An audit of state Republican Party finances found a pattern of "inappropriate" spending by Gov. Charlie Crist and disgraced former Chairman Jim Greer.
According to a Party statement, the forensic audit exposed "numerous luxury personal vacations taken jointly by the Crist and Greer families, a host of lavish and wasteful personal and official trips taken by Greer and others, and a significant range of other inappropriate official and personal charges."
Among the highlights:
- A personal vacation to Disney World in June 2009 taken jointly by the Crist and Greer families that cost the RPOF $13,435.59.
- A trip taken by Greer and former RPOF Executive Director Delmar Johnson in October 2009, coinciding with a Crist for Senate fund-raiser in Las Vegas, that cost the RPOF $7,059.92. Auditors determined that it does not appear that Greer or Johnson was conducting RPOF business while in Las Vegas more than on a nominal basis.
- Three personal vacations to Fisher Island by Greer, and in one instance including Crist, costing the RPOF $10,992.17.
- $1,589.56 charged to the RPOF by Greer or Crists spouse before Greer or Crists arrival in New York. Auditors determined that On Sept. 26, 2009, Greer and Crist arrived in New York for a fund-raising event for Crists senatorial campaign. However, their spouses had arrived in New York on Sept. 24, 2009, and their hotel and related expenses were charged to the RPOF.
- $5,616.79 worth of personal charges in May 2009 for Greers sons baptism.
This independent audit is affirmation of the despicable exploitation and gross financial mismanagement of donor funds that occurred at the Republican Party of Florida during the leadership of Charlie Crist and at the direction of his hand-picked chairman, Jim Greer, said RPOF Chairman John Thrasher.
"For the first time we have a specific dollar amount tied to certain items and events and can gain a broader understanding of the mismanagement that occurred, Thrasher said.
Neither Greer, who has been charged with six counts of fraud and money laundering, nor his attorney, Damon Chase, were immediately available for comment.
Crist, who bolted the Republican Party in April to pursue his bid for U.S. Senate as an independent, also could not be reached on deadline.
Meantime, the audit cleared Republican Senate nominee Marco Rubio, who, according to opponents and press reports, had used a party American Express card for personal business. Auditors stated:
"We reviewed all of the credit card charges that were incurred by or on behalf of Mr. Rubio on his RPOF American Express Card between 2007 and 2009. We asked to obtain additional information from Mr. Rubio about certain charges.
"Mr. Rubio provided us with that information and a sufficient explanation to allow us to confirm that the charges we questioned were, in fact, related to RPOF business."
Reached for comment this morning, Rubio spokesman Alex Burgos said the report "speaks for itself."
Incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon also got a pass on his AmEx card use.
"Mr. Cannon provided a sufficient explanation to allow us to confirm that the charges we questioned were, in fact, related to RPOF business," the auditors wrote.
Alston & Bird LLC, the law firm that conducted the audit at the request of Thrasher, examined 150,000 pages of documents to make its determinations. The firm has a nationally recognized Special Matters & Investigation unit that was involved in the investigation of the Enron Corp.
Documents reviewed included e-mails, financial statements, policies and procedures, expense reimbursements, receipts, credit card statements, invoices, payable files, federal and state finance reports, contracts and agreements, itineraries and hotel folios.
Over the next few months, our outside counsel will continue to work with Alston & Bird to conduct a full and thorough legal review of the audits findings to determine what legal action can be taken with the end goal ofensuring that the Republican Party of Florida is fully and appropriately reimbursed," Thrasher said.
"We are committed to ensuring that the Party is made whole, and I look forward to a full report from our outside counsel on the Partys legal options in time for the next quarterly meeting of the State Executive Board on Dec. 11, in Orlando, he said.
With a mixture of disgust at their former leaders' behavior and hopes that justice will be served, Republicans say they're eager to move on.
Senate President Jeff Atwater said in a statement:
"Since we first learned of the mismanagement and wrongdoing by former RPOF staff, I have consistently called for the most open and transparent accounting of Party funds and spending.
"Months ago, before today's audit, I called upon the RPOF to release the records of the card that was assigned to me. Those records and the audit released today confirm that my limited use of the Party's credit card was for authorized and approved RPOF activities."
Republican campaign consultant Rick Wilson took a more acerbic tone.
"I await the day that Charlie Crist, Jim Greer and Delmar (Johnson) are fitted for medium, large and husky orange jumpsuits," Wilson said.
While calling the audit "a step in the right direction," Florida Progressive Coalition Executive Director Kenneth Quinnell, said, "It stretches credibility to think that the only people who were involved in wrongdoing are people that are conveniently no longer with the Party.
"Who else was involved in this corruption and, more importantly, who else knew about this and didn't act upon it?"
Quinnell noted, "The audit clearly states that others knew about some of this corruption and the public still doesn't know the truth about the full scandal, and if John Thrasher is true to form, we won't know anything else about the scandal until after Election Day, when it will be too late."
Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 559-4719.
