Politics
HD 77: Former Charlie Crist Hand Dane Eagle Has Financial Edge
Around the State
Dane Eagle
Now a real estate broker, Eagle put in five years in state government, often serving as Crist’s point man with the Legislature. Unlike his former chief, Eagle stuck with the GOP and he has been able to rally some prominent Republicans behind his bid to represent parts of Lee County in the Florida House. Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, and Rep. Gary Aubuchon, R-Cape Coral, who is leaving the Florida House to run for Congress, have thrown their support behind Eagle. So has former Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp -- who also did not support Crist’s Senate bid when he bolted the GOP, despite serving under him.
Eagle has also reeled in the endorsements of some of the leadership of the business community and from conservative groups. The Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Retail Federation, the Florida Medical Association, the Associated Industries of Florida, the Associated Builders and Contractors and the National Rifle Association all have endorsed Eagle’s bid to win a House seat.
Since entering the race in November, Eagle has pulled in an impressive war chest, raising more than $133,000. But Eagle has held on to less than half of that amount, spending more than $82,000 so far.
Standing in Eagle’s way for the Republican nomination is Realtor Chris Berardi who served on the Cape Coral City Council. Berardi has taken some shots at Eagle, noting his connections to Crist. Trying to contrast himself with Eagle, Berardi even labeled his campaign website www.notaninsider.com.
Since entering the race at the end of November, Berardi has been hard pressed to come close to Eagle in the money chase. So far in the campaign, Berardi has raised more than $6,000 and spent more than $2,100.
Whoever emerges from the Republican primary on Aug. 14 will face a Democratic opponent in November. With a background in counseling and social work, Arvella Clare jumped into the race at the start of June and she has no rivals for the Democratic nomination. Since entering the race, Clare has raised more than $3,700 and spent more than $2,450.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
Comments (4)
Dane Eagle is no Republican. He stayed with Crist for his own gain. Now he want to go to Tallahassee to set the stage for Charlie Crists run for Gov in 2014.
Charlie Crist For U.S. Senate: 2.5 Million Reasons – A Message from Dane
September 1, 2010 Politics
I’m not sure if you saw the news this morning, but Washington Republicans have dumped $2.5 million dollars into Marco Rubio’s campaign coffers. That’s just another 2.5 million reasons why Marco Rubio will be a lockstep vote for the political party bosses and Washington special interests that got America into this mess in the first place.
...
The Rubio campaign has already spent millions of dollars distorting the Governor’s record, and make no mistake, there’s more to come — more of the same old cynical, attack politics that our opponents would bring to the United States Senate if they were elected.
We need to fight back.
Contribute today to help combat the Washington attack ads and let Floridians know that Charlie Crist will be an independent voice in the Senate, not a pawn of party bosses.
When Charlie Crist gets to Washington, he will fight for good jobs, to protect Social Security for our seniors, and to rebuild our economy. Now, we need to fight for him.
Thank you,
Dane Eagle
Finance Director
(Just another victim of fraud of this family, and a more informed voter because of it.)
P. S. It seems the News-Press let us down. This story was supposed to have already come out. At least that’s what they told us after the clear evidence and documentation was presented to them. But when they announced they endorsed Dane Eagle a few days later, we were puzzled.
Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2012 12:46 AM
To: "A Team" Recipients
Subject: Update on the Eagle Fraud Story Here’s an interesting tidbit update to the Eagle exposé I emailed you recently. A good friend, who was also defrauded by Eagle and who has been in close contact with Dick Hogan, called him again yesterday. Dick is the News-Press journalist who originally said the Eaqle fraud story would run over a week ago. My friend finally got through to Mr. Hogan again after numerous attempts to ask him about why no article had appeared yet.
He said Mr. Hogan acted a bit squirrely on the phone this time, but Dick did assure him the story is “definitely still coming out, and it will be front page.”
But get this, it’s now been decided the story won’t print until August 19th. Yes, you’re right, the primaries are on August 14th.
