Tampa , Florida ( CNN ) -- A campaign aide to Florida gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink has been removed after the Democratic nominee was sent a text message during a televised debate -- in violation of the rules that the candidates agreed to . Sink 's campaign did not name the advisor . But a campaign spokesman confirmed it was Brian May , who signed the rules agreement before the Monday evening debate . The incident took place at the CNN/St . Petersburg Times Florida gubernatorial debate when Sink 's make-up artist delivered a two-sentence message on a cell phone during a break . Republican nominee Rick Scott , who was sitting next to Sink in the nationally televised debate , noticed the violation and notified a CNN official . The CNN official approached the make-up artist and Sink , and confiscated the cell phone . The message read : `` The attorney who [ w ] on the Sykes suit said alex sink did nothing wrong . Tell not to let him keep talking about her . '' After the debate , the Sink campaign released a statement from the candidate announcing that the advisor who sent the message has been removed from the campaign . `` After the debate tonight , one of my campaign advisors admitted he tried to communicate with me during one of the breaks , '' Sink said . `` While he told me it was out of anger with Rick Scott 's repeated distortion of facts , it was a foolish thing to do . It violated a debate agreement and I immediately removed him from the campaign. `` Earlier in the day , officials with both campaigns signed a statement that agreed , among other things , that no notes would be allowed . `` There will be no opening and closing statements , no notes and no props on stage , '' read the statement . `` Candidates will be provided water , notepad and pen . '' CNN did not allow campaign aides to accompany the candidates backstage , but Sink and Scott were permitted to use their own make-up artists during the debate . On the air after the commercial break , Scott pointed out the breach . `` First Alex , you say you always follow the rules , '' he said . `` The rule was no one was supposed to give us messages during the break , and your campaign did with an iPad or an iPod . '' For the record , the device Sink read from was neither an iPad nor an iPhone but a Droid smartphone .
During a break , Sink is shown a text message from an aide . Sink campaign says the sender was angry at Scott 's `` distortion of facts '' Debate rules say no notes are allowed . The incident takes place during the CNN/St . Louis debate on Saturday night in St. Petersburg Florida.