Archive for August, 2010
Word on the street is that last Friday Lynda Bell, Candidate for District 8, and one of her campaign consultants, Jose Luis Castillo were seen visiting Vile Natacha Seijas’ office. I previously reported that the Stephen Cody Lawsuit against Eugene Flinn (which was dismissed) might have connections to Natacha as Cody represented her in a lawsuit. Coincidentally Cody worked with Miguel DeGrandy
Go to Source
Republican Party Chairman John Thrasher has received and reviewed the long awaited forensic audit of party finances under the administration of indicted chairman Jim Greer and will ask party executives next week to make it public, party officials said Monday.
Katie Gordon Betta, RPOF spokesman, said the 50-plus page report by auditors Alston & Bird, includes "nothing they hadn't seen coming,'' she said. Thrasher ordered the report after allegations surfaced that high ranking legislators and staff had misused party credit cards for personal use, misused expense reports and that Greer entered into a secret fundraising contract with former RPOF executive director Delmar Johnson.
Only Thrasher and two others, party CFO Richard Swarttz and executive director Ronnie Whitaker, have reviewed the report, she said. Thrasher will ask party officials to release the report at the Sept. 11 quarterly meeting in Orlando. The discussion will take place behind closed doors, Betta said.
Rep. Dean Cannon, the Winter Park Republican who has been designated the next House speaker, organized a private little training session in Tallahassee last week for about 30 House Republican candidates who survived the primary. The event, hosted jointly by Cannon and the Republican Party of Florida, gave candidates a primer on campaign strategy — including dealing with the media — at RPOF headquarters, and then escorted them to the Capitol, where they heard a speech in the House chambers by Cannon.
His message: We've got a $6 billion budget hole so watch what you promise.
"I wanted to point out that campaigning as a fiscal conservative is easy and governing as a fiscal conservative is much harder than people appreciate,'' he recalled Monday. "A lot of Republicans have said this should be easy — we just cut waste, fraud and abuse. Yes, we should, but that alone isn't enough to deal with the revenue and budgetary obligations of the state.''
The group also met Cannon's leadership team — Reps. Will Weatherford, Chris Dorworth, Denise Grimsley, Carlos Lopez Cantera and Gary Aubuchon — and attended a "Policy Fair" on the 22nd floor where they could ask questions of the staff directors of the House's policy committees. The use of non-partisan policy directors for a partisan event took the House Democratic office by surprise. So, when asked about it, they weren't kind.
"Given the shameful record of failure that Republican legislative leaders have to defend, it’s difficult to imagine what use would come from attending their political soiree,'' said Mark Hollis, the Democrat's spokesman.
All of this would have remained out of the limelight had Tallahassee Democrat reporter Bill Cotterell not stumbled upon the meeting while looking for a candidate and wrote about it. There was no public notice for the distinctly partisan event.
"We didn't intend it as an omission,'' Cannon said. RPOF spokeswoman Katie Gordon Betta said "it was more of a political event…it was not an event we typically open." The RPOF paid for lunch and dinner, she said, and the candidates paid for their own travel.
The Democrat's candidate for chief financial officer, Loranne Ausley, saw Cannon's remarks as a signal that Cannon was criticizing her Republican opponent, Senate President Jeff Atwater, whose campaign website says: "I will fight waste, fraud and abuse.''
“Even Dean Cannon can see through Jeff Atwater’s empty campaign slogan. Floridians know that the real waste, fraud, and abuse is born in the Florida Legislature,'' said Ausley spokesman Kevin Cate in a statement.
Not really, replied Cannon. "None of my remarks were directed at any individual candidate, but that has been the type of things we've heard candidates say in the past.''
Gov. Charlie Crist is not joining his rivals for the U.S. Senate, Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Kendrick Meek, this Sunday on MSNBC's "Meet the Press.''
"The governor has long planned Labor Day events, when he'll be out talking to working families,'' said Crist spokesman Danny Kanner.
Crist has only accepted one debate invitation so far, on Oct. 24 in St. Petersburg. Rubio and Meek have agreed to four other debates, and the Meek campaign is trying to work out a scheduling glitch on one more.
Back in March, when Rubio declined a "Meet the Press" date because he had promised FOX News the first debate between him and Crist, the governor told The Palm Beach Post: "This is a guy who says he’s willing to stand up to Barack Obama, but he won’t sit down with David Gregory on Meet the Press? The hypocrisy and inconsistency from Marco Rubio is appalling.”
CFO Alex Sink's office announced Monday she is conducting an audit of the new First District Court of Appeals construction,
Citing a St. Petersburg Times report, Sink wrote a letter to the Department of Management Services saying her team "reviewed invoices and other documentation that raise questions" about the project, dubbed the 'Taj Mahal.' Read more from Lucy Morgan here and Sink's full annoucement below.
From the CFO's office:
Florida CFO Alex Sink announced today that she has directed her Bureau of Auditing to perform a comprehensive audit of the Department of Management Services’ fixed capital outlay project for the construction of the new First District Court of Appeals courthouse.
Following a St. Petersburg Times investigative piece that dubbed the project Florida’s ‘Taj Mahal,’ CFO Sink ordered a preliminary review of documentation to support payments for the project, which found cause for an audit. CFO Sink detailed plans for the audit in a letter to DMS Secretary Linda South today.
“As CFO, I have worked on behalf of Florida’s taxpayers to reform state contracting procedures to increase transparency and accountability,” said CFO Sink. “If the Legislature approved the spending of scarce state funds on palatial accommodations at a single courthouse, the people of Florida have a right to know how this situation came about and just how much it’s costing them.”
A copy of the letter follows below:
August 30, 2010
Ms. Linda South
Secretary
Florida Department of Management Services
4050 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0950
Dear Secretary South:
The Department of Financial Services has reviewed invoices and other documentation that raise questions regarding the First District Court of Appeals courthouse project. It is my intent to audit the project as soon as possible to reconcile and validate all sources and uses of project funding, including bond proceeds and other state funding, and to determine whether the project is in compliance with applicable provisions of Florida Statutes. Pursuant to Section 17.03, Florida Statutes, I have directed the Bureau of Auditing of my Division of Accounting and Auditing to perform a comprehensive audit of the Department of Management Services’ fixed capital outlay project for construction of the new First DCA courthouse.
The audit will involve our examination of all documents and financial records associated with the project, including documents relating to bond issuance and sale; appropriations records; procurement documents; contracts; change orders; project management reports; and all invoices tendered to support payments associated with construction of the project. In order for us to complete the audit in a timely manner, I request your office collect all relevant documents and make them available to the auditors at the inception of the audit.
The audit will be led by Mark Merry, Bureau Chief of Auditing, and will be conducted by Bill Dubose, Financial Administrator. Mr. Merry will contact your office to schedule an entrance conference this week with your staff. We look forward to a positive and productive working relationship with you and your staff. Please contact Mark Merry at (850) 413-3074 or mark.merry@myfloridacfo.com if you have questions.
Sincerely,
Alex Sink
From Alex Sink's letter today to Rick Scott calling for
five televised debates: "A 30-second attack ad has never created a
single job or improved the qualify of public education for a single
child."
Kind of reminds us of a line from when Bud Chiles,
the Democrat-turned-indy, announced he was entering the race back in
June: "The head knocking between parties in Tallahassee has not added
one job, or fixed one school or helped one kid to get health care."
Republican Pam Bondi named her campaign team as she transitions into the fight against Democrat Dan Gelber for attorney general. It's largely the same crew from her successful primary bid. Martin Garcia will serve as campaign manager in collaboration with consultant Brett Doster. Read the full roster below.
Bondi press release:
Today, the Pam Bondi for Attorney General Campaign announced their general election staff and consultant team. The campaign brings together an impressive group of veteran experts who share the common mission of spreading Pam Bondi's message of keeping Floridians safe while promoting a strong and fair statewide economy.
"We have carefully assembled a team I am incredibly proud of and honored to have working on this campaign," said Pam Bondi. "Every member of our team believes strongly in our message, and I am confident we will be victorious in November."
The team includes:
Adam Goodman, Media – Adam is President of the Victory Group, a Tampa based media consulting firm, where he has been involved at every level of national and statewide elections, in Florida and throughout the country. Adam is renowned as a tactical specialist in the field of political media, with victories in more than four dozen media campaigns in the Florida Senate and House.
Melissa Dempsey, Finance Director – Melissa has previously worked for the Republican Party of Florida Senate Majority Finance team under three different senate presidents. She has in-depth finance experience, serving as assistant vice president of government affairs for the Florida Association of Bankers where she handled both state and federal governmental affairs. Melissa served on the campaign team for Senate President Jeff Atwater's 2008 re-election bid. Melissa spearheaded the primary election fundraising effort for the Bondi team, raising over a million dollars in total donations and in-kinds.
Wesley Donehue, New Media – Wesley is a renowned new media expert, specializing in web and social media presence for delivering successful messages in political campaigns across the country. His portfolio includes the campaigns of Jim DeMint for U.S. Senate, Gresham Barrett for Governor of South Carolina, and Mike Bouchard for Governor of Michigan. Wesley also heads up marketing and new media outreach for the South Carolina Republican Party and leads political strategies for the South Carolina Senate Republican Caucus.
Brett Doster, General Consultant – Brett is President of Front Line Strategies and a Partner with Revolution Agency. He has worked in Florida politics since 1993, serving in a variety of roles, including Executive Director for the Bush/Cheney Re-Election Campaign for Florida; Executive Director for the Gallagher for Governor Campaign; Executive Director of the Coalition to Protect Florida; and as general consultant to numerous state senate and state house campaigns.
Martin Garcia, Campaign Manager – Martin Garcia currently serves as a State Co-Chair for the Bondi for Attorney General Campaign and will be actively managing day to day activities for the general election. Since 1999 Martin has been Of-Counsel to Hill, Ward & Henderson. From 1986 until 1999, he was a partner in the trial department and tried over 50 cases to jury verdict in both federal and state courts. His cases included contract, tort, civil rights and civil RICO law. He left the full-time practice of law to start a real estate investment firm culminating in the sale of his real estate investment portfolio to a publicly traded REIT in a $110 million transaction. He is currently the founder and managing director of Pinehill Capital Partners, a private investment firm. Garcia's legal related activities include service of the following: President of both the Tampa-Bay and Florida chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Chairman of the Trial Lawyers Section of the Florida Bar, member of the Board of Governors of the Florida Bar and member of the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission. He currently serves on the Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission. In 1995, he was awarded the Michael A. Fogarty Pro Bono Service "In-The-Trenches" Award by the Hillsborough County Bar Association. The Florida Bar honored him with the President's Award of Merit in 1999. The George Edgecomb Bar Association honored him in 2008 with the Founders Award.
Mary Hart, Director of Scheduling – Mary served as the lead paralegal in a 22-year career with Hill, Ward and Henderson. Mary has graciously agreed to serve as the scheduler and office manager for the Bondi for Attorney General campaign for the general election.
Kim Kirtley, Communications and Policy Consultant – Kim has extensive statewide political and communications experience in Florida's Legislative and campaign process, having served as the Director of Communications to former House Speaker Tom Feeney, as the Director of House Finance Campaigns for the Republican Party of Florida, and as a campaign aide for the Charlie Crist for U.S. Senate campaign in 1998.
Carlos Muniz, Policy and Research – Carlos is an associate partner at Gray Robinson in Tallahassee, FL. He most recently served as the Managing Partner of Bancroft and Associates in Washington, D.C. He previously served as Deputy General Counsel to Governor Jeb Bush, as General Counsel to the state's Chief Financial Officer, and as Deputy Chief of Staff and legal adviser to three Speakers of the Florida House of Representatives. Carlos is a graduate of the Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Neil Newhouse and Gene Ulm, Pollsters
Neil is a partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies, which has been described by the New York Times as "the leading Republican polling company" in the country and in 2002 was named "Pollster of the Year" by the trade publication "Campaigns and Elections."
Gene is one of the Republican Party's leading political strategists and pollsters, with extensive experience polling for successful U.S. Senate, gubernatorial, congressional, and state legislative campaigns since 1990.
Jason Rodriguez, Political Director – Jason has worked in a number of roles in government and politics, including the Office of Appointments for Governor Jeb Bush. He has long been active in Republican politics in the Tampa Bay area where he has served as campaign manager for state Legislative races. Jason recently completed a law degree at Stetson University.
Frank Terraferma, Voter Targeting – Frank is the former Director of House Campaigns for the Republican Party of Florida and former Director of the Majority Office in the Florida House of Representatives. Frank is a veteran political expert with in-depth knowledge of every district in the state.
Nancy Watkins, Campaign Treasurer – Nancy is Florida's foremost accountant for political campaigns; Florida Trend magazine called her the "key behind-the-scenes player in Republican politics" in a profile written this past September. Nancy has specialized in campaign accounting for over 25 years and serves as the treasurer for dozens of candidates and political groups throughout the state and across the nation.
ON THE WEB: www.pambondi.com
Watching the passel of legislators fawn over Rick Scott this morning at the University Club in Tampa today, I couldn't help but think of the final scene in The Godfather when we know Michael Corleone's transformation into the Don is complete.
Mr. Outsider Rick Scott is now the Kingpin insider, schmoozing with legislative leaders and courting special interests and lobbyist money so he does not have to keep digging into his own pockets. Whether he can maintain his outsider persona while embracing Tallahassee insiders may determine whether he beats Alex Sink for governor.
"My job is to stay who I am,'' Scott said.
What does he think of the legislative leaders like Dean Cannon and Mike Haridopolos who helped pump millions of dollars into ads depicting Scott as a crook? "They made big mistakes,'' he quipped drawing nervous laughter from those gathered around his conference table: Cannon, Haridopolos, Sen. Paula Dockery and state Reps. Doug Holder, Rob Schenck, Baxter Troutman, Kelli Stargel, Paige Kreegel, Jim Frishe, Rachel Burgin, John Legg, Ed Hooper, Rich Glorioso.
He said he spent more than he expected to on the primary and "probably" would stop spending his own money in the general election. Still, he added that "I'm going to make sure we have enough money" to elect Republicans up and down the ballot.
On special interest fundraising, Scott said "anybody that buys into my agenda, is welcome to contribute."
Asked about Alex Sink, another business executive, he noted that she supports President Obama's agenda, including health care reform, and "has shown an interest in bigger government, rather than smaller government."
He had no qualms about ads attacking Sink for having overseen layoffs when Bank of America merged with Barnett: "If your the CEO of a company you're responsible for things that happen under your watch."
– Adam C. Smith
Locked in a battle with Gov. Charlie Crist over likely Democratic votes, U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek stepped up his attacks on the governor during a morning press conference in Tallahassee.
“When it comes down to the governor, I think Florida voters are going
to really pay close attention because you don’t know where he stands on
the issues,” Meek said. “You just can’t get by a United States Senate
race just saying that you ‘love Florida.’”
Marco Rubio, the Republican former House speaker who has been
leading some recent polls, was almost an afterthought. He was mostly
mentioned in tandem with Crist as examples of two conservative peas in a
pod.
Meek, a four-term congressman from Miami, underscored his point with a
D.C. joke: “It’s going to be hard for the governor to master the
Potomac two-step.”
Meek stressed that he is the underdog in the race but will “out work”
his two opponents. “We will continue to move up and I know that
Democrats will be with us.”
Democrat Alex Sink is challenging Rick Scott to accept five debates in the governor's race. She sent a formal letter Monday to the Republican's campaign. When asked Friday about the debates, Scott was noncommittal. The dates Sink is prepared to accept:
October 4th: University of Florida in Gainesville
October 8th: Univision (Spanish language) in Doral
October 14