BREAKING: New Donors Join Niles’ Shadow Wars.
Niles’ controlled PAC continues texting people with negative ads about mayoral challenger Sam Kaufman with new donors continue to spur the effort on.
The shadow text smear campaign being orchestrated by former Niles Sales and Service partner and Key West Conch’s athletic supporter Jack Niles against Commissioner and mayoral candidate Sam Kaufman continues to receive donations, although it has yet to show any expenditures other than $21.10 paid to ABETON, an online payment-processing website ostensibly used to collect donations.
To date, Henriquez has not disavowed Nile’s efforts, however Kaufman took to social media Thursday morning to disavow any such behavior by his campaign.
Niles is also an ardent supporter of incumbent Mayor Danise Henriquez.
In a P3 filing with Florida’s Division of Elections, Niles’ Families & Friends for the Keys PAC received a $250 donation from Roostica and Hogfish Bar & Grill owner Bobby Mongelli, a $520 donation from Marathon resident Denise Holland-Schmitt, who is listed as the registered agent for Coldwell Banker Schmitt, and $10,000 from Hollywood-based real estate developer Jeffry Cornfeld.
The large donation from Cornfeld might not make any sense unless you go back in time to when, with a former City Commission’s blessing and funding, the developer swindled Key West out of Peary Court.
The developer promised to create affordable housing and even expand the project by 44 units, an effort that never came to fruition — despite the City handing him $12.5 million to purchase the property.
When I originally broke the story about the Niles-founded PAC, it was picked up by Sunburn, the morning newsletter for FloridaPolitics.com.
Despite numerous residents opting out of the text messages, people say they continue to receive them.
We’ll be keeping an eye on the dirty tricks being used by people affiliated with the Henriquez campaign.
It is almost reminiscent of Watergate and CREEP (Committee to Re-elect the President.)
As things develop, we’ll continue following the story and future donation and expenditure filings.
This is an evolving story. Watch this space.
Regardless of which candidate someone supports, voters deserve transparency and accountability in our local elections.
Independent political committees have the legal right to participate in campaigns, BUT when negative text campaigns are funded by outside donors, the public has every right to ask who is paying for them, what their interests are, and why they are involved in a local mayoral race.
I appreciate that Commissioner Sam Kaufman publicly distanced himself from these negative tactics. I would also welcome hearing from every candidate regarding their position on independent expenditures and whether they support or reject campaigns that rely on anonymous or third-party attacks.
At the end of the day, elections should be about ideas, qualifications, and a vision for Key West—not about shadow campaigns and negative messaging. An informed electorate deserves openness, honesty, and respect from everyone involved.