JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The political TV ads from two of the Republican candidates for mayor of Jacksonville have been nonstop, each targeting the other for their role in the attempted sale of JEA.
On Friday we showed you how candidate Daniel Davis responded, and now, candidate LeAnna Cumber is firing back.
“During his press conference, he said I was attacking his family,” Cumber said Monday. “Let me be clear. The only candidate’s family that is under attack is mine.”
Davis’ ad suggests that Cumber’s husband was going to profit from the JEA sale, which she says is not true. She stated again that her husband was working with the federal government and FBI members that were investigating.
During her news conference Monday, Cumber said the special investigation by a city council committee looking into her role is nothing but a political ploy.
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“Daniel Davis, Lenny Curry and Terrence Freeman had weaponized city government against a citizen who opposed their agenda and had the guts to run against their handpicked candidate to try to clean up the legacy of corruption and scandal,” Cumber said.
When asked if she would be at a special committee meeting that’s scheduled for Wednesday, Cumber responded, “You will have to find that out. We’re focused on today.”
Daniel Bean, an attorney who is giving Cumber legal advice, spoke about that special committee.
“So this special group that was selected by the city council president that our candidate for mayor mentioned, in my legal opinion, does not possess the legal authority to do what it’s attempting to do, Jim, to answer your question. So I don’t believe we’re going to be there on Wednesday,” Bean added.
Councilman Michael Boylan is on that committee, and he has some concerns about it as well. He said he knows two of the four members are complaining about Cumber and ties to the JEA sale.
“Understand that they want to bring some balance to the committee, and hopefully, I think I can bring some of that to the table,” Boylan said.
News4JAX requested comment from the Davis campaign in regard to Cumber’s statements. The campaign said what it discussed during Friday’s news conference will stand as its response.