As early voting was set to open, Republican voters in Manatee County’s District 1 began receiving unsolicited PAC-sponsored text messages making alarming claims that Manatee County Commission candidate, Republican Liz Arnold, and her husband were the subjects of multiple animal welfare investigations over allegations of animal abuse. One text sent recipients to a website made to appear as an animal advocacy organization called "Parrish Paws," complete with a logo and copied pages from a February 2025 sheriff incident report. To the average voter, it may have appeared to be a local watchdog group exposing potentially serious wrongdoing by Arnold and her husband—maybe even crimes.
A copy of the animal welfare complaint and investigation report, recently obtained by TBT, reveals that the case referenced in the PAC-funded text messages was opened after a citizen complaint was phoned in to the county’s Animal Welfare Division on August 3. Records confirm that the complaint was submitted by Agatha Mantanes, chairperson of a newly formed political committee tied to the Manatee Christian Family Coalition, a group that has issued endorsements in several local races, including in Arnold’s District 1 race.
Records reviewed by TBT show that the investigation cited in the text messages was opened on August 3, the same day the “Parrish Paws” website was registered and one day before Miller’s PAC sent its first message targeting Arnold. The case was ultimately closed on August 13 after investigators determined they could not substantiate any animal-welfare violations by the Arnolds. By then, however, the allegations had been circulated to District 1 voters throughout the first several days of early voting.
Campaign filing documents available through the Florida Division of Elections show that Mantanes’ Christian Family Coalition - Manatee PAC was established on June 11, 2026. Associated documents show that Mantanes serves as the PAC’s chair, treasurer, and registered agent. Mantanes reported the address of Christian Family Coalition Manatee as her own home address in West Bradenton.
Campaign finance reports for Mantanes’ PAC show that its first and only reported contributions were received on July 8, when the PAC reported receiving $50 in cash and a $47,000 check from the statewide Christian Family Coalition (CFC) Florida INC, a not-for-profit corporation based in Miami.
The PAC’s spending records show that most of the money was quickly put toward the group’s texting operation. On July 9, one day after receiving a $47,000 contribution from CFC Florida, Mantanes’ PAC reported paying $34,000 to Wornroots Collective LLC, a Bradenton company, for “CFC TEXT MESSAGING.” The payment represented more than 70% of the PAC’s reported receipts.
Interestingly, Wornroots Collective LLC was formed on June 18, seven days after Mantanes’ PAC was established. The company’s website, Worn & Rooted, describes the business as a maker of handmade jewelry from vintage silverware and “earth-grown remedies.” Its online shop features products including spoon rings, earrings, basil salts, all-natural bug spray, lip scrubs and essential oils. The site does not advertise political consulting, campaign advertising, or text-messaging services.
The PAC’s campaign-finance filing provides no further detail about the $34,000 expenditure beyond identifying it as “CFC TEXT MESSAGING.”
The PAC’s remaining reported expenditures consist of $1,000 Republican primary campaign contributions. On July 22, it contributed $1,000 each to Manatee County Commission candidates Tara Poulton (District 6), Amanda Ballard (District 2 incumbent) and Mike Rahn (District 4 incumbent); State House candidates Jordan Varnadore and incumbent Bill Conerly; Manatee County School Board District 2 candidate Margi Nanney; and Manatee County District 1 candidate Mark Stanoch. The PAC reported another $1,000 contribution to Manatee County District 1 candidate Leland Taylor on July 23, and $1,000 to school board candidate Jonathan Mullis two weeks later, on August 6.
The spending in District 1 is notable, as the CFC endorsed Stanoch and subsequently contributed $1,000 to his campaign. Yet on July 19, the same day Stanoch announced in a Facebook post that he had received the organization’s endorsement, the CFC’s PAC sent some District 1 voters a text message promoting another District 1 candidate, Michael Harrison, as the “ONLY candidate who will STOP DEVELOPERS…” Harrison was not endorsed by the Christian Family Coalition, nor was Leland Taylor, who also received a $1,000 contribution from the PAC.
The message was signed simply “Liz,” despite the disclaimer in the text identifying it as paid for by the Christian Family Coalition-Manatee PAC.
The CFC PAC’s District 1 activity is particularly notable because Mantanes was not merely running a political committee active in the race. She was also the person who, on August 3, personally called Manatee County Animal Welfare and lodged a complaint that prompted a new investigation into Arnold and her husband, based on the already closed February 2025 law-enforcement report. The following day, lobbyist Terry Miller’s PAC began texting District 1 voters about an alleged “active” animal-welfare investigation involving Arnold and her husband. The messages used language that closely mirrored Mantanes’ complaint, as documented by Manatee County Animal Welfare Field Services Supervisor Steven Bell, as well as the 2025 MCSO incident narrative.
In the activity notes of the animal welfare case file, on August 3, Bell wrote, “Received a call from Ms. Agatha Mantanes requesting an investigation into Elizabeth Arnold's alleged involvement in the shooting of a neighbor's dog, as well as allegations that she has impounded dogs and dumped them in another location.” But the 2025 MCSO incident report did not establish that a dog was shot, and it was Lawrence Arnold, not Liz, who reported to the deputy that he had fired his revolver.
