson said he thought it was unlikely it would be the last he heard about the matter, and that he expected democratic politicians to file a complaint with the DOE.

“Do I think it’s going to continue?” he said. “Yes.”