Activist's company donates $1-million worth of influence
The contribution - one of the largest single political donations - is made to a 527 created by Ralph Hughes.
By BILL VARIAN, Times Staff Writer
Published July 18, 2006
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TAMPA - Nobody can ever accuse Ralph Hughes of not putting his money where his mouth is.
A company run by Hughes, the fiscally conservative east Hillsborough County activist, has donated $1-million to a political group he has formed to try to influence state and local campaigns.
That's a lot of campaign brochures.
"That's a boatload of money," said J.M. "Mac" Stipanovich, a Tallahassee lobbyist and Republican strategist heavily involved in state politics. "In Florida politics, I've never heard of a larger single contribution."
There are plenty of people or groups who have spent more to influence elections, when all their donations are added together. But Hughes' gift to his own group ranks near the top 20 for one-time political contributions over the past decade in Florida.
It may be the largest donation to a group primarily focused on getting people elected - which appears to be what Hughes is up to - as opposed to ballot questions such as constitutional amendments or the proposal to create an elected county mayor.
"It's the single largest contribution I see on record, presuming this is about candidates," said Nancy Watkins, a certified public accountant from Tampa who specializes in compliance and control systems for political organizations that support Republican causes, after reviewing Department of State Web site records that go back to 1996.
Hughes filed federal paperwork in June to create what is known as an electioneering communication organization, or 527.
Hughes calls his group, "Let's Make the World a Better Place Because We Have Been Here." He has not spoken publicly about its mission and did not return a phone call to his office Monday seeking comment.
But in paperwork filed with the federal government, he describes its purpose this way: "To promote good government by attempting to influence the election of individuals to state and local office."
Cast-Crete Corp., a precast concrete building materials manufacturing company Hughes owns, made its $1-million donation to Let's Make the World a Better Place June 9, according to disclosure reports.
"For one person to give that kind of money is kind of intimidating," said Mary Ann Stiles, who has largely bankrolled an effort to let voters decide if they'd like to elect a county mayor, to the tune of nearly $100,000 in various smaller expenditures in attempt to get the issue on the ballot. "It just depends on where he's going to spend it."
Hughes, his family and business associates collectively donate thousands of dollars to political campaigns each election, donations that are capped at $500 apiece for each election. Contributions to political groups like the one he has formed are not limited.
For years, Hughes has penned what he calls "open letters" that he mails out to average citizens and civic leaders in batches of sometimes more than 1,000. He sounds off on a variety of subjects, but generally advocates for lower taxes and fees, smaller government and limited restrictions on development. He signs the letters and prints them on company stationary.
His missives have come under attack in recent years, particularly when he mails them out near elections. Those who have faced his scorn have argued in complaints to the Florida Elections Commission that he makes it clear which candidates he supports and, therefore, Hughes should have to disclose how much he is spending on them.
While the Elections Commission has ruled in his favor, his new political group may be an attempt to avoid future complaints. His recent financial disclosure may also provide a glimpse of the scale of his efforts in the past, which he has routinely declined to discuss.
"Well, it certainly is interesting," said Mark Proctor, a Republican political consultant assisting the campaigns of at least two candidates who are facing opponents Hughes supports, incumbent County Commissioner Mark Sharpe and state Senate hopeful Ray Young. "I hope it's done to promote a positive message about things, and not a negative."
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