Nicolai To Return Campaign Donations

BROOKSVILLE - An overflowing campaign war chest and no war to fight.

That's the situation Hernando Clerk of Court Karen Nicolai finds herself in now that she has no opposition in her re-election bid.

Her sole opponent, Ridge Manor attorney Harlan "Derek" Saltsman, dropped out last week to spend more time with his family, including a young son who is fighting cancer.

Nicolai said Friday she plans to return some $31,000 in campaign contributions back to the donors.

She had a couple of other options under campaign finance law. She could have given the money to charity or donated it to her Republican Party. It's best to let the donors decide, she said.

"It's their money, and they can do what they want with it," she said. "I sure appreciate it, though, because I think it shows the support I have."

Nicolai had already raised $37,566 in her bid to keep the office she's held for 20 years.

A big chunk of that came from two fundraisers hosted at the Brooksville home of local attorneys Tom and Debbie Hogan. Tom Hogan invited his former college friend Gov. Charlie Crist and asked attendees to support Nicolai with a $100 donation. Others were more generous, giving the $500 maximum allowed for individual donors.

Crist couldn't make the first event but it went on anyway. The Hogans rescheduled for February, and the governor showed up that time.

Nicolai said nearly all of roughly $6,000 she'd spent went to pay for those two parties, which featured rented outdoor tents, valet parking and lots of food.

She also spent a couple hundred dollars on 500 bumper stickers. The stickers don't include a year, though, so she said they might be useful if she needs them in four years if she decides to run again.

She laughed as she mentioned another possible use: "Wallpaper."