FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 15, 2012 Contact: Scott Swope, Candidate for Pinellas County Sheriff Email:

- SwopeForSheriff@Gmail.com Phone: - 727.743.0800

PINELLAS SHERIFF CANDIDATES FINALLY SET Largo, FL, August 15, 2012 - After weeks of being exposed to repeated negative ads, Republican voters yesterday elected interim Sheriff Bob Gualtieri over former Sheriff Everett Rice. In the weeks prior to the primary election, Rice ads warned that Pinellas Countys residents would not be safe with Gualtieri as Sheriff, referencing numerous narcotics cases that have been dropped by the State Attorneys Office due to corruption in the Narcotics Division. Rice also accused Gualtieri of embellishing his experience, micromanaging the Department, and destroying the morale of the deputies. Despite the attacks, Republican voters opted for Gualtieri who will face Democratic challenger Scott Swope in the general election on November 6th. I am pleased that the Republicans have selected their least qualified candidate to run against me, Swope said, I am facing the candidate that I know I can beat. Swopes campaign website states that hes running for Sheriff because the Sheriffs Office has been mismanaged for far too long. Swope touts his business education - he holds a bachelors degree in finance - as one reason why voters should vote for him in November. Budgetary issues plague the Sheriffs Office. My opponent applauds himself for cutting the budget by $108 million. However, his cuts eliminated vital public safety programs while spending limited resources on non-violent crimes and questionable investigations, like the 2-year surveillance of Simply Hydroponics.

Swope spent six years as a Pinellas County deputy, during which time he worked as a traffic homicide investigator and field training officer. In the police academy - at age 19 - Swope was one of the most highly decorated recruits ever, earning nearly perfect scores in marksmanship and academics. He has a law degree from the University of Florida and practices law with his wife in Clearwater. # Political advertisement paid for and approved by Scott Swope, Democrat, for Pinellas County Sheriff.