With the fate of Floridas public campaign finance law before a federal court, Republican Bill McCollums campaign continues to work the margins with millions of dollars swirling around and passing between murky political committees.
Republican gubernatorial contender Rick Scotts lawyers filed briefs Tuesday in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in his attempt to overturn the states $24.9 million spending cap in this years governors race, a day after the Florida secretary of state and McCollum filed papers defending the limit.
But campaign finance reports show McCollum supporters continue to try to help the out-financed campaign keep pace with a free-spending, multimillionaire opponent by pouring cash into a 527 committee, the Florida First Initiative, which is running TV ads attacking Scott for having led Columbia/HCA shortly before the health care company paid $1.7 billion in federal fines and settlements.
Florida Firsts biggest investor continues to be House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, who steered $727,000 to it last month from a committee he controls. But Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, has now emerged as a Florida First contributor, having given the organization $190,000 since mid-July, according to finance reports.
But Haridopolos on Tuesday distanced himself from the committee in an e-mail to the News Service.
I have no knowledge of the activities of the Florida First Initiative, Haridopolos said.
Haridopolos earlier had poured $403,000 into another 527, the Citizens Speaking Out Committee, whose treasurer is Alachua County Republican Chairman Stafford Jones, a McCollum supporter.
Haridopolos own 527, the similarly named Freedom First Committee, was able to come to McCollums aid after receiving $200,000 itself last week with half the cash coming from Connecticut hedge fund investor Paul Tudor Jones, chairman of the Everglades Foundation, who has helped finance previous state environmental ballot issues.
Another $50,000 came from Florida Power & Light an indicator that Haridopolos Orlando energy summit earlier this month may be drawing attention and dollars from those looking to shape policy during the next legislative session.
Asked if energy was the root of this new money, Haridopolos said, No, but didnt expand.
The Florida Medical Association, which earlier endorsed McCollum, also gave $50,000 to Haridopolos committee the same day the candidate rolled out a health care plan that he said would lower hospital and insurance costs by increasing competition and boosting the number of health care professionals in the state.
The Haridopolos and Cannon 527 committees, named for the IRS code which governs them, each received $500,000 in contributions last month from three South Florida companies led by a pair of doctors, Paul Zimmerman and Gerald Glass.
Zimmerman, an orthopedist, played a central role in fighting legislation supported by presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee Alex Sink that was aimed at reducing the cost of prescription drugs in the states workers compensation program.
Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed the legislation, siding with the Florida Medical Association and the Florida Orthopedic Society, which had also opposed it. In turn, Haridopolos sent most of the money from the doctors companies to the Citizens Speaking Out Committee, while Cannon gave his to the Florida First Initiative.
With Scott edging close to the $24.9 million spending cap, McCollum is being outspent by roughly 4-to-1 in the Republican primary for governor, even after he collected more than $1 million last week in the first installment of public finance payments received for limiting his own campaign spending.
McCollums campaign did not respond to requests to comment for this report. But the legislative leaders backing him are bucking the tide, with polls showing Scott leading as the contest enters its final month.
It is still early and I think that (Attorney General) McCollum will start to see a rise in the polls and the undecideds trend his way, Haridopolos said.
Scotts campaign also did not respond to questions about 527 activity. But during a six-day bus tour just completed, Scott said he expected that he could make peace with Haridopolos and Cannon if he wins the Aug. 24 primary.
The same thing happens in business, Scott said. You compete with somebody and then you eventually do a merger.
While much of the focus of the 527s is on McCollum, Scotts own committee, Lets Get to Work, has been used to let him spend campaign cash outside the boundaries of the state spending limit and also boost his familys financial stake in his campaign.
Scotts wife, Ann, so far has given $8 million to Lets Get to Work, through mid-July, according to finance reports. Scotts own investment in his campaign is roughly at the $24.9 million spending cap.
Crist, who is running as an independent for U.S. Senate, has a 527 backing him Friends for Freedom and Prosperity, formed by Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, whose own committee put the initial $5,000 into the governors account.
Crists 527 is intended to help armor his campaign against likely heavy spending by the national political parties in support of likely Republican nominee Marco Rubio and the winner of the Democratic primary between front-runners Kendrick Meek and Jeff Greene.
But so far, Crists Friends for Freedom and Prosperity has drawn little. Reports show the only contribution -- $12,500 came last week from Tampa trial lawyer Steve Yerrid. The attorney was named last month by Crist as a special counsel, receiving no pay, to advise the governor on legal steps involving the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
