FULL STORY: Candidates bare their claws at Tiger Bay

The 2012 election season in Sarasota has delivered excitement in unexpected places — two usually tepid races for Supervisor of Elections and the 12th Judicial District State Attorney’s Office.

The Sarasota Tiger Bay Club luncheons held at Michael’s On East provided a forum in which attendees heard candidates in both races in the same month. But, the aggressive climate leading up to the primary election had state attorney candidates July 19 focused more on how — and how not — to run an ethical campaign, rather than what they plan to accomplish if elected.

The luncheon was expected to be a sparring match between Republican candidates Ed Brodsky and Peter Lombardo, with little input coming from the sole Democrat, John Torraco. But, by the end of the affair, Torraco snuck in a few jabs at Brodsky and managed to avoid the arguments made at the podium.
Days earlier, Lombardo was accused of soliciting support from Dr. Gary Kompothecras, a local entrepreneur. A commercial attacking Brodsky, which was paid for by Kompothecras’ political action committee, sparked the controversy, because Lombardo criticized Brodsky for seeking endorsements, himself.

Endorsements and their ethical implications, rather than promises to constituents, became the primary topic.

“It’s not difficult to find a picture of Bill Lombardo,” Lombardo explained when questioned about participation in the advertisement, which Brodsky said was devastating for his children to watch.
“Those aren’t pictures — you’re acting,” Brodsky said.

Lombardo asserted he did shoot the footage at the advice of his campaign manager but didn’t know what the final product looked like until it made headlines. He said he was unaware of who underwrote the commercial.

Despite a few jabs from Brodsky, Torraco quietly built audience support and pushed back, as well. He criticized Brodsky’s record, which he said includes doing what attorneys call “jacking it up.” That means increasing the charges against someone right before they go to trial, pressuring them for a plea deal.
“I would have my own case load,” Torraco said. “The tax payer deserves the maximum value for their dollar.”