A day after dark money report, an email blast seeks donations to pro-Bill Carlson PAC

Tucker/Hall Chair Tom Hall on Thursday morning sent an email blast seeking donations to a recently opened political committee supporting Tampa City Council member and Hall’s colleague, Bill Carlson, who is widely expected to run for Mayor.

The email comes the day after Florida Politics reported that a 501(c)(4) organization appeared to be tied to Carlson. Carlson has yet to respond to a Florida Politics inquiry about the organization.

Hall’s email points to Friends of Bill Carlson, the political committee he says he launched “along with other supporters.” The committee opened on March 2, with the state’s acknowledgement letter noting paperwork was filed Feb. 2.

The committee has not yet reported any fundraising, as its first financial reports are not due until April 10.

Hall is listed as the committee’s Chair, with Michael Watkins serving as the Treasurer and registered agent. Watkins is also the Treasurer for Hillsborough County School Board candidate Brittany Lyssy, a past President of the Tampa Bay Young Republicans who is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Policy at Liberty University, a private evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia.

The 501(c)(4) that appears connected to Carlson, Leading Tampa, also includes ties to conservatives. That includes Tarah Bluma, an officer who is a member of Trumpettes USA, a pro-Donald Trump women’s group. The dark money group’s registered agent, Richard Coates, is a prominent GOP lawyer. Coates in recent years has served as an attorney for Republican Rep. Erika Booth and as the registered agent for a political committee supporting Republican Rep. Berny Jacques.

Hall’s email asks recipients whether they “deserve a leader who listens,” or someone “who commands details without losing sight of the horizon.” It also asks whether they deserve someone “who relentlessly seeks solutions others overlook.”

It makes reference to demanding “that your local government spends wisely without compromising what our neighbors care about most.”

If those are things voters care about, Hall says those are the standards “of leadership Bill Carlson embodies.”

“He leads with a rare combination of global perspective and local grit,” Hall writes. “I’ve seen his results firsthand in business and the community for decades.”

Hall writes that the political committee is “dedicated to championing smart, engaged leadership that our city needs to overcome its challenges and secure a world-class future for us all.”

The email then asks readers to contribute “$500, $1,000, or anything you can” and reminds that “our committee can accept donations of any amount.” It then refers readers to a donation link for the committee.

Carlson has not publicly announced a campaign for Mayor, and he has not filed for the race. But the existence of a dark money group, whose address is the same as Tucker/Hall where Carlson serves alongside Hall as President, and a political committee bearing his name, is the first tangible suggestion that Carlson continues to mull a bid.

It is also possible that Carlson is testing the waters. Former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, a known foe, is planning to run for his old job and is widely seen as a front-runner for the post.

The presence of a political committee, which must publicly report contributions and expenditures, will offer an early glimpse into whether Carlson could be competitive against Buckhorn, whose PAC has already raised $1.43 million.