I think you can draw your own conclusion about the new change in publication dates. You don’t suppose it had anything to the News-Press endorsing Dane Eagle recently, do you??
Charlie Crist’s ‘Very Close’ Ties to the Florida Legislature
March 29, 2012 | Filed under: State & Local | Posted by: Javier Manjarres
by Javier Manjarres
The 2012 Republican primary season could possibly yield a new crop of nominees, as incumbency in politics is arguably more of a liability than an advantage to a political campaign. As far as contested Republican primary races go, the Mica vs. Adams congressional primary will be the “hottest” race to watch as well as the Stearns vs. Jett vs. Oelrich primary race in the newly drawn 3rd congressional district.
But as most of the focus will be on federal contests in this presidential election cycle, some important state legislative races could go largely unnoticed. One of which that may have gone unnoticed now will not if it weren’t for our ol’ friend former Governor Charlie ‘Chameleon’ Crist, as he is still very much influencing races in advance of his likely Democratic Gubernatorial run in 2014.
There are two races in particular that Crist is directly or indirectly influencing with help from his longtime friends and supporters.
Dane Eagle
Eagle is a ‘close friend,’ former volunteer, Travel Aide, Deputy Chief of Staff and campaign finance director to Crist, and he’s running in Rep. Gary Aubuchon’s vacated State House seat in the Cape Coral. Currently and unexplicably, Eagle is running unopposed as a Republican candidate. Recently Eagle discussed his relationship with Governor Crist, telling the St. Pete Times that ,”I was a young guy with an opportunity, and nobody’s going to say no to that,” he said. “It’s unfortunate how it turned out.”
Yes, how unfortunate was it for Crist to stab numerous Republicans in the back and refuse to refund their donations after he jumped ship to run against Senator Marco Rubio as an Independent. Eagle stayed on as Crist’s finance director even after Crist left the GOP. So is it fair to say the Eagle is just as culpable as Charlie? Remember, Eagle did say that “it’s unfortunate how it turned out.” So unfortunate for him that he decided to stay on and receive a percentage of the donations received from those Republicans that Charlie duped. How sooooo unfortunate for him.
Interestingly, while Eagle proudly hailed his achievements while working under Crist on his campaign website, Eagle fails to mention any ties to Crist, as Crist is the only reason he is in the position that he is in right now. Here’s a snippet from Eagle’s website:
After attending Florida Gulf Coast University and then earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Florida in 2005, he moved to Tallahassee to work in politics and government. Through his leadership and hard work, Dane quickly caught the eye of state leaders and was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor at age 24 – the youngest in Florida’s history.-Dane Eagle
Eagle Donors
Eric Eikenberg $250 (Crist Senate Campaign Manager)
Jason Gonzalez $500 (General Counsel to Gov. Crist, advised on the appointment of 4 FL Supreme Court Justices 1-Canady, 2-Polston, 3-Labarga, 4-Perry)
Mike Hamby $500 (Helped raise money for Kendrick Meek)
Pablo Diaz $100 (Political Director for Crist Senate Campaign)
Jim Rimes $500 (Aide to Crist that racked up 2 million dollars on the RPOF Amex card)
Shane Strum $500 (Former Crist Chief of Staff)
Miami Jai Lai $500
Save our internet access $500 (PAC that advocates for continued legalization of internet gambling cafes)
In addition to these highlights, there are tens of thousands from lobbyists.
In total, through the last reporting period, only 8.5% of Eagle's contributions have come from Cape Coral. That's right, 8 point 5 percent! Who do you think he will be representing?...it sure won't be the people of District 77.
Dane Eagle
His was Charlies right hand man, even after he changed to Indi. Do we want someone like that voting for us in Tally? I think not.
Charlie is planning on a run for Gov in 2016, Dane Eagle will be hanging on Charlies Coat tails.
Remember every vote, in Tally makes, impacts the entire State. I for one don't want a Charlie Crist Clone this close to home.