According to the records, Bell reviewed the 2025 MCSO report the following day and continued the Animal Welfare investigation. Records show that after his August 4 entry, Bell did not complete another entry in the case until August 11, when he finally attempted to make contact with the Arnolds to inform them of the investigation—three days after early voting had already begun. Bell taped a yellow notice to the Arnolds’ glass front door.
Two days later, on August 13, the case was officially closed.
Bell’s closing summary noted that the dog survived the incident without injury, according to a former Animal Services officer. The finding is consistent with the original 2025 MCSO report, which found no blood trail and did not locate an injured dog.
“After conducting this investigation and speaking with the caller (Mantanes), who requested an investigation into alleged violations of Manatee County Ordinance 25-33 and Florida Statute 828.12, I was unable to substantiate any violations of either provision,” Bell wrote.
On Friday morning, TBT attempted to reach multiple officials at Manatee County Government about the investigation. We directed our email inquiry to Communications Manager Casey Zempel, Records and Information Manager Lacy Pritchard, Director of Government Relations Stephanie Garrison, and Director of Animal Welfare Sara Brown, and provided a detailed list of questions about the complaint, the evidence supporting it, and the Division's handling of the case. Among other things, TBT asked whether the Division was aware that similar allegations were being circulated in PAC-funded texts.
TBT also asked whether the county has policies governing complaints lodged during an active election season involving candidates for public office and whether any safeguards were used in handling this case involving a candidate. Finally, TBT asked whether the county stood by its decision to open and subsequently close the investigation into Liz Arnold.
The county did not respond to the request, which was sent Friday morning with a 9 p.m. deadline. None of the eight questions we submitted received a response, nor did the county provide any additional records or comment.
Click here to read TBT’s full request for comment.
A political network with familiar connections?
Mantanes' role in local politics did not begin with the Christian Family Coalition Manatee PAC, nor with her Aug. 3 animal-welfare complaint against a Republican candidate running for the County Commission.
Following the 2024 election, in which a slate of local candidates associated with political consultant Anthony Pedicini suffered a series of primary defeats, the Republican Party of Florida suspended the Manatee County Republican Executive Committee (MREC). One of those defeated candidates was then-REC chair April Culbreath, who lost her bid for a County Commission seat. RPOF said the suspension followed nearly 100 grievances filed against the local party's leadership and subsequently initiated a reorganization of the committee.
As part of that reorganization, the RPOF removed the locally elected state committeeman and committeewoman and appointed new leadership, including Jennings Lawton DePriest as state committeeman and Mantanes as MREC treasurer.
While fewer Manatee County voters may have been familiar with Mantanes at the time she received the RPOF appointment, DePriest was a more familiar figure in the Manatee County political scene.
During the 2024 election cycle, DePriest came to be recognized by many Manatee voters as a political operative who executed targeted mass SMS text campaigns (frequently funded by PACs), mail pieces (including ones that appear hand-written), and websites or social media groups presented as independent or grassroots organizations.
This year, each of the county commission candidates who previously worked with Pedicini says their campaigns are being run without his consultation, while DePriest says he has just one BOCC candidate client: District 1 candidate Adam Johnson.
Meanwhile, the attacks against Arnold have continued even as the Animal Welfare investigation was concluding. On August 13, a political postcard containing similar allegations reached District 1 voters, paid for by Miller’s Fort Myers-based Just the Facts PAC.
Financial reporting shows that between July 13 and August 13, Miller’s Just the Facts PAC received $159,500 in contributions. All but $1,000 of that money came from another of Miller’s PACs, the Southwest Florida Jobs Alliance. The remaining $1,000 came from a separate political committee.
Miller’s Southwest Florida Jobs Alliance reported dozens of contributions in 2026, but only three of the contributors were based in Sarasota or Manatee County.
Two contributions were made by Deme Construction, a company based in Manatee County; one contribution was made by Impact Landscaping and Irrigation, based in Sarasota, but the largest single locally-based contribution was made by Rye Associates, LLC, which gave $25,000 on May 6.
According to Florida Division of Corporations records, Michael Neal and Richard Bedford are listed as title managers of Rye Associates. Both are familiar names in local development and political circles. The company’s registered address is the same as Neal Communities’ headquarters.
Michael Neal is the son of developer Pat Neal. Bedford is an architect and real estate and land-use consultant who has previously served on both the City of Bradenton Planning Commission and the Manatee County Planning Commission. Bedford is also the father-in-law of Jennings DePriest.
Mantanes and DePriest are not the only figures with connections to the political network surrounding this year's races. Former Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, a former client of Pedicini who lost his bid for reelection in 2024, was seen attending the Manatee Christian Family Coalition's June 2026 candidate forum, where the organization interviewed candidates before making its endorsements.
