CASE AGAINST ORLANDO MAYOR DYER BASED ON "ASSUMPTION"

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that the case against Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (currently on suspension pending the result of his legal issues) is based on payments made by African-American activist Ezzie Thomas, who was paid by Dyer's campaign last year for contract and consulting services. Prosecutors say the payments were actually for collecting, witnessing, and delivering absentee ballots to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections' office. Doing such for pay is illegal under the Florida Statutes.

However, Dyer denies knowledge of any illegal activity occuring in his campaign, and Thomas only said that it was "assumed" that the mayor was aware:

During Thomas' interview, he was asked, "Did you actually explain to Ms. Sharp . . . precisely how you would physically go out and get the ballot from the voter and return it to the supervisor of elections?"

"I'm pretty sure I made that perfectly clear, yes," Thomas responded.

"Our job is to try and make sure that as many of those [absentee ballots] that are sent out gets back in as we possibly can," Thomas said.

Thomas went on to say, "I'm assuming he [Dyer] did know" about how his absentee-ballot program worked.

The last time I checked, assumption does not make a person guilty, and the prosecutors must convince a jury beyond a shadow of a doubt. And remember that Mr. Thomas is squealing as the result of a deal made with prosecutors, trying to give up Dyer and his team under the promise that he would not be charged, although the grand jury also indicted him.

My four year old granddaughter would likely be able to present a defense good enough to bring Dyer back into the mayor's office.