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Home My WebLink About2024 06 24 Reports - Added documents by Deputy Mayor Benton60475.jpg https://mail, google. com/mail/u/0/ ;, tn1 Jesse Phillips March 23 • � Jesse's Post �*: } ... ' Sheila Benton: care to tell everyone about the Parkstone check? I have a copy #ethicsviolation 5 7 comments Seen by 28 Like (] Comment � Share All comments • Ken Greenberg Crickets I bet! 9w Like Reply Share Jesse Phillips Author Ken Greenberg I don't even know if she's aware of all of her husbands/Cannon's indiscretions 9w Like Reply Share � � � z Ken Greenberg Jesse Phillips.._ good news is now the State does! Corruption? To be determined! �3w Like Reply Share Amy Volpe Jesse Phillips she is finally aware that her husband doesn't understand local government we've been trying to tell her that for over a year. 9w Like Reply Share Ol ® .Mark Caruso Jesse Phillips I'd like to see this ' 9w Like Reply Share ` _`_- _�_,� Jesse Phillips Author -� Sheila Benton: I've been informed what you tried to do today to cover up your —�_ violation check. All I can say is, we have the receipts. And so does law enforcement. 9tiv like Reply Share 0� William Morrissey Bentons are CAI2NEYS I ;,,� 1 of 1 6/24/2024, 5:22 PM Gmail Inspector General Visit & Commissioner Benton's Campaign Finance Scheme 1 message From: Winter Springs Community Association <team@onewintersprings.com> Date: Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 5:07 AM Subject: Inspector General Visit & Commissioner Benton's Campaign Finance Scheme View this email in your browser Winter Springs Under Inspector General's Scrutiny Amid Comm oner Benton's ss Scheme • The Chief Inspector General showed up at Winter Springs City Hall this week, to the surprise and consternation of city staff, who had been told the investigation was over. • Chaotic city staff meeting revealed deep mistrust among key city personnel, City Manager and Mayor. • Inspector General assumes oversight of city, tours faces and water plants, as city supporters take to social media in damage control effort. • The spotlight turns to Commissioner Benton's campaign finance scheme to fund then Commissioner Hale's campaign with unreported check. Report: Friday, 3/29/2024 Winter Springs finds itself once again in the harsh glare of scrutiny as the Chief Inspector General descends upon the city, casting a shadow over the city's rabid attempts to maintain a facade of normalcy. Behind closed doors, city leadership was sent into a tailspin Wednesday and Thursday having been caught making misleading public statements downplaying the Inspector General's involvement leading to staff complaints about being left in the dark about the IG's visit. Mayor McCann coordinated a meeting with State Representative David Smith. The staff were left in the dark, believing the meeting was a meet and greet with Rep. Smith, which blindsided employees who had been led to believe the Inspector General had dropped the investigation and was not coming to town. The saga is unfolding with all the precision of a detective novel, each revelation more damning than the last. Developments yesterday brought Commissioner Benton into the spotlight as part of an apparent campaign finance scheme that reads like a script from a political drama. Commissioner Benton's Unreported Check Here's the play-by-play: On July 25, 2022, Commissioner Benton, under the guise of his registered fictitious name "Graphic Services", made a $1,00o contribution to then commissioner TiAnna Hale's campaign for various printing and graphics services. On September 16, 2022 the same entity, Graphic Services, received a hefty sum of $4,636 from then Commissioner Kevin Cannon. On the same date (9/16) Benton proceeded to dish out an additional contribution earmarked for commissioner Hale's advertisements, according to people with knowledge of the financial transaction. This transaction was illegal for two reasons: a) It was never reported on any campaign finance report and b) It violated the $1,000 campaign contribution limit in state law. Facilitating these transactions put Benton over the campaign contribution limit and in violation of state law. Despite the blatant attempt to cover the money trail by not reporting this check on Commissioner Hale's campaign finance report, the truth has a way of unraveling even the most meticulously crafted deceptions, and Benton's best efforts to bury the trail have not prevented the breadcrumbs of deceit from leading straight to his doorstep. Path forward As Winter Springs grapples with these questions, the reverberations of distrust echo through City Hall and beyond. A city once lauded for its resilience now finds itself ensnared in a web of lies and betrayal, a city staff in near revolt against its failed leadership, who seem more motivated to increase the salaries of the interim city manager than to hear the concerns of its hard working employees. Representatives from the Winter Springs Community Association (WSCA) met with the Inspector General for several hours yesterday, and experienced the refreshing change of a public official willing to meet with and listen to residents, instead of criticizing them from the dais. We will continue to update you of any developments as the city remains under the oversight of the Governor's Office of Inspector General. Copyright (C) 2024 Winter Springs Community Association. