Seeking higher ground in the investigation of the Republican Party's deepening financial swamp, Gov. Charlie Crist could end up sinking his own U.S. Senate campaign.
Crist's call for a federal probe of party credit-card use "may end up working as well as the rest of his campaign tacks in other words, it may backfire," Robert Costa of National Review wrote Wednesday.
"As much as Team Crist may want to make this election about (Marco) Rubios mismanaged credit cards, the governors allies are the ones who may ultimately come under closer legal and ethical examination," Costa predicted.
Al Hoffman, a former Republican National Committee finance chairman and ambassador, has said the FBI interviewed him as part of its investigation and that "there wasn't one single question asked about Marco Rubio."
"Definitely they asked about the relationship between the Crist campaign and the party, relative to the co-mingling of funds ... I believe they're after any federal election law violations, tax avoidance issues, and criminal fraud," said Hoffman, who recently asked Crist to refund his contributions.
Meantime, Crist and his allies are coming under increasing scrutiny.
On Wednesday, it was reported that former RPOF Chairman Jim Greer and then-party treasurer Delmar Johnson charged a $26,000 stay at the Rosen Shingle Creek resort to the RPOF credit card. The invoice included charges for Crist's presidential suite at the upscale Orlando resort, VIPvalet parking, restaurants, mini-bar tabs, in-room movies, meals and other rooms.
Included in Crist's entourage were former chief of staff George LeMieux, former general counsel Jason Gonzalez and former communications director Erin Isaac.
Because the January 2009 event was for Greer's re-election as RPOF chairman -- not Crist's yet-to-be-announced Senate campaign -- the governor's actions do not necessarily violate election laws. But Crist clearly benefited from the lavish spending by Greer & Co.
Crist's hand-picked chairman, who ultimately resigned under a cloud of controversy, and Johnson spent more than $1 million on RPOF credit charges last year. Their consulting firm also billed the party for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
More recently, the Crist campaign reported $17,000 in reimbursements to the GOP's credit card.
According to the campaign, the $17,000 payment to the party's card was to pay for T-shirts, hats, and other merchandise that had been printed for a state GOP fishing trip/fundraiser in Key West.
The event was originally called the "Annual Charlie Crist Fishing Tournament," but was changed to downplay Crist after he announced his run for Senate.
Crist's campaign reportedly is facing a Federal Election Commission complaint alleging collusion between the campaign and the party. The charge came after Rich Heffley, a senior Crist adviser and state GOP consultant, created an anonymous Web site attacking Rubio.
Federal campaign finance law bars state parties from contributing, advancing or loaning a federal candidate more than $5,000 in a primary.
Sterling Ivey, the governor's spokesman, referred inquiries about campaign-related activities to Crist's campaign office.
Eric Eikenberg, Crist's campaign manager, did not respond to Sunshine State News' request for comment.
Earlier this week, Crist said, "I've got great faith and confidence in the FBI as well as the U.S. Attorney's Office, and I'm sure justice will be done.
"I don't (know) anybody that's happy about that. Whenever people make a contribution, they expect it to be used to win elections and not to live a lavish lifestyle."
Costa advised the governor against getting too comfortable.
"Though Crist has been supportive of investigations of 'everyone' who used a party credit card, his close association with Jim Greer, whos at the center of this storm, is a political liability," Costa wrote Wednesday.
With the party embroiled in all the controversy that attends a widening investigation, Crist may determine that leaving the party is his best political option.
Just as Greer has sued the party over failure to deliver a severance package, Crist could distance himself from the RPOF by dropping out of the Aug. 24 Republican primary -- in which, according to many polls, he is still trailing Rubio by double digits -- and running as an independent this fall.
All Crist has said on the subject thus far is his oft-quoted cryptic response: "Things change." He has until April 30 to make a decision.
The Greer probe gets more personal Friday when the former RPOF boss's credit card history will be laid out for thestate GOPs executive board.
Current RPOF Chairman John Thrasher said he would release Greers full credit-card charge records to GOP leaders.
There are some things in there that concern me, Thrasher said of at least some of Greer's $460,000 in card charges over two years.
In year-to-year spending comparisons, Greer charged far more to the RPOF than did his immediate predecessor, Carole Jean Jordan.
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Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