Real Background on Dane Eagle:
The Crist campaign is not confirming his plans to leave the GOP and is encouraging members of the media to stay tuned for a Thursday afternoon press conference the governor is planning to hold in his hometown.
One staffer who is expected to stay on board is Crist's finance director, Dane Eagle. Crist will need him if, as expected, many donors ask for their money back when Crist bolts the GOP.
Being the Deputy Chief of Staff to Charlie Crist, how will you use that to your advantage? What did you accomplish while working next to him?
You get to know politics so well when you’re living and breathing it. Again, I never thought I’d go into politics. I’ve always voted and was aware of issues within our government but I was never that involved. A lot of the people in this field were Political Science majors and they’ve always wanted to get into politics. So jumping in not knowing anything about politics, or at least the way it works, I got to learn firsthand so it became more of a direct learning experience from being in the volunteer and Deputy Chief of Staff position with Charlie Christ. I know what I need to do for my campaign to win — meet the voters, earn their trust and confidence and if I am elected I know from day one what needs to be done. It won’t be a learning process at that point whereas many other people who get elected into office are still learning the process. I already know that process, so I am able to start making a difference from day one.
Dane Eagle, longtime travel aide to former Gov. Charlie Crist and a Cape Coral mortgage broker, announced Monday he will seek the open House seat vacated by fellow Republican Rep. Gary Aubuchon, R-Cape Coral.
Eagle, 28, graduated from the University of Florida in 2005 with a degree in economics. From there he worked for Crist as a travel assistant, deputy chief of staff and then finance director during Crist's unsuccessful 2010 bid for U.S. Senate as an independent candidate. Now Eagle works for his family's business, Eagle Realty of Southwest Florida. His father,Greg Eagle, was a major Crist supporter.
Eagle's immediate challenge could be explaining his loyalty to Crist to fiercely conservative Republican voters in Aubuchon's district.
"I was a young guy with an opportunity, and nobody's going to say no to that," he said. "It's unfortunate how it turned out."
OVER THE WEEKEND -
--Old Crist allies twist knife on LeMieux - Marc Caputo, writing on former Sen. George LeMieux's bid for the GOP nomination to challenge Sen. Bill Nelson: "But Crist administration insiders say they’re hard-pressed to remember differences between Crist and LeMieux — his one-time chief of staff, adviser and close friend. LeMieux didn’t just advocate Crist’s policies, he helped shaped them. Some are unpopular with conservatives – a global-warming initiative, felons voting rights, a gaming deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, accepting President Obama’s stimulus money, an Everglades land purchase that benefitted U.S. Sugar and expanding the role of government in the property insurance market. LeMieux once called himself a 'Charlie Crist Republican.' Insiders chuckle at the idea that Charlie Crist was a George LeMieux Republican. 'Charlie Crist didn’t call George ‘the maestro’ for nothing,' said Dane Eagle, who was Crist’s campaign travel aide, a special adviser to the governor and then a fundraiser in Crist’s failed 2010 bid for U.S. Senate against Marco Rubio." Miami Herald:
**********************************************************
I was backstage with Charlie Crist in Ft. Myers moments before and after “the hug” that Marco Rubio used to destroy Crist’s Republican, or more accurately Tea Party, credentials. At the time I was staffing Alex Sink, but as a veteran of the Crist Administration and the Obama for America campaign, that day was especially inspiring.
If you’re around Charlie, you can’t help but like him. While waiting in a blue draped holding room, Charlie and Alex chatted over the building roar of the crowd, Dane Eagle provided Charlie with Altoids on demand, and Erin Isaac, as always, made sure CNN didn’t go a week without a Charlie Crist interview. At one point, with Secret Service permission, Charlie even took a seat in the idling Beast – like a kid in a candy store.
Crist’s remarks were brief, measured, and followed by a hug. which makes sense considering Charlie was embracing the necessary but politically challenging economic stimulus package. Ultimately, this was the moment of bipartisanship and civility that Marco Rubio used to win the Republican Primary.
