Mike Diamond of The Palm Beach Post did a scummy little hit piece on the Republican District 6 Palm Beach County Commissioner Sara Baxter this week and employed The Post’s usual sleazy and biased tactics.
Diamond and the Post’s big beef with the new-to-politics and elected office Baxter is that she raised money before they think she should have. In November, after being elected but before she took office, Baxter opened a PAC and held a fundraiser a week before she was sworn in.
The man Diamond quoted as his big-time expert was none other than the man of a million PACs, Cornerstone Solution’s Rick Asnani.
Baxter humiliated Asnani in the November elections coming from nowhere and solidly beating Asnani’s client, the better-financed and more experienced Michelle McGovern.
Diamond getting a quote from Asnani is like calling Ukraine’s Zelensky and asking him what he thinks of Russia’s Vladamir Putin.
For political insiders, Diamond using Asnani quotes is ridiculous. Why didn’t Diamond call Dr. Kevin Wagner, the head of the Political Science Department at FAU, for an unbiased and professional opinion?
Asnani does deliver for Diamond, though.
This is what Asnani said.
“I have never seen someone solicit contributions so soon after winning an election, especially someone who never before held public office,” said Asnani. “What it shows is that she is focused more on politicking than governing. It is like the campaign never ended.”
“Candidates I represent routinely wait until we are two years away from a reelection campaign,” said Asnani. “This really does look like pay to play.”
No, Rick, what it looks like is a newly elected voice of the people type who isn’t a slickster like you and doesn’t have money moving through a whole bunch of PACs tried to raise a little money, and you and Diamond thought Baxter would be an easy target.
But you guys are an easier target than Baxter. Sure, Baxter could have waited awhile, but she didn’t break any laws and didn’t do anything wrong. Baxter’s constituents don’t read The Palm Beach Post, hardly anyone does, and like most good Republicans, she doesn’t talk to The Post, so I doubt she cares much about this trashy hit piece.
All Baxter has is “Friends of Sara Baxter.” Not $40 million+ from the Seminoles like Asnani got for his “Standing Up For Florida” PAC.
I spoke to Baxter, and she said,
I am constantly reminded that four years are going to fly by and I need to start thinking about re-election now. Fundraising before being sworn in to office allowed me to focus more on the job at hand after being sworn in. Fundraising now instead of waiting will allow me to focus more on helping the residents and less on campaigning in a couple years. The more money raised the more I can stay focused on helping the residents.~County Commissioner Sara Baxter
Asnani’s PACs are listed below, and one has to wonder if any of the ten’s of millions of dollars that passed through these PACs went to The Palm Beach Post or its owner, New Media Investment Group Inc.
Political and issue-oriented campaigns spend a lot on digital advertising. Did Diamond check if the Post had any conflicts of interest?
Look at the PACs below.
Click the links, check out all the money and donors, and ask yourself if maybe Diamond should try practicing some journalism and look at Asnani instead of Baxter.
Rick Asnani associated PACs, both active and non-active. There could be more. We’ll keep looking.
| Registered Agent | Officer City Committee City |
Committee | Type Status |
| Asnani , Pradeep | West Palm Beach West Palm Beach |
Voters in Control, Inc. | PAC Active |
| Asnani , Rick | West Palm Beach West Palm Beach |
Citizens for Law Order and Ethics | CCE Closed |
| Asnani , Rick | West Palm Beach West Palm Beach |
Citizens for Law Order and Ethics | PAC Active |
| Asnani , Rick | West Palm Beach West Palm Beach |
Florida Economic Partnership | PAC Active |
| Asnani , Rick | West Palm Beach West Palm Beach |
Friends of David Silvers | PAC Active |
| Asnani , Rick | West Palm Beach West Palm Beach |
Friends of KLR | PAC Active |
| Asnani , Rick | West Palm Beach West Palm Beach |
Friends of Ric Bradshaw | PAC Active |
| Asnani , Rick | West Palm Beach Jupiter |
Jupiter Forever, Inc. | PAC Revoked |
| Asnani , Rick | West Palm Beach West Palm Beach |
Keeping Citizens First, Inc. | ECO Active |
| Asnani , Rick | West Palm Beach West Palm Beach |
Keeping Citizens First, Inc. | ECO Closed |
| Asnani , Rick | West Palm Beach West Palm Beach |
Protect Our Term Limits | PAC Active |
| Asnani , Rick | West Palm Beach West Palm Beach |
Running with Andy Thomson | PAC Active |
| Asnani , Rick | West Palm Beach Tallahassee |
Standing Up for Florida, Inc. | PAC Active |
| Asnani , Rick | Royal Palm Beach Royal Palm Beach |
Team McGovern | PAC Active |
More Asnani controlled PACS
| Registered Agent | Officer City Committee City |
Committee | Type Status |
| Leebove , Kim | Loxahatchee Loxahatchee |
Americans for Jobs | CCE Closed |
| LeeBove , Kim | West Palm Beach Tallahassee |
Floridians for Economic Leadership | CCE Closed |
| LeeBove , Kim | West Palm Beach West Palm Beach |
Floridians for Economic Leadership | PAC Active |
| LeeBove , Kim | West Palm Beach West Palm Beach |
Palm Beach Innovation Task Force | PAC Active |
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