Politics

Attack Ads Launched in AG Race

Pam Bondi hits Dan Gelber on 'scarlet letter law' while Dems attack her on dog

By: Kevin Derby | Posted: October 28, 2010 4:05 AM

Around the State

Attack ads are being run across the Sunshine State as the race to be Florida’s next attorney general has gone to the dogs -- literally.

Just as Franklin D. Roosevelt made Republican attacks on his Scottish terrier Fala a campaign issue in 1944 and vice presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon defended his family accepting a cocker spaniel named Checkers in 1952, a dog has taken center stage in a political race.

The Florida Democratic Party attacked Republican attorney general nominee Pam Bondi on Wednesday, unveiling a two-minute commercial slamming Bondi over a legal fight with a family whose dog was displaced in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Bondi had adopted the St. Bernard but, after a legal dustup with the original family who owned it, returned the dog.

"The story shared by Dorreen Couture about Pam Bondi's abuse of the legal system raises serious judgment questions," said Karen Thurman, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, on Wednesday. "Ms. Couture's personal story of her experience with Pam Bondi's use of the court system to block the return of their family pet is outrageous and should leave Floridians questioning if Pam Bondi has the character to lead our state as attorney general.

"Ms. Bondi seeks to be the chief legal officer of Florida,” added Thurman. “Floridians really deserve to have a sense of how she exploited the legal system to determine whether she has the judgment to make some of the most important decisions facing our state. And after hearing the story told in the words of Ms. Couture, Floridians are left questioning whether Ms. Bondi can be trusted to exercise sound judgment as attorney general."

Thurman unveiled the new ad in Tampa. The Florida Democratic Party trumpeted the event in a release sent out on Tuesday with the title “Florida Democratic Party Chair Thurman to Release Important Message Regarding Florida’s Attorney General Race.”

The Bondi camp fired back -- taking aim at Thurman and Democratic candidate Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach.

“Dan Gelber and the Democratic Party have hit a desperate new low today and are in ‘everything and the kitchen sink’ mode to try and shrink Bondi’s continuing lead over Gelber in the election for attorney general,” shot back Sandi Copes, a spokeswoman for Bondi.

“Pam, like many caring people in our state, adopted a dog that was abandoned during the tragic times surrounding Hurricane Katrina,” added Copes. “After a significant length of time caring for her new pet, a woman came forward to claim the dog. Pam had concerns regarding the care and well-being of her adopted pet and took the time and actions necessary to ensure that he would be in the hands of the rightful owners and would be well taken care of.

“Once again, Dan Gelber has broken all of his own campaign promises and has resorted to dirty campaigning and political tricks to try and win this election,” closed Copes. “His behavior is shameful, and calls into question that he has the integrity necessary to be Florida’s chief legal officer."

Bondi launched an ad of her own, attacking Gelber for backing a bill that she maintains would have required women placing their children up for adoption to reveal their sexual histories publicly.

The bill, sponsored by Democrat Skip Campbell, passed the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2001 and became law when then-Gov. Jeb Bush chose not to veto it. Republicans, led by then-Rep. Mark Mahon of Jacksonville, repealed the law in 2003 with Bush’s approval.

Tags: Attorney General Race, Dan Gelber, Franklin Roosevelt, Hurricane Katrina, Jeb Bush, Karen Thurman, Mark Mahon, News, Pam Bondi, Richard Nixon, Sandi Copes, Skip Campbell, Politics

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missroxieK

11:50PM OCT 28TH 2010

This quote by Copes is typical political spin and a complete and utter distortion of the truth -- “Pam, like many caring people in our state, adopted a dog that was abandoned during the tragic times surrounding Hurricane Katrina,” added Copes. “After a significant length of time caring for her new pet, a woman came forward to claim the dog. Pam had concerns regarding the care and well-being of her adopted pet and took the time and actions necessary to ensure that he would be in the hands of the rightful owners and would be well taken care of.

Bondi proved anything but caring and was selfish and dishonest. Bondi's adoption of the dog was not even legal under Florida law. Bondi knows that and doesn't care because she believes she is above the law. Master Tank's paperwork on file at the time of rescue included a photograph with a billboard in front of him which listed the name and address of the owner and EVERYONE knew that during the evacuation process, people and animals were required to go to different locations. That was the only reason for the separation. The shelter and BONDI KNEW THERE WAS AN OWNER WANTING THE DOG BACK. Did they have an ounce of integrity to find the owners. No. Bondi was far more interested in breaking the law and stealing the dog. Did it take some time for the Coutures to come forward. Absolutely, because the shelter was lying about having these Katrina pets, and they were certainly going to lie about the existence of Master Tank since everyone knew they had unlawfully adopted Master Tank out. Tell me again how Bondi needed two years, a team of lawyers and publicity to prove the Coutures were good owners. Bondi had to settle this case. She knew she would lose in court and her ego wouldn't let that happen, not to mention she was risking being charged with purjury for lying in court, violating state law with an unlawful adoption and violating ethics. And why did she insist the terms of the settlement not be disclosed - because she had to cover up her lies and try to save face. Has Bondi ever offered one dime to the Coutures for all the money they had to spend in their many trips to Florida to fight Bondi's lies? And for those of you who really want to do your homework, if you read the many Bondi quotes on this subject from the beginning, you will find she contradicted her own statements. The thing about people who tell the truth is the facts never change, so why did Bondi keep changing the facts - she's still changing them. She is lucky she didn't receive a suspension or revocation from the Florida State Bar on her law license for her reprehensible conduct. So elect her. Maybe her next evil deed will land her in prison and she can experience the same degradation and deprivation and pain she deliberately inflicted on two innocent children.

