There’s one sure thing about Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph and his wife, Susannah: they are always scheming. Their latest sleazy plan now revolves around Landra Robeson, the current Vice Chair of the Orange County Democratic Executive Committee who is also a current employee of Scott Randolph at the Tax Collector’s office. Just days before local party elections, members put together the scheme at the holiday party last night.
Robeson has said numerous times in public she was not running for party leadership again, but suddenly she is now a candidate for Orange County Democratic State Committeewoman. But there’s more behind her surprising entry into a last-minute campaign when longtime labor activist and Democratic champion Lorraine Tuliano and longtime community activist Lawanna Gelzer are already running in the race for state committeewoman.
Members of the local Democratic Party are now spreading word that Robeson is only running for state committeewoman to create a path for Susannah Randolph to run for Florida Democratic Party State Chair. Only certain people are allowed to run for state party chair and Susannah has been actively campaigning for the job even though she is currently unqualified to run – she’s not even a current member of the local party anymore.
Scott Randolph’s plan is apparently to run his employee (Landra Robeson) for the position to defeat Tuliano and Gelzer – who are two Randolph foes – and then have Robeson resign to allow Susannah Randolph to become a party member and run for the position in a special election vote, which if she wins would make her qualified to run for state party chair. Of course, Robeson will be happy to play her part in the scheme as Scott Randolph pays her salary at the Tax Collector’s office. Numerous party members left the holiday abuzz.
What’s even more shocking is this isn’t the first time Tax Collector Randolph has used his elected position in an attempt to directly benefit his wife. While in the legislature, he attempted to steer $50,000 in funding to ACORN when his wife was serving as the political director of the organization. Scott Randolph has hired his political cronies to further his own and his wife’s careers and Robeson is the latest pawn. Scott hired her, devised the scheme and now Robeson is fronting for his wife in the upcoming DEC elections.
Where’s the scrutiny of Randolph’s use of his public office and public funds? One after another of his political cronies have been hired, or were employed before they cut ties with the Randolphs. How did the Miami Herald report Susannah’s intention to run to FDP Chair, while other local reporters who are friends of the Randolphs remained silent and never questioned how in fact she is running for a position she is currently unqualified to hold? Well, here is her path to the position.
Scott Randolph parsed party rules to find a loophole to allow Susannah to run for FDP Chair, using the public treasury to manipulate his wife’s career and personal gain.
Scott and Susannah Randolph are always scheming – is this really the party the Florida Democrats want? In fact, Scott Randolph only became Tax Collector by scheming last-minute after his failed attempt to secure enough support to run for state party chair himself. Only the sudden death of former Tax Collector Earl K. Wood allowed Randoph to scheme his way into an extremely small special party election to be the replacement candidate and he won with Wood’s name on the ballot not his own.
Also, current Florida Democratic Party Executive Director Scott Arceneaux is personal friends with the Randolphs and all involved want to keep the party funding their salaries and political efforts. This is just another Randolph scheme that will ultimately hurt the Democratic Party simply so they can personally gain.
Local Orange County Democrats must see through this scheme and defeat the controversial and sleazy Randolph politics. Florida Democrats better be worried if this is the future of the party. Stay tuned, this is a developing story.
[…] was some drama ahead of the election when Landra Robeson, an employee of Tax Collector Scott Randolph, entered the race for state committeewom…. Members of the Democratic Party spread word that it was part of another Randolph scheme to promote […]