Get out your hankies, folks!  Here’s the sob story of the year!

The Florida Elections Commission held its regular quarterly meeting on November 16 and 17, 2016.  One of the items listed on the Public Agenda was the probable cause hearing on a complaint filed by me against Carline M. Paul, a former candidate for North Miami City Council.

Based on a July 6, 2016 Staff Recommendation Following Investigation (see page 45 of the attached public agenda item), at its  August 17, 2016 meeting, the Commission charged the respondent with twelve counts of campaign finance violations.

Carline Paul hired attorney Sabine Millien-Felix to represent her.  In a cover letter (page 53) and Response to Staff Recommendation (page 26), and amended Response (page 7), Ms. Millian stated one excuse after another for her client’s violations.

And, of course, Carline Paul is responsible for none of them!

The lawyer started out by writing, “Please note Ms. Paul is new to the political arena. Before her bid for this office, she had no prior experience in preparation of the reports, never ran for elected office nor had she ever run or managed anyone else’s campaign.  Her knowledge as well as that of her campaign treasurers were limited to a novices’ understanding of the documentation required and provided to her by the City when she first qualified.  She ran a grassroots election and relied on community volunteers who also had no prior political experience in assisting her in preparing her reports.”

Apparently, Ms. Millien-Felix missed that whole ignorantia juris non excusat  class in law school.

She also obviously skipped out on spelling and grammar lessons, as well.

But, I digress.

As I noted in a previous blog, “Regardless of whether or not she was knowledgeable about campaign finance laws, it was ultimately her responsibility to make sure those laws were followed.”  Whether or not this was Carline’s first – or her tenth – run for public office, it was incumbent upon her to follow the rules.

Carline’s lawyer also tried to profess her client’s “innocence” by stating that the “Complaint filed against Ms. Paul was filed by a personal friend of Ms. Paul’s opponent,” and that “Complainant filed numerous complaints against Ms. Paul, including alleging that Ms. Paul was an imposter for using a fake name and falsely passing herself off as a teacher. A license that Ms. Paul has maintained for over twenty (20) years.”

For the record, and to the best of my recollection, I only filed one complaint, not “numerous complaints” against Carline.  In fact, hers is just one of dozens I’ve filed against many other candidates and public officials over the years.

Carline, honey.  You’re just not that important.

Secondly, regardless of whether or not her opponent was my “personal friend,” this does not negate the fact that Carline Paul broke the law.

The lawyer’s argument is a red herring and nothing more.

Furthermore, I have researched all the public records for Ms. Paul’s teaching certificate, and it still appears to be non-existent.  (Check for yourself by clicking here:  Educator Certification Lookup)  If she has one, her lawyer should have attached a copy of it as an exhibit to her Response.

Then again, her lawyer would have “miss labeled” it, the same way her client “miss labeled” contributions.

But, I digress.

Lawyer Millien-Felix also made much of the fact that the Complainant (meaning me) does “not vote or reside in the City of North Miami, nor in the county where this election was taking place” and “has always resided in Broward County during this campaign.”

Again, this has nothing to do with Carline Paul’s alleged  violations of campaign finance laws.

Toss another red herring, Madam Lawyer!

In fact, the Commission’s Investigation Specialist Helen Hinson also noted in her January 28, 2016 Report of Investigation (page 55) that, “Complainant is a former resident of Miami-Dade County, Florida.  She currently resides in the Town of Davie, Broward County, Florida.  She operates a political blog known as VotersOpinion.com and has filed several complaints investigated by Commission staff.”

The folks over at the Florida Elections Commission are well aware that where I reside is of no consequence.  As a resident of the State of Florida, I have the right to file complaints against any public official in any jurisdiction when I believe there is just cause.

Unlike residency requirements in political campaigns, good governance has no boundaries.

In a last ditch, and totally lame, attempt to explain away all of Carline Paul’s reporting “discrepancies,” her lawyer blamed the North Miami City Clerk’s office for not notifying her by certified mail that her Campaign Treasurer’s Reports contained a multitude of errors.

Lawyer Millian-Felix wrote, “In fact, she would routinely appear in person to file her reports and was constantly assured that everything was fine. In fact, Ms. Paul had countless telephone conversations with numerous City office employees, many of whom assisted her in completing her reports. Not once during any of these conversations, was she advised of non-compliant reports.”

Oh, Carline, honey.  You’re obviously under the mistaken impression that it’s the Clerk’s job to babysit you.  Wrong again!

Carline’s lawyer also claimed that her client didn’t receive notices from the Florida Elections Commission on a timely basis because she “has moved and her new residence is 125 NW 123 Street N Miami FL 33169. However, she has requested that any communications be addressed to her office at 1348 NE 147 Street Miami FL 33161.”

As an aside, even though Carline Paul falsely used a random North Miami address in order to run for office, she has always lived at 1348 NE 147 Street, Miami, Florida, a property she’s owned since 1988, and for which she claimed a homestead exemption every year until 2015.  This home is zoned for single family residential use only, and not for commercial use.  If Carline told her attorney that this house is her office, that was obviously another lie “discrepancy.”

The property Carline currently claims as her home residence, 125 NW 123 Street, North Miami, Florida, is owned by Beauly, LLC, a Florida limited liability corporation, with principles in Scottsdale, Arizona.  This company purchased the home on November 3, 2014 while it was in foreclosure.

But, I digress.

Here’s the saddest part of all.

After making one lame excuse after another why her Campaign Treasurer’s Reports were a complete disaster from start to finish, Carline Paul filed a sworn affidavit (page 14), and stated:

“My goal in running for office was to serve the community that I cared for as a private and concerned citizen voluntarily for 34 years.  This desire to serve cost me my job.  I am no longer employed by the school system, something I have done for over two decades.  All as a result of countless complaints sent to my employer about my fake license and fake names and a host of other malicious slanderous remarks.  I have learned a lot through this process and cannot say that I will ever put myself through such a process.  However, I hope my experience does not discourage others from running.”

Oh, poor, poor baby.

Let’s all get out our little violins.

Or fiddles.

Or whatever.

Such a sad story.  My heart bleeds.

Stephanie