I VOTE MASTER TANK FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL

Rosalie

8:15PM OCT 28TH 2010

Interesting that the other two politicians would be cited in the same story - I fail to see much similarity in either case. Both Fala and Checkers were rightfully owned - in fact each was a gift.

Tank and Nala were not gifts - and the very second that Pam Bondi knew they were owned and separated under difficult circumstances from their owners - orphans, in fact - she should have done everything in her power to reunite them.

The opportunity was there to perform a benificent act - a magnificent act of caring for these beloved dogs until they could be put back with their family. She could have brought them back on her own with TV crew in tow and made a splash. She could have been their hero. What she chose to do, however, was to fight tooth and nail until the very last minute. To drain their resources until they had no fight left. There is an army of volunteers who know the facts. The facts are glaring and painful - and telling.

The truth is in the faces of those children, the determination of their grandparents. The truth is in tireless efforts of those who supported them.

Tell me again - WHAT is the job of Attorney General?
Is THIS who you want doing that for you, Florida? Really?

Pinellas County Resident

7:26PM OCT 28TH 2010

Go Doreen Couture! Sorry this ISSUE was left out of the spotlight for so long while Bondi was campaigning. I live just miles from the shelter where Master Tank and Nila were taken..and visited right after the dogs were taken there. I arrived with pics in hand and printouts of owners pleading for help to locate their dogs. I was denied entry to see the dogs! The shelter purposely did not post the dogs as was mandated to take them. I find it rather ironic that Pam Bondi went to the shelter with a SPTimes journalist and photographer and adopted a St Bernard from St Bernard Parish...hmm, and I a "commoner" was denied access. As well, the paperwork clearly stated they were owned! What Bondi spent for vet bills compares "not" to what the grandparents spent on their monthly "supervised" visits for over a year to travel to see the dogs (ie, lodging, food, gas..not to mention stress) My hats off to these wonderful grandparents for not giving up...that is what Bondi and her high caliber legal team wanted. The Coutures were condemned and ridiculed, but loved their dogs and grandchildren so much...wouldn't let anyone push them around! And finally, end of story, Bondi was suffering in the press (boo hoo), so she acted like a good samaritan; altho she knew these precious grandchildren went to bed everynight crying for their dogs and their parents they had lost just 10 mos prior to Katrina.

missroxie

3:21PM OCT 28TH 2010

While the press continues to distort the facts about Bondi taking the Coutures' dog, the point is Bondi clearly abused the legal system and did in fact lie on several occasions because she did not want to return the dog. It was never true the dog was abandoned, but was in fact tagged and IDed when the owner and dog had to be separated during evacuation. Bondi never did the right thing, fabricated lies about the dog's health, denied knowledge of documents of ownership she knew existed, and drained the Coutures in one very unjust legal battle, solely to strut Bondi's ego. As for the timeline, Rick Chabodi was never to have taken Katrina pets out of New Orleans to Tampa, and the only way the Coutures were able to find where Master Tank had been taken is because Chabodi bragged on his website about rescuing a St. Bernard from St. Bernard Parish. We looked for Master Tank and thousands more dogs and cats for months, even years. So don't act like the Coutures just sat by and did nothing. Chabodi was eventually fired as shelter director because he wanted to keep the Katrina rescues to earn adoption fees and use as publicity, when he knew all along they had owners who wanted their return and Chabodi refused to take their phone calls. The Coutures demanded their dogs back the minute they learned where they were. It was Bondi and her lies and extreme abuse of power that drug this out for two years. AND THOSE ARE THE FACTS. Bottom line is this proves Bondi has no ethics, has no integrity, is not honest, and will certainly abuse her position if elected.

Josie

12:27PM OCT 28TH 2010

Please understand this is not about the dogs but about Bondi's miss uses of the legal system to keep a dog she never had a legal right to keep. It's about her lack of moral judgement and integrity. Florida doesn't her as the Attorney General

kkmsh

12:19PM OCT 29TH 2010

Pam Bondi was told years ago that she had a St. Bernard Rescue smack in her backyard, The Florida St. Bernard Rescue. She still refused to give up Tank. She used Tank for celebrity status because several news articles were featured about her 'saving' a Katrina dog along with her picture. Instead of doing the right thing which was to return the dog, (when proof of ownership was all over the internet), she did not want to admit that she was wrong and thought that she could eventually fight the family off. Such a newshog and egomaniac! Famous movie stars adopted Katrina pets as well and did not 'broadcast' their adoptions as she did.

Ttelis

1:37PM OCT 30TH 2010

Amazing !! I have looked at several articles involving this whole dog mess. How much money does the Democratic party have tied up in this .. The comments section in many articles had the exact same comments listed word for word. Looks like some people are getting paid to post the same negative comments on several sites with different names. LOL I guess there is no issues to discuss so personal attacks will run rampant.