Oakland Commissioner Sal Ramos dodges questions about violating campaign finance law 

Oakland Commissioner and Empire Finish Systems CEO Sal Ramos Tuesday, during the town's commission meeting, dodged questions about violating campaign finance law when his company exceeded the donation limit to an individual candidate in the 2024 election.

In 2023, the family-owned construction company gave $2,000 to Austin Arthur’s campaign for Orange County Commission —$1,000 on June 29 and $1,000 on Aug. 23. The Florida Division of Elections caps donations to individual candidates at $1,000. There is no limit on donations to political action committees. 

Ramos showed no remorse, nor did he apologize to constituents for the donation overage. 

Asked by VoxPopuli during the commission meeting to explain what led to the excess donation being made, Ramos, a commissioner since 2015 and a recent candidate for town mayor, said, “I have no comment.” 

When pressed to explain the overage to his Oakland constituents attending the meeting, Ramos said, “The check has been replaced, given back by the campaign because it was made, one too many. It was brought back, so that’s as far as I can give you the information.”

VoxPopuli brought the situation to Ramos’ attention and that of his sister, Iliana Ramos Jones, on Nov. 3. Jones is Empire Finish Systems’ chief financial officer and a Winter Garden city commissioner. VoxPopuli also informed the Austin Arthur campaign. The campaign issued a refund check to Empire Finish Systems on Nov. 4 and committed to an audit of their donors. The Ramoses did not respond. 

But regardless of whether the funds were returned, the violation is the donation of the excess funds, according to criminal defense attorney James Smith, who's in private practice in Dr. Phillips. A single instance of exceeding the donation limit is a first degree misdemeanor, punishable by one year in prison or a $1,000 fine.

Still, Ramos refused to elaborate further on how “one too many” donations came to be given to the Arthur campaign. 

“No comment,” was all the commissioner said.

The relationship between Ramos and Arthur was exceptionally close during the campaign season — so close, it was rumored they were related, even prompting a meme that circulated in Oakland Facebook groups that poked fun at the idea they were brothers. They are not. 

Both Ramos and Jones campaigned with Arthur in the run-up to the 2024 municipal elections, when Ramos was running for Oakland mayor and Jones was running for Winter Garden District 2 city commissioner (she won; he did not). They posed with him for an advertorial in The Local, a magazine produced and distributed to all Winter Garden households by Em Agency, emphasizing their friendship and common goals. And they held private “friend-raiser” events together with Arthur in supporters’ homes where the funds raised were directed into the Arthur campaign, according to the invitations.