FL GOP and secret contracts

[Alicia Leonard]

This is really lighting up the inter-webs tonight. Maybe when the dust settles, things will improve and get back on track. Way to go St. Pete Times. Good work.

Secret contract, lavish spending push Republican Party of Florida to crisis

By Adam C. Smith and Beth Reinhard, Times/Herald staff writers
In Print: Tuesday, February 9, 2010

As a volatile election season gets under way, the Republican Party of Florida is facing its biggest crisis of confidence in decades.
Donors and party activists are livid over newly revealed records that suggest outgoing chairman Jim Greer used the party as a personal slush fund for lavish travel and entertainment. The records also show that executive director Delmar Johnson padded his $103,000 salary with a secret, $260,000 fundraising contract and another $42,000 for expenses ? at the same time the once mighty Florida GOP was having to lay off employees amid anemic fundraising.
Another sign of trouble came Monday with news that incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon transferred $665,000 of party money in the days surrounding Greer's resignation to a separate political committee called the Florida Liberty Fund, suggesting lack of confidence in the party election machine.


Secret contract, lavish spending push Republican Party of Florida to crisis - St. Petersburg Times

 

[Matt J]

Are we really shocked by this after the last 8 years?

 

[beachmouse]

I'm amused by how much fun the St. Pete's Times is having with Delmar Johnson:

Delmar Johnson: Exhibit A in Fla GOP mess

A giant beachball of a man, Delmar WoodrowJohnson III is boisterous, always gushing with enthusiasm, and treats everybody as a best buddy. It makes perfect sense that such a friendly, outsized personality would be elected president of the student government association at Florida State University. Or that he would cheerfully don a goofy duck costume to mock Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride in 2002. Or that a few years later Johnson would charm Crist and get hired as one of Crist's first gubernatorial campaign staffers.

 

[30ashopper]

Sounds like most of this got kicked off as soon as Jeb Bush left office. Which makes me more wary of Crist as a senator in the upcoming election.

 

[Matt J]

Sounds like most of this got kicked off as soon as Jeb Bush left office. Which makes me more wary of Crist as a senator in the upcoming election.

I'm sure Rubio is pushing that as hard as he can.

 

[condomimi]

It's about time the records were turned over! Everyone knew about the credit cards, but we also knew there was more to it. Now, it is time for the GOP to clean up their act. As a Tea Party member, we are unhappy with both the Republicans and the Dems - neither party is serving the people. They are both serving themselves. Now is the time to get rid of the "old" and get some "New" blood elected to save our country from ruin.

 

[Matt J]

It's about time the records were turned over! Everyone knew about the credit cards, but we also knew there was more to it. Now, it is time for the GOP to clean up their act. As a Tea Party member, we are unhappy with both the Republicans and the Dems - neither party is serving the people. They are both serving themselves. Now is the time to get rid of the "old" and get some "New" blood elected to save our country from ruin.

Are you a member or a leader?

I'm also curious how the tea party vets a "new" candidate to determine that they won't simply fall into the rank and file of the current congress? Could it be that it's not the candidate, but the process?

 

[John R]

frills baby frills