Story thread · 5 reports / 2 sources

Crist posts, then edits Facebook video of St. Petersburg High visit

tampabay.com · 10dShare

On July 27, Charlie Crist walked through the halls of St. Petersburg High, his alma mater. He said he was there to bring his soon-to-be stepson to football tryouts. Crist, who is less than one month away from the mayoral primary, said he encouraged the football team, for which he once played quarterback, to work hard. Then, the football coach, Denis Gillen, shared his own story about the mayoral-hopeful: Decades earlier, Gillen struggled to find work as a teacher because of a nonviolent criminal charge, Crist recalled. He wrote to the education commissioner at the time, none other than Crist, and was given a second chance. The footage of Gillen speaking, with Crist to his side, was captured on camera and edited together with photos of the candidate visiting the campus, including a snapshot of a locker that still brandishes his name. It cut to a “Charlie Crist for Mayor” logo before ending. The final product was posted Thursday to Crist’s Facebook, which is rife with campaign material,

First report: Candidate recommendations: Hillsborough County Commission — tampabay.com, 13d