Candidate: Jeff Rapkin

Jeffrey A. Rapkin, Esq.
Attorney and Counselor at Law
www.voterapkin.com

My name is Jeffrey Rapkin and I am running for Clerk of Charlotte County. The most important message I have is that integrity matters. 

Integrity means that your actions speak for you. I have spent my career helping victims of crime and violence, protecting survivors when their abusers sought to use the legal system to continue the pattern of abuse, harassment, and control. I believe that the Court system is for everyone and I encourage you, the voter, to ask about me in the community. In the past twenty years I may have helped someone you know. 

One of the reasons I am running is that morale in the Clerk's office is lower than ever. The current Clerk is a tyrant, raises his voice to his employees, talks down to them, berates and abuses them. He fosters a hostile workplace. A man who has integrity takes responsibility for his own illegal actions. Only someone lacking common human decency would make you, the taxpayer, pay for his misogynist conduct. 

The incumbent committed sexual harassment and you, the taxpayer, paid.  You paid damages to the victims. You paid expensive lawyers to protect him and to cover his tracks, you paid costs and mediators' fees, you even paid for the victims' attorneys. For facts and evidence, go to voterapkin.com and see for yourself. I don't make an allegation unless I can back it up with proof. The documents are there. 

After they complained, he fired the victims and lied about it afterwards. He made a concerted effort to hide and continues to hide what he has done. The settlement contracts contain illegal "gag-orders" so the victims can't speak out. Read them for yourself.

The incumbent has been politicking for the past four years. He's been writing articles in the newspaper, having his picture posted everywhere and telling everyone that he saves them money. 

Behind closed doors, the incumbent has made employees so miserable, many quit and lost pensions rather than spend one more minute working for him. It's no wonder there has been over ninety percent turnover since he took office. Any agency with downtrodden employees is doomed to fail.

Since 1996, I have represented clients from all walks of life, and have had experience in almost every area of the law. The Clerk of Court should have an exceptional, singular grasp of the law. I have spent my career in courtrooms, conducted hundreds of jury trials and hearings. Through this experience, I have become an expert in the rules of evidence, procedure, legal, and administrative. It is important that people who go to Court have a Clerk with the knowledge necessary to protect everyone's due process rights and ensure the fairness of all Court procedures. 

I worked for the Center for Abuse and Rape Emergencies from 2005 through 2010 as their only Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) attorney. The position was from grants provided by the US Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women. I also worked for the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, representing survivors in injunction hearings, and providing training for both survivors and perpetrators. Through SPARCC (Sarasota County's version of CARE) on Monday nights, I facilitated the Certified Batterer's Intervention Programs. 

I have represented survivors in thousands of hearings. Working with the survivors of violence-- some of the bravest people I have ever met, I learned what it meant to have the odds stacked against you in Court. The Court system is supposed to be fair and unbiased. The Courts are not supposed to favor anyone nor any political party, no matter race, religion, creed, or socioeconomic status. I have always been registered independent. I don't have a political party supporting me.

With me as your Clerk, you will not have to spend your money paying damages and paying lawyers. There will be a professional, calm, and friendly atmosphere, free of abuse. No one will be afraid to go to work and things will get done because everyone will be treated with kindness, compassion, professionalism, and respect. 

                                                                                                Jeff Rapkin