Far-right Republican accused of stiffing student debate champion of $8,000
Summary
A far-right Republican candidate in Florida, James Fishback, is being sued by a student debate champion, Briana Whatley, for not paying her $8,000 in scholarship money she was promised. Whatley won the scholarships through a debate league Fishback founded, but he has only paid her a part of the money and has delayed the rest.Key Facts
- Briana Whatley won around $11,000 in scholarships from Incubate Debate, a competition created by James Fishback.
- Fishback gave Whatley a $10,000 check and two $500 awards but has not paid $8,000 promised to her.
- Whatley filed a lawsuit in Broward County small claims court against Fishback and the Incubate Foundation Inc.
- Fishback allegedly ignored emails and changed payment terms, blaming a fired employee and claiming installment payments were always planned.
- Fishback admitted in a text message that he "totally dropped the ball" and later paid only $3,000 more.
- The lawsuit states Whatley has suffered financial harm due to the unpaid scholarship money.
- Fishback is a candidate for Florida governor, competing in the Republican primary on August 18, 2024.
- Fishback survived a recent legal challenge about his residency for the governor race.
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