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Winter Springs Community Association One Winter Springs Winter Springs, Florida 32708 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe Florida Elections Commission 107 West Gaines Street, Suite 224 Tallahassee, Florida 3239M596 Telephone: (850) 922A539 • Facsimile: (850) 921-0783 FEC a,myfloridalegal.com • www.fec.state. flus May 29, 2024 William Morrisey 965 Sequoia Drive Winter Springs, FL 32708 RE: Case No.: FEC 24-069; Respondent: Matthew Benton Dear Mr. Morrisey: The Florida Elections Commission has received your complaint alleging violation of Florida's election laws. Complainant alleged that on July 25, 2022, Respondent made a $1,000.00 in -kind contribution for "various printing and graphic services" to `I'ianna Hale, a 2022 candidate for Winter Springs Commissioner, District 4. Complainant alleged the contribution was made "under the guise of [Respondent's] registered fictitious name `Graphic Services."' Complainant provided an excerpt from one of Ms. Hale's campaign treasurer's reports in which this m kind contribution from Graphic Services was disclosed; the in -kind description was "printing & graphics." Complainant also noted that Sheila Benton contributed $10.00 to Ms. Hale on July 2, 2022, though he did not specifically comment on that notation. Complainant further alleged that on September 16, 2022, Graphic Services "received a hefty sum of $4,636 from then Winter Springs Commissioner Kevin Cannon. On the same date (9J16) [Respondent] proceeded to dish out an additional contribution earmarked for Commissioner Hale's advertisements." Complainant alleged that this transaction was illegal because it was not reported and was in excess of the $1,000.00 contribution limit. Complainant provided an excerpt from one of Mr. Cannon's campaign treasurer's reports in which he disclosed making two expenditures to Graphic Services on September 16, 2022, and September 26, 2022, in the amounts of $4,636.85 and $3,445.16, respectively. The purposes of the expenditures were described as "campaign materials and printing, etc." and "campaign marketing." Complainant also provided a check issued by Graphic Services dated September 16, 2022, in the amount of $225.00 payable to Parkstone Community; the document contained notes indicating that $75.00 of these funds was for a'/, page ad for Ms. Hale, and $150.00 was for a'/z page ad for Mr. Cannon. In response to the complaint, Respondent stated the allegations "are without merit or legal support." He asserted that the check "purportedly from Graphic Services...fails to show any violation by [Respondent]." Respondent further stated that Complainant "incorrectly asserts that the purchase of the ad was not reported." Respondent explained that he runs a printing and graphics business, Graphic Services, which provides vendor services to candidates. Ms. Hale was a client in 2022, and Graphic Services designed, printed, and purchased ad space for Ms. Hale's campaign as a vendor. One of these ads was the Parkstone ad at issue in the complaint. Respondent stated that Graphic Services contributed $1,000.00 of its services to Ms. Hale's campaign as an in- Florida Elections Commission 107 West Gaines Street, Suite 224 Tallahassee, Florida 32399-6596 Telephone: (850) 9224539 • Facsimile: (850) 921-0783 FECOMyfloridale al.com www.fec.state.fl.us June 185 2024 Jennifer S. Bohm Meyer, Blohm and Powell, P.A. PO Box 1547 Tallahassee, FL 32302 RE: Case No.: 24-069; Respondent: Matthew Benton Dear Ms. Blohm: On May 29, 2024, the Florida Elections Commission notified William Morrisey that the complaint he filed on April 2, 2024 was legally insufficient. Since the Commission did not receive any additional information that corrected the stated grounds of legal insufficiency, this case is now closed. If you have any questions, please contact us at fec(a,myfloridale al.com or at the number listed Move. Sincerely, Donna Ann Malphurs DM/j d Subscribe Past Issues Translate qw View this email in your browser Winter Springs Under Inspector General's Scrutiny Amid Commissioner Benton's Campaign Finance Scheme • The Chief Inspector General showed up at Winter Springs City Hall this week, to the surprise and consternation of city staff, who had been told the investigation was over. • Chaotic city staff meeting revealed deep mistrust among key city personnel, City Manager and Mayor. • Inspector General assumes oversight of city, tours facilities and water plants, as city supporters take to social media in damage control effort. • The spotlight turns to Commissioner Benton's campaign finance scheme to fund then Commissioner Hale's campaign with unreported check. Subscribe Past Issues Translate qw As Winter Springs grapples with these questions, the reverberations of distrust echo through City Hall and beyond. A city once lauded for its resilience now finds itself ensnared in a web of lies and betrayal, a city staff in near revolt against its failed leadership, who seem more motivated to increase the salaries of the interim city manager than to hear the concerns of its hard working employees. Representatives from the Winter Springs Community Association (WSCA) met with the Inspector General for several hours yesterday, and experienced the refreshing change of a public official willing to meet with and listen to residents, instead of criticizing them from the dais. We wi11 continue to update you of any developments as the city remains under the oversight of the Governor's Office of Inspector General. Copyright (C) 2024 Winter Springs Community Association. A// rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe