Mayor's political committee loses $120,000 in scam

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A member of one of Mayor Lenny Curry’s political action committees was defrauded out of nearly $120,000.

According to the police report, last May, Eric Robinson, a Sarasota-based accountant who works for one of Curry’s political action committees, wired nearly $120,000 from one of Curry’s main political action committees called “Build Something That Lasts.”

The scammer had Robinson wire money to four places across the country, including Wyoming and Ohio, which all appear to be residential addresses.

Deputies said Robinson thought he was doing so at the request of a man named Kevin Hoffman, who does fundraising for Curry.

The money was supposed to go towards things like catering and consulting services. While Robinson was still on the phone talking to the scammer, deputies say he got a call from the real Kevin Hoffman.

Robinson said some of the transactions were stopped or recovered by police.

Rod Sullivan, a former law professor said this shouldn’t reflect negatively for Mayor Curry, but his opponents could use it against him.

“If you really look at the facts I don’t see how this personally affects him or his competency. His political opponents will try and make hay out of it. There’s no question about it. They will say he’s responsible for what his people do, and if they lost some money to scammers that somehow taints him,” Sullivan said.

Robinson told Action News Jax his own firm reimbursed Curry’s political action committee for about $90,000. He said no donor money was lost.

Cox Media Group