TBT corroborated Van Ostenbridge’s attendance at the event with multiple people, including one witness who independently confirmed the clothing Van Ostenbridge was seen wearing.
The CFC event wasn’t the only recent sighting of Van Ostenbridge in the context of local Republican primary races. A text message paid for by the Melton Little campaign featured a photo of Van Ostenbridge carrying campaign signs for Little’s primary opponent, Jordan Varnadore.
Varnadore, like Mantanes and DePriest, was appointed by the RPOF to the reorganized MREC following the 2024 suspension of the local committee. He was named secretary.
“The same developers...The same dark money...The same political operatives…” the text message read before signing off, “Paid by Melton Little, Republican for State Representative. NOT a developer special interest PAC LIKE YOU SEE FROM ALLIES OF JORDAN VARNADORE!”
More recently, Van Ostenbridge also appeared in a separate District 1 campaign message supporting another Republican candidate, Adam Johnson.
The message came from the America Only PAC, a political committee chaired by DePriest, who is currently working on Johnson’s campaign.
Johnson, whose campaign has embraced the slogan “Take a Stand,” gained national attention after being photographed carrying then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Against that backdrop, DePriest’s PAC message presented Johnson as a candidate who had “taken a stand” against what it described as attacks on Arnold, specifically naming KVO, District 1 candidate Mark Stanoch and developer Pat Neal.
The message did more than criticize the attacks on Arnold. It also cast Johnson’s opposition to those attacks as another example of his willingness to “take a stand.”
Besides working on Johnson’s campaign, Johnson and DePriest have a personal relationship. Johnson has previously described DePriest as a friend and has publicly shared a story in which he credits DePriest with connecting him to an attorney through a connection to the Republican Party of Florida to represent him in the Jan. 6 case.
DePriest’s America Only PAC has not only sent texts and mailers promoting Johnson’s candidacy in the District 1 race, but also at least one handwritten-style direct mail piece—a form of political advertising DePriest has previously described as having a psychological advantage in getting targeted recipients, including voters, to open and read the message.
With early voting ending Sunday, Aug. 16, and the Republican primary set for Tuesday, Aug. 18, the candidates will soon find out whether the attacks, PAC-funded texts, mailers, campaign signs without legally required disclaimers, fake websites, and other all-too-familiar political tactics have had any measurable effect on the District 1 race.
Dawn Kitterman is a staff reporter and investigative journalist for The Bradenton Times covering local government news. She can be reached at dawn.kitterman@thebradentontimes.com.
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Kelly
So we have liars and evil doers in Manatee County galore. Note which candidates are in the Robber Baron developers’ pockets. Don’t be a sucker. One evil doer lies about dogs and it’s paid for by the robber baron developers. Another with the color glossy postcards telling you what you want to hear also paid for by the robber baron developers. One evil doer doesn’t even seem to know which BOCC rolled back the wetlands or why they’re still rolled back. And I guess the developers are also still funding lawsuits against certain commissioners who tried to restore our wetland protections, but not against all commissioners.
If this wasn’t Florida politics, it would be illegal racketeering with such coordinated precision. It stinks all the way to the State House or else there would be prosecutions.
Saturday, August 15 Report this
Dianna
Thanks to TBT- the public is no longer in the dark. The only way these bad candidates will win is if the public doesn't do their homework. To our citizen activist stepping up and putting themselves through this- THANK YOU!
A big YES vote for Arnold- Gibillina- Bailey- Ference/Calovich
A hard NO to Rahn and Ballard and the rest of the developer dark money candidates.
Saturday, August 15 Report this
David Daniels
TBT sent the request for information to Manatee County Friday morning. Instead of answering and defending his employees, Charlie Bishop hid all day. He should have been fired after lying to the board and the public that the wetland policy was "county initiated." He should have been fired after knowingly violating county policy and public records law by using his personal phone to conduct county business. And he did so for years after the county attorney swore to the court that Bishop was using a county-issued phone. He should have been fired over the kennel trailer fiasco - including the use of prefabs, rejecting and covering up the Animal arts study, slow walking construction, lying in 2024 about the timeline, deceiving the public about the Univ of Fl zoom-call evaluation, and moving the dogs before it was safe. How much more poor judgement, incompetence, and unethical management will it take before there is accountability? Leadership is everything and it is long overdue that Manatee get a new one.
Sunday, August 16 Report this
RRICH69176
It is scary what goes on in Manatee County politics. And what is also frightening is a candidate like Johnson can emerge for the slime pool and become a candidate for public office. The results of the upcoming elections will indicate what residents really want for the county or reveal large scale ignorance.
Thank TBT for exposing slime pool participants.
Sunday, August 16 Report this
Cat L
Exact same shenanigans, from the exact same cast of characters. Truly, those f****** are exhausting.....
Sunday, August 16 Report this
writerlynn9717
Johnson has the bad judgement of a run of the mill criminals. He can't be that dumb. Wouldn't he be in prison for his crime if not how he was pardoned by another criminal in charge?
Monday, August 17 Report this