Florida ethics commission dismisses complaint against Kathleen Beckman

The Florida Commission on Ethics has dismissed a complaint that accused former Clearwater City Council member Kathleen Beckman of using her public office for personal gain during her unsuccessful campaign for mayor earlier this year.

The complaint, filed by former Mayor Frank Hibbard in February, became an issue during election season. Beckman’s opponent in the two-way race, lawyer Bruce Rector, spoke about it during appearances, and a Republican political committee sent attack mailers highlighting the allegations.

Rector won the March 19 election with 62.44% of the vote.

Hibbard’s complaint was one of 33 statewide that the commission dismissed this month without conducting investigations because the allegations were not legally sufficient, according to an April 24 news release.

Hibbard alleged Beckman commingled her campaign with city resources by mailing letters on city stationery to targeted voters about how officials were resolving flooding problems on Clearwater Beach. Beckman used city staff to help write the letters, print copies and provide envelopes, according to emails. She paid to mail them to 139 residents, all of whom were women, and used Democratic campaign software to generate the addresses, according to the spreadsheet of recipients.

The commission, in dismissing the complaint, noted that the letters had a legitimate public purpose of educating residents about the city’s response to flooding in the area.

The letters identified Beckman as a council member and did not mention she was a mayoral candidate or ask residents to vote in any manner, the dismissal order states.

Beckman said on Monday that the commission’s decision shows that the attacks against her were “clearly a political ploy to tarnish my name.”

“What it shows is people can use nasty, mean-spirited, untruthful tactics to besmirch their opponents,” Beckman added.

Hibbard said he believes the commission got it wrong and that Beckman mailing the letters only to women and not all residents affected by beach flooding “does not pass the smell test.” He downplayed the complaint’s impact on the election, saying it alone could not explain Rector’s 25-point victory.

“I believe in the institution of Clearwater government and frankly I think what she did is disingenuous and undermined everything she talked about for her four years about being transparent and intentional,” Hibbard said.

In January, then-Mayor Brian Aungst Sr. raised concerns about Beckman’s letters during a City Council work session. Aungst, who was not a candidate and endorsed Rector during the campaign, accused Beckman of “electioneering on city time” by sending the letters to targeted voters.

Rector said Monday that although the complaint was dismissed, it was valid to call attention to Beckman only sending her letter to female voters and using campaign software in the process.

“Whether or not they dismissed it, it doesn’t mean people like what she did,” Rector said.

Beckman said Monday the letter recipients were female because “women are more receptive” to such a gesture. But she said she tried “not to dignify the allegations” during her campaign by getting into debates explaining her actions.

She said she often communicated with residents through letters, emails, meet-and-greets and in-person visits during her four-year term as a council member.

She said she composed the letters after surveying floodwaters with north Clearwater Beach residents following a December storm.

Although she used campaign software in compiling the letters, she said the recipients were all people she met or attempted to meet by knocking on doors over the course of her time in office. Two recipients previously told the Tampa Bay Times they never had contact from Beckman.

Since the election, Beckman has stayed active in city affairs by attending council meetings and being involved with various community groups. She said she does not see politics in her future.

“I don’t see myself running again but I’m going to stay busy in other ways,” Beckman said.