The Republican Party of Florida released credit card records Friday containing more than $7 million in charges racked up by 31 Republicans -- not all of them household names, not all of them even party leaders.
Nevertheless, the release of such records would have been virtually unnecessary had Gov. Charlie Crist not vetoed a bill that would have allowed more transparency in fundraising and expenditures. The bill would have created so-called party affiliation committees through which expenditure reports by both Republicans and Democrats would have been more detailed.
"There was so much misinformation about this bill," RPOF spokeswoman Katherine Gordon Betta said Friday. Senate Bill 88, she said, "would have given citizens a clear view of legislative leaders' campaign finance activity, which is currently obscured because all party fundraising is mixed into one pot when the records are made public." The bill would have allowed the public to see exactly where the money went and for whom, she said.
The credit card statements cover Jim Greers three-year term as chairman of the RPOF, which ended in disgrace in January when he was forced to resign. In the wake of Greer's resignation, and with the election of Sen. John Thrasher to replace him, the party immediately launched a forensic audit of expenditures. Thrasher also promised to release the credit card records.
Meanwhile, Crist, prodded by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink, has asked for an IRS investigation. Not long after the governor made that request, it was revealed that a close associate of the governor's was paid $316,000 for a ghost job and Crist himself has bolted from the GOP, taking with him millions of dollars in money he raised while flying the RPOF flag. The governor, apparently in an effort to distance himself from the controversial mess created by his handpicked RPOF chairman, is now running for a U.S. Senate seat as an independent.
The statements released Friday show millions of dollars were spent by the RPOF on hotels, travel, copying, dining, catering and special events -- from basketball games to Disney World visits.
The list of Republicans with RPOF American Express cards included leading party officials like Greer, former executive directors Delmar Johnson and James Rimes, Greer aide Jeremy Collins and former GOP state committeewoman and current Indian River County Tax Collector, Carole Jean Jordan.
The list also included such prominent legislators as Senate President Jeff Atwater, incoming Speaker Dean Cannon, incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, former Senate President Ken Pruitt, former House Speaker and current U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio, disgraced former House Speaker Ray Sansom and former House Speaker and current congressional candidate Daniel Webster. Expenses for the legislators varied, with Cannon, Sansom and Rubio charging more than $100,000 in expenses, while Webster and Haridopolos charged less than $10,000.
The party also gave cards to lower-profile employees like Debbie Bishop, who served as the RPOF deputy director for finance and administration, political director Andrew Palmer and Kristen Seidel, who was in charge of major donor fundraising. It gave cards to political operatives on staff, too, including Joel Springer and Andrew Wiggins, who handled both House and Senate races.
Some of the lower level staffers in the RPOF ran up high charges. For example, Cameron Lee Ulrich, who worked as deputy finance director of the RPOF, spent more than $220,000, which included buying tickets for the Orlando Magics run in the playoffs in 2009. Melanie Phister, who handled finances for House campaigns, ran up $1.3 million in charges during her two and a half years at the RPOF.
The list also included staffers to political leaders. The RPOF gave a charge card to Richard Corcoran, who was chief of staff under Rubio and is now running for a House seat. The party provided a card, too, to Dane Eagle, a close aide to Crist. Eagle currently serves as finance director of Crists U.S. Senate campaign. The RPOF gave another card to Michael Yaworsky, who currently serves as director of Crists appointments office.
Though the governor himself had no credit card, his expenses too were covered by cards issued to RPOF staff.
Kevin Derby can be reached at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com, or at (850) 727-0859.
