From The St. Petersburg Times, by Times Staff Writers
The Hillsborough County Judicial Campaign Practices Committee has found Circuit Judge Charles "Ed" Bergmann committed an ethical violation for statements he allegedly made about the depth of his support among family-law attorneys.
Beth Reineke, a lawyer who is running for Bergmann's seat, complained that Judge Bergmann claimed a majority of family-law attorneys supported his candidacy.
"We found a violation because he didn't refute what she said," said Tom Scarritt, chairman of the campaign practices committee. "We don't think it was an ascertainable number."
Bergmann, for his part, insists he only said "an overwhelming number" of family-law attorneys supported him. As evidence, he points to the number of attorneys that have contributed to his campaign versus Reineke's.