Florida State House Candidate BUSTED in an Embarrassing, but Elaborate Lie

OH, the allure of higher office and political power! It can drive people to do really, really dumb things.

Hence begins the sorry tale of Melissa Howard, the Republican candidate for State House, out of Florida.

There seems to be a problem with Mrs. Howard’s stated credentials.

Howard has made the claim to be a graduate of Miami University, in her home state of Ohio.

I know. It’s weird that there’s an Oxford, Ohio college called Miami University.

So it all began with a story in Florida News Online:

FLA News first reported that a non-profit clearinghouse that partners with Miami University maintains Howard did not have a degree. After Mrs. Howard pushed back on our reporting – calling it a lie, we asked the National Student Clearinghouse to re-confirm with the university.

The organization sent a certificate stating – no degree earned. FLA News asked Howard for a copy of her diploma, which she promised to send last Saturday. Then it was Monday and finally Tuesday. FLA News published its story Tuesday afternoon and it contained a statement from the Howard campaign calling the assertion a dirty trick from her GOP opponent, Tommy Gregory in House District 73 which includes Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Howard’s campaign consultant notified us Thursday that she was flying to her home state of Ohio and would produce the degree Friday. After receiving a picture showing Howard holding a copy of what appeared to be a legitimate degree, FLA News rescinded its story. Based on information learned Friday, that correction was withdrawn.

So you would think that would be the end of an embarrassing, public mix up. It’s not the worst thing in the world. It happens, right? People get the wrong information, incorrect stories are printed, retractions are made, and life goes on.

But then, of course, there’s the other side. And this is politics, so, you have to know, another shoe is about to fall.

In her efforts to prove the reports wrong, Howard posted a partial transcript from Miami University on her Facebook page.

Later, she posted an image of herself and her mom posing with what was a pretty nicely framed diploma from the school.

Well, Mrs. Howard has some explaining to do.

Miami University General Counsel Robin Parker took a look at that image of the nicely framed diploma and has deemed it a fraud.

Ok. Did Mom know the diploma she’s posing with was fake?

Howard’s claim was that she earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. Still, those images seemed to disappear on Friday.

Oopsies.

So what happened?

According to Miami University, Howard did attend but there is no record of her earning a degree either in 1994, which she initially claimed, or in 1996, which she later claimed.

I’d say that’s the first red flag. You should know when you graduated.

The degree Howard was holding in the picture contains inconsistencies, according to the university’s general counsel.

Miami University does not offer a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, instead it offers a Bachelor of Science in Business. Howard’s major while attending Miami University was Retailing and if she had graduated would have received a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences.

And that’s perfectly acceptable and honorable, so why lie?

This is ridiculous. Is there anything else?

The diploma Howard is holding contains the signatures of James C. Garland, President and Robert C. Johnson, Dean. Mr. Garland was President of Miami University in 1996, but Mr. Johnson was dean of the graduate school not the dean for either the School of Business nor the School of Education and Allied Professions. Johnson would not have signed Howard’s diploma.

Howard is in a heated race with opponent Tommy Gregory, with both sides claiming the other to be the liar, over a variety of issues.

This particular incident, however, may just give Gregory the edge, as far as moving the needle on the truth-meter.