Lake County Republican Party votes to censure tax collector, property appraiser candidate

RIVNE, THAT HE WAS THE ONE TO SELL THOSE DRUGS. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF FLORIDA IS INVESTIGATING WHAT IT CALLS DIRTY POLITICS IN A LAKE COUNTY RACE. PROPERTY APPRAISER KERRY BAKER SAYS HE WAS TARGETED IN WHAT COULD BE ELECTION FRAUD AT THE HANDS OF A FELLOW REPUBLICAN. AS WESH TWO POLITICAL REPORTER GREG FOX EXPLAINS, IT COULD MEAN A STEEP UPHILL CLIMB TO REELECTION FOR BAKER. SNAPS RIGHT IN THERE. THE AS A GUN SHOP OWNER KARI BAKER MOST OFTEN TALKS WITH US ABOUT PROPOSED GUN LAWS. BUT THE FORMER REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR FULL TIME JOB FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS HAS BEEN SERVING AS LAKE COUNTY’S PROPERTY APPRAISER TO SPARE HIS CAMPAIGN DONORS THE MORE THAN $10,600 QUALIFYING FEE HE PROMISED TO FILE AS A WRITE IN CANDIDATE IF NO ONE ELSE FILED TO RUN SOMETHING BAKER SAYS HE SHARED WITH TAX COLLECTOR DAVID JORDAN, WHO THEN SHARED IT WITH HIS BROTHER MARK. AS SOON AS BAKER LEFT THE ELECTIONS OFFICE FRIDAY, THINKING HE WAS AUTOMATICALLY REELECTED AS A WRITE IN, MARK JORDAN QUICKLY FILED AS A REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE AS HIS BROTHER STOOD BY. TYPICALLY IN THIS AND EVERY OTHER COUNTY IN FLORIDA, THE TAX COLLECTOR AND THE PROPERTY APPRAISER WORK HAND IN HAND TO SERVE THE PUBLIC AND IN FACT, KARI BAKER SAYS, DAVID JORDAN HAS BEEN A CLOSE PERSONAL FRIEND, ONLY A FRIEND COULD HAVE BETRAYED ME LIKE THIS. SPEAKING TO US VIA ZOOM WHILE ON A BOY SCOUT CAMPING TRIP, BAKER SAID HE WOULD NEVER HAVE QUALIFIED AS A WRITE IN HAD HE KNOWN JORDAN WAS GETTING INTO THE RACE. OH, AND GUESS WHO PAID MARK JORDAN’S QUALIFYING FEE? EUSTIS MAYOR MICHAEL HOLLAND WHO IS MARK JORDAN’S TREASURER AND ALSO CHIEF OF STAFF TO TAX COLLECTOR DAVID JORDAN. BAKER SAYS THE ETHICAL MOVE IS FOR MARK JORDAN TO DROP OUT. WE DON’T WANT PUBLIC OFFICIALS THAT OBTAIN OFFICE BY THE USE OF DECEPTION AND DECEITFUL BEHAVIOR. THIS IS THE MOST HORRIFIC THING I’VE EVER EXPERIENCED ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. WE TRIED SPEAKING WITH DAVID JORDAN, BUT WE’RE TOLD HE’S OUT OF THE OFFICE THIS WEEK. MESSAGES TO THE TAX COLLECTOR’S BROTHER MARK WERE NOT RETURNED. THE STATE AND LOCAL REPUBLICAN PARTIES CALL THIS POTENTIAL FRAUD AND ARE CONSIDERING CENSURING BOTH JORDAN’S AND LEGAL ACTION. DO YOU WANT TO WIN A RACE BASED ON A DIRTY POLITICAL TRICK OR NOT? AND CAN WILL THE PUBLIC ACCEPT YOU AS A LEGITIMATE CANDIDATE IF YOU DO THAT? AND THEY BELIEVE THAT THIS NOMINATION WAS STOLEN, A BLEAT POTENTIALLY LEGAL MEANS, BUT EXTREMELY UNETHICAL IN CORRUPT MOTIVES. FOR NOW, BAKER IS ARMING HIMSELF FOR THE TOUGHEST POLITICAL FIGHT OF HIS CAREER IN LAKE COUNTY. GREG FOX WESH TWO NEWS. THE LAKE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY’S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WILL VOTE TOMORROW NIGHT ON WHETHER TO CENSURE DAVID AND MARK JORDAN.