A Sumter County Commission candidate who has pledged his loyalty to the Developer has dumped $76,138 of his own money into his campaign days ahead of the election.
Todd Coon, who is hoping to unseat Commissioner Craig Estep in Tuesday’s GOP primary, deposited the cash into his campaign on Thursday, according to a financial disclosure report on file with the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections Office.
Coon, a landscaper who has publicly pledged his loyalty to The Villages, had already raised $109,993 in political contributions, thanks to the Developer as well as people and companies tied to The Villages. Coon’s company, Tri-County Landscapes, has contracts with the Developer south of State Road 44.
Coon has raised a total of $187,771, dwarfing the $7,750 raised by Estep.
On the same day Coon deposited the money in his campaign account, his campaign cut checks to some high-priced consultants. The Coon campaign wrote two checks totaling $72,991 to Front Line Strategies in Tallahassee. He had already paid more than $32,000 in July to the consulting company.
Here is how that company advertises its services:
The Front Line Agency is a full-service media and public relations firm, bringing maximum firepower on behalf of clients throughout the nation. We produce and place all types of paid media and provide standard services in public relations, campaign consulting, and grassroots advocacy.
Founded in 2005, the firm is led by a team of experienced professionals who entered the industry through political campaigns. Drawing on the intense competitiveness of the political battlefield, the firm has adopted an approach suitable for all types of clients that need to maneuver quickly, defend their strongholds, and achieve decisive victory.
The Coon campaign also wrote a check on Thursday in the amount of $7,355 to Merus Strategies LLC in Deland.
The commissioner’s job pays $62,500 per year.
