Dwight Bullard
Senate candidate Dwight Bullard updates campaign finance report, shows payment to convicted felon accused of stuffing ballots
Wednesday, July 18th, 2012 | Peter Schorsch
Days after missing the deadline to file his campaign finance report for the second quarter of 2012, a review of Senate candidate Dwight Bullard’s campaign expenses shows a payment to a convicted felon once accused of ballot stuffing.
Bullard missed last Friday’s deadline to file his campaign treasurer’s report, then filed a reportthat showed only $500 in contributions and no expenditures.
The Florida Division of Elections has updated Bullard’s file with a new report showing that Bullard raised $9,760 from April 1 to June 30, along with $7,517 in expenses during that same period.
Among those expenses is a $200 payment to Timothy Milton of Florida City. The purpose of the expenditure, the report reads, is a “literature drop.”
The mayor has his supporters. Florida City native Tim Milton, who runs a non-profit youth program, said Wallace "deserves whatever he gets.''
"I see more houses, more businesses, more jobs,'' said Milton, 46. "This city has come a long way.''
Milton has a highly questionable record of involvement in Florida politics.
Milton, who has been convicted of multiple counts of battery on a police officer, cocaine possession, and trespassing, was accused in February of filling out ballots for at least a dozen elderly voters, sometimes in exchange for a Christmas turkey, according to an investigation in the Miami New-Times.
New Times spoke with two Florida City residents who admitted Milton filled out their ballots.
“Tim came by about three weeks ago,” elderly voter Mattie Strickland said. “He came by my house and talked to me. He filled it out for me.” "People kept telling me: 'I voted, but I don't know who I voted for. Tim voted for me,'" Brady says."Tim" is Tim Milton, an electioneer working for Wallace who has been convicted of multiple counts of battery on a police officer, cocaine possession, and trespassing. Brady and his dad say Milton filled out ballots for at least a dozen elderly voters, sometimes in exchange for a Christmas turkey, and that Wallace paid the ex-con $3,500 for his work. Brady says he has handed all the information on Milton to the FBI.
“Tim Milton was here in his red truck,” Evelena Smith echoed. ” He fills it out because I had a stroke and I don’t focus too good. He just gives suggestions.”
New Times also confirmed the FBI is investigating the alleged fraud. Kevin Mays, who works as a guard at Turkey Point Nuclear Plant, laughed when a reporter knocked on his door. “Seriously? The FBI were just here last week,” he said, parroting what several other nearby voters said. “They asked if anybody offered me a bribe for my vote.”
Back on the corner of Lucy Street, Brady is still flagging down cars and passing out flyers half an hour before polls close on election night. Ten yards away, Milton stands in the middle of the road campaigning for Brady's two competitors, both Wallace allies.
"You can get away with murder here as long as you're on Wallace's team. But we have people that admit he filled their ballots out," Brady seethes.
Confronted by New Times, Milton denies getting paid by Wallace to fill out absentee ballots.
"Don't come asking me nothing about that shit. I'm volunteering," he says. "The only thing I do for old people is help them."
Then Milton shouts, "They're calling them motherf&%$#@g people, telling them: 'Tim be doing this or that.' This is about winning. Accept your ass-whoopin', man."
With a convicted felon and accused ballot-stuffer on his payroll, is it any wonder why Dwight Bullard filed his report late?
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