St. Petersburg Mayoral Race: Welch Launches Third Political Committee
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch has initiated a new political committee, St. Petersburg Progress PAC, to bolster his re-election efforts this year. This marks the third such committee established since his initial mayoral run over four years ago, and the second within the last several months. The formation of this new PAC follows a series of challenges impacting Welch’s previous fundraising vehicles.
The latest committee replaces The Pelican Political Action Committee, which itself succeeded the original The Pelican PAC. Filing paperwork with the Division of Elections occurred on January 30th, a move prompted by the surfacing of allegations that a former treasurer of The Pelican Political Action Committee, Yolanda Brown, misappropriated $207,000 from the committee’s funds. Welch’s campaign asserts Brown directed unauthorized expenditures to a company under her control and has since forwarded a complaint to both state and federal law enforcement agencies.
Committee Issues and Transparency Concerns
Prior to the allegations surrounding Brown, Welch’s initial political committee, The Pelican PAC, faced revocation by the state due to consistent failures in submitting required documentation. The new committee’s debut has also encountered early hurdles. A recent campaign flyer promoting Welch’s kickoff event lacked the necessary disclaimer identifying the political committee responsible for its funding, despite directing donations to the new PAC.
Further complicating matters, the “donate” button on the website created for St. Petersburg Progress PAC was initially non-functional, as first reported by Florida Politics last Tuesday. While the button is now operational, the initial technical issue raised questions about the committee’s preparedness.
PAC Chair Addresses Ethical Standards
Adrienne Bogen, Chair of the St. Petersburg Progress PAC, addressed the committee’s creation in a statement to Powerbroker Magazine on Monday. Bogen emphasized the new PAC’s purpose is to “ensure there are absolutely no distractions from the work ahead.” She further characterized the move as being “about transparency, accountability, and maintaining the highest ethical standards,” as reported by Powerbroker Magazine.
However, critics suggest establishing a new committee doesn’t resolve the underlying issues. The removal of Brown from her position as treasurer was also delayed, occurring on January 28th – sixteen days after amended finance reports detailing the unauthorized transaction were filed. This timeline indicates a significant lag between the discovery of the alleged theft and the removal of the accused individual.
Fundraising Challenges and Competitive Landscape
As of Monday, Welch and Maria Scruggs are the only officially filed candidates in the mayoral race. However, former Florida Governor Charlie Crist is widely expected to contend for the position and launched his own political committee late last year. Crist’s committee rapidly amassed $750,000 in its first seven weeks, presenting a substantial fundraising contrast. Welch’s previous committee, The Pelican Political Action Committee, held just over $30,000 at the close of December, a comparatively modest sum.
Welch is scheduled to formally launch his campaign this Wednesday, an event typically leveraged for significant fundraising. The results of his first-quarter fundraising efforts will be closely watched, though official reports are not due until April. His fourth-quarter fundraising prior to officially filing for re-election yielded a comparatively low $48,225, prompting scrutiny of his campaign’s financial viability.
