By LESLIE WIMES for Sunshine State News
If it isn’t poll taxes being levied against its members, it’s attempts to rig elections.
What on earth is wrong with the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida??
Lydia Hudson, the current Black Caucus president, is running for re-election.
Russell Drake, the current vice president, is running for president this time around.
Well!
Things took a turn towards cheating when six days prior to the election, Lydia Hudson, with the help of former Black Caucus president Henry Crespo, current DNC member Grace Carrington, and others voted to kick Russell Drake out of the Black Caucus.
Lydia HudsonSome say the only reason Lydia Hudson won the last time was because Russell Drake was on the ticket with her, and brought his supporters to vote.
I guess that scared Hudson, Crespo (who still has his hands in the mix) and others who knew that they wouldn’t be able to control Drake.
In came the trumped-up charge.
Hudson and her cabal claimed Drake submitted payment to the state black Caucus with a check that only had his signature on it.
Russell DrakeNow the state Black Caucus didn’t hesitate to CASH that check, which was back in February, but the Hudson hooligans saw that Drake was going to give Hudson a run for her money and came up with this not-so-bright plan to get rid of Russell.
Former Hillsborough County Black Caucus President Robin Lockett was shocked.
“I have never sent the state Caucus a check with two signatures, and I have never had an issue or problem with the state cashing our checks”, said Lockett.
Lockett is in agreement that something in the milk isn’t clean.
Apparently, members of the Hudson cabal reached out to Lockett’s successor, who is also the election chair for the now-canceled election, but told her “not to tell Lockett.”
Russell Drake sent an email to the Florida Democratic Party regarding the attempt to pave the way for Hudson by throwing him out.
I was able to get a copy of the email. See the email by clicking on the “attachment” shown in blue below.
I reached out to Terrie Rizzo concerning this fiasco, but of course, she said nothing.
Fortunately for Drake, and I suspect the black Democrats in this state, the right thing was done and the election was halted. See also the FDP’s letter in a second “attachment” shown in blue below.
Russell Drake has concrete plans for the direction of the Black Caucus, as opposed to being led around by the big nose.
Stay tuned for updates, because you know when there is an issue, they’re going to call me!
Leslie Wimes, a Sunshine State News columnist, is founder and president of Women on the Move and the Democratic African American Women Caucus, www.daawc.com. Follow Leslie on Twitter: @womenonthemove1