Never underestimate the power of a symbolic picture to swing an election, especially in Florida – just remember another popular victim of campaign death-by-picture, Governor LeRoy Collins (and MLK).
But a similar visual may actually propel Charlie Crist into the Governor’s Office in 2014.
To be clear, I’m not consulting or endorsing Charlie Crist. However, I believe that in order to jump in the Democratic Primary for Governor, he will have to endorse Barack Obama before the 2012 election, probably before he even switches his registration. And believe me, it will be well timed.
It’s also not a secret that Obama world appreciates Charlie Crist – despite some stinging, desperate sounding criticisms in the heat of his 2010 Republican Primary. But here’s the $72 million question:
Will Barack Obama appear at a rally with Charlie Crist to accept his endorsement?
This may actually be a deciding factor in the 2014 Democratic Gubernatorial Primary.
If the Obama-Crist rally happens and Obama wins re-election (which I believe he will), Crist will have the best opening and closing ads in the 2014 primary – arms around the President, gracious remarks – the perfect visual symbol of Charlie’s acceptance into the Democratic Party.
The argument against Charlie will be that he’s not really a Democrat – but how will that argument hold up when you have the leader of the free world, the leader of the Democratic Party, heaping praise upon him?
It probably won’t. There will have to be another, better argument, visual, or narrative.
**********************************************************
The Republican party financed Charlie Crist, giving him 24,530,632.. And then losing support he turned his back on the party and changed to Independent to run against Marco Rubio. And to really slap the Party in the face he refused to give back any of the money donated to him.
(One staffer who is expected to stay on board is Crist's finance director, Dane Eagle. Crist will need him if, as expected, many donors ask for their money back when Crist bolts the GOP.)
**********************************************************
Dane talks about "working for the family firm since 16 and that he "watched his father build this firm into a proud community partner" in his mail pieces and stump speech
Dane's 1st mailer states "he earned his real estate license as a teenager and helped turn around his family's businesss". One of his campaign planks is Ethics
**********************************************************
Lucky for Cape Coral Fl District 77, there is an alternative. On August 14 vote for the real conservative.
Chris Berardi:
Chris Berardi, 40, is a graduate of the University of Dayton. After graduation, he worked as a district manager for a fortune 100 company and moved to the Cape Coral area in 2000. Berardi has been a Realtor since 2002 and is currently President-Elect of the Cape Coral Association of Realtors. He has been actively involved in the community as a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Civic Association, Republican Executive Committee and Faith Presbyterian Church.
Chris has proven results in the private sector and as a Cape Coral City Council member.
As a district manager Berardi was tasked with taking over troubled districts and making them profitable. Berardi's success in one district required him to move on to the next problem area and after three moves in 18 months it was time to do something different.
Berardi transitioned to a career in real estate. He has had the opportunity to work with people from various parts of the world as they searched for their slice of "Paradise" in SW Florida. Seeing the community through the eyes of new residents combined with the wisdom of long time residents provided a unique perspective of what are the positives of our community and where there is room for improvement. Real estate also gave Chris the ability to become deeply involved in the community.
Chris has served on Cape Coral's Budget Review Committee, the Lee County Human Services Council, SW Florida Regional Planning Committee, Metropolitan Planning Organization and Affordable Housing Committee. Berardi served for one year on the strengthen Cape Coral City Council following the removal of another Councilmember for ethics violations.
During his time as councilmember Berardi went to work improving Cape Coral. The budget was cut for the first time in over two decades and several fee increases were voted down. Berardi also sponsored ordinances to cap future increases in the city's budget and to strengthen penalties for unlicensed contractor activity.
Berardi is ready to bring the same work ethic and proven results to the state house of representatives. Private sector job creation that will put residents of Cape Coral and Pine Island back to work is his top priority. Improving Florida's education system, reforming auto and workers compensation insurance, and reducing government regulations will also be a focus of Berardi's as your next state representative.
Berardi would ruin Lee County's reputation in the state legislature. Eagle will bring us to new heights as both a Republican and citizen of Cape Coral.
Leave a Comment on This Story