Greenleaf Capital’s Money Machine: Buying Influence and Pushing False Statements

Residents of Tierra Verde have watched in disbelief as Greenleaf Capital—the developer behind the proposed damaging marina project—has turned to paying local politicians and nonprofits to make materially false and misleading statements on behalf of Greenleaf's proposed redevelopment project.

What should be a transparent public review has devolved into a well-funded campaign designed to buy influence, manipulate citizens, and mislead decision-makers.

Buying Power, Not Trust

Greenleaf Capital isn’t earning support—it’s attempting to purchase it. The company’s executives have poured money into political campaigns, hired insiders, and leaned on powerful connections to force their project through.

Most alarming is Greenleaf’s decision to hire the former mayor of St. Petersburg, a move that reeks of political favoritism. That same former mayor is now publicly praising Greenleaf and making claims about their “strong community partnership”—claims that residents know are flat-out false. The message is clear: Greenleaf is willing to pay anyone who can help sell their narrative, without the truth.

Paying the Chamber of Commerce

Greenleaf has also turned to previously respected institutions that depend on its money. The St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, under pressure from Greenleaf, issued a letter of support with materially false statements—assertions that Greenleaf has broad community backing and has collaborated closely with residents.

None of this reflects reality. When residents demanded the Chamber correct the record, it refused—openly admitting that Greenleaf is a customer, and we weren't. The result: a supposedly independent business organization acting as a paid untruthful mouthpiece for a private developer.

A Web of Political Influence

Greenleaf’s campaign contributions to multiple city council candidates raise further questions. This isn’t democracy—it’s influence-peddling.

Our city’s decisions about the island’s future should be made through open debate and honest facts, not under the shadow of developer money and backroom deals.

The Cost to Our Island

If Greenleaf’s plan succeeds, Tierra Verde will lose more than just a dozen businesses, critical resources, and peaceful surroundings. We’ll lose public trust in our local government. And we’ll lose the very character that makes our island a home—not a commodity.

Residents have worked for generations to protect this community. Greenleaf Capital sees it as nothing more than an investment opportunity. Their tactics—paying off power brokers, manipulating the media, and spreading misinformation—show exactly what kind of neighbor they intend to be.

A Call for Integrity

It’s time for city leaders, commissioners, and voters to take a stand. The people of St. Petersburg and Tierra Verde deserve honesty, transparency, and accountability—not a development process sold to the highest bidder.

Greenleaf Capital may have money, but they do not have legitimacy. No amount of political spending can disguise what’s happening here: a corporate takeover of our island’s future, bought with checks and delivered through deception.

The city commission must reject this plan—and with it, the toxic politics that Greenleaf Capital has brought to our community.