By Don Valentine & Sarah Goldman
She Said: Don, Don! Oh my God how could my Republicans back this Confederate supporting former cocaine abusing felon? He clearly is not a savvy candidate. This nitwit thinks it was a strong marketing tactic to advertise pictures of his array of tattoos on his arms. Don, this character displays one tattoo of a Confederate flag. Plus he flaunts his loyalty for the “Good Old Southern Confederacy” in multiple pictures. I tell you, some people will go to despicable levels to obtain Andy Warhol’s “15 minutes” of fame.
He Said: You are spot on there Sarah! The late esteemed Congressman Alcee Hastings must be spinning in his grave over the possibility this cretin might take his old seat. WLRN reported that this malefactor was convicted of breaking into a Delray Beach property and stealing approximately $20,000 worth of paintings by the legendary Florida “Highwaymen”, and other local painters.
The “Highwaymen” were a cadre of some of the most revered artists in Florida history. The loose collective of Black artists painted vivid landscapes across the state and sold them for dollars on the roadside in the mid 1900s. These days those paintings sell for thousands of dollars at auction houses.
As an alumnus of McGeorge law school, let me elucidate on the question of how a convicted felon can run for Congress. This conundrum is a result of the enigmatic loophole in the Florida Constitution. Under Florida’s Amendment 4, which was passed in 2018, anyone with a felony conviction would automatically regain the right to vote upon completing “all terms of the sentence” related to that felony conviction.
On the heels of Amendment 4 passing, the subsequent SB 7066 law specified that this includes the payment of all fines, fees and restitution related to felony convictions. The state election concluded that he completed restitution for the theft. This decision is controversial because the owner says she was not reimbursed at the current market value.
She Said: Yikes Don, in the 3rd largest state in the country, a convicted felon is all you got? Well, I suppose he has some experience with the law. Personally, I would prefer a candidate that obtained his experience like you did. Has Florida run out of men and women with a JD?
