Jacksonville mayor's campaign denies Nigerian scam killed his PAC

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry’s campaign denies his political action committee, Build Something That Lasts, was shut down because of a Nigerian scam.

The PAC disbanded earlier this month.

It shut down less than three months after multiple news sources, including Action News Jax, reported the PAC lost $120,000 in a scam.

After the Nigerian scam news story came out in July, financial records filed with the state showed Build Something That Lasts received only two donations, totaling $5,500.

Between the story breaking and the shutdown, the PAC spent $56,362.

There was a spike last month in contributions to Curry’s other PAC, Jacksonville On The Rise, which launched when Curry announced his re-election bid.

Last month, Jacksonville On The Rise raked in $789,500.

That’s a considerable increase from its $188,000 in contributions in August and its $85,000 in contributions in July.

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Curry political consultant Tim Baker denied that the PAC changes have anything to do with the Nigerian scam, saying shutting down the old PAC and focusing on the new one was always the plan.

Baker told Action News Jax he did not have time for an interview because he was busy with the midterm elections.

Jacksonville On The Rise is run by the same treasurer as Build Something That Lasts, Sarasota-based accountant Eric Robinson.

Robinson took the blame for Build Something That Lasts’ $120,000 loss in July.

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

Cox Media Group