Press release
Two days ago, it was disclosed that Teresa Jacobs returned $13,500 in campaign donations from Jim Palmer and his clients. However, Jim Palmer remains on Mayor Jacobs’ “Chairman’s Committee” tasked with bundling checks and soliciting donors on her behalf. Furthermore, Teresa Jacobs failed to return all of the donations to her campaign which are tied to Jim Palmer including $1,000 donated by his wife.
Val Demings is calling on Mayor Jacobs to disclose all donations bundled by Jim Palmer and stop using the relationship to recruit donors to her campaign. His continued position on her fundraising committee shows that Teresa Jacobs is not serious about cutting ties to the embroiled developer.
“Wrong is wrong all the time – not just when there is a grand jury investigation. Teresa Jacobs should not have been soliciting donations from Jim Palmer regardless of the timing,” said Val Demings.
Her comments regarding the refunded donations are sadly just another example of Teresa Jacobs saying one thing while doing another. Leveraging her position on the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority to build relationships with donors is just plain wrong. It is time for Teresa Jacobs to hold herself accountable to the voters in Orange County. The system of corruption and pay-to-play politics at the Orlando-Orange County Expressway authority needs to end.
While Teresa Jacobs said she opposed Scott Batterson’s appointment due to his relationship with developer, Jim Palmer, she was also naming Palmer to her top fundraising committee.
In 2006, Teresa Jacobs said “government should not be for sale,” yet she has made Jim Palmer part of her top-tier “Chairman’s Committee” which is tasked with bundling checks – another practice Teresa Jacobs once railed against.
“I’m calling on Mrs. Jacobs to disclose all donations to her campaign bundled or solicited by Jim Palmer. Orange County needs leaders who will hold themselves accountable. As Mayor, I will fight corruption at every turn and that starts with holding politicians accountable” said Val Demings in her call for Mrs. Jacobs to disclose the fundraising activities Jim Palmer has undertaken on her behalf.
