Ken Welch campaign in turmoil after $200K-plus stolen from PAC, stagnant fundraising

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch got robbed blind. Sort of.

The committee supporting his re-election, the Pelican Political Action Committee, suffered $207,500 in unauthorized expenditures that appear to have been taken by the committee’s registered agent, Yolanda Brown.

The committee transferred funds beginning Aug. 6 from the PAC to O’Reilly Business, a business active in Florida for which Brown is the registered agent.

Asked about missing funds, those affiliated with the committee said they are working with state and federal law enforcement.

With fundraising slowing and the unauthorized fund distributions, Welch has only about $32,000 on hand in his committee.

– Janelle Irwin, Florida Politics