Teresa Jacobs: Bill Segal Starts Mud Slinging to Divert Attention from His 'Shady Ways'

ORLANDO, Fla., April 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In an attempt to divert attention from what appears to be a pattern of dealing in secrets, including his attendance to lobbyist-sponsored, "No Name Club" parties and his still yet disclosed business partners, Bill Segal started the mudslinging with a lob at Teresa Jacobs.  He called her "two-faced" and a "hypocrite" for taking corporate contributions.

"I indeed proposed a ban on contributions from 'paper' companies.  It was and still is a good idea for better elections and transparency, but I got no support from either the current county mayor or a majority of the county commissioners, including Bill Segal.  Having said that, though, I'll be glad to return my $23,000 of corporate contributions if Bill Segal will return his $240,000," said Jacobs.

Since January of this year, Teresa Jacobs has raised nearly $110,000 with 21 percent coming from corporate contributions.  Bill Segal, who has been a candidate for almost two years, has raised just over $590,000 with 40 percent coming from corporations, LLCs and PACs.

Through his spokesperson, Segal suggested that Teresa should have imposed voluntarily on herself the campaign-contribution restriction, the same restriction Segal staunchly opposed when they both served on the commission.   

"Name calling is hardly a civil way for Segal to run a campaign, but am I guilty?  Hardly.  I said consistently and continuously that I would not voluntarily tie my own hands in a future election unless the limitation applied equally to everyone. No hypocrisy there," said Jacobs.

"Perhaps Mr. Segal's noisy protest is an attempt to distract the public from an important issue:  why he has not complied with county financial-disclosure laws," said Jacobs.  "Or maybe he is just worried that he has an opponent that can raise enough campaign contributions to compete with his overflowing war chest."

After a two year effort led by Jacobs to require commissioners to disclose their business relationships, the voters overwhelmingly passed her ballot initiative.  Bill Segal has yet to make those disclosers.

"So now that we're talking about how I'm following the law, I think it's time for a debate to talk about how Bill Segal is breaking it," said Jacobs.

www.TeresaForMayor.com

SOURCE Teresa Jacobs, non-partisan candidate for Orange County Mayor