New records unearthed about 3rd party of Florida TEA Party

3rd minor party Florida TEA Party connections with Grayson questioned

WDBO Local News

TEA Party helping Grayson? Records feed new accusations

By Drew Petrimoulx
@ July 30, 2010 7:36 AM Permalink

Central Florida tea party activists and some Republicans have made accusations that the Florida TEA Party  is trying to throw the election in District 8 for Democrat Alan Grayson.

Financial records are leading to new concerns.

In the last quarter, Florida TEA Party candidate Peg Dunmire landed a total of six contributions to her campaign, and the $6,600 dollars she has in her campaign account is less than what records show she owes.

Meanwhile, Republican candidates Dan Webster, Todd Long, Kurt Kelly and Bruce O’Donoghue all have more than $100,000 cash on hand. Grayson, the Democratic incumbent, has more more than $1 million in the bank.

“It just shows that the tea party movement and the people at large are not supporting what the TEA Party is putting out,” said Jason Hoyt with the Central Florida Tea Party Council.

He says the Florida TEA Party, backed by Ax-The-Tax man Doug Guetzloe, is up to no good.

“The reason why [Guetzloe] chose TEA is to confuse voters at the ballot box in November,” Hoyt said.

But Dunmire is tired of hearing those accusations.

“This is just so absurd,” she said. “I don’t know what it’s going to take to get these people to deal in the truth.”

She says she has the personal funds to finance her campaign when it counts.

“I have the funds that I need,” she said.

Flordia TEA Party officials said they’ve been able to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars statewide. They say much of that will be spent on the Dunmire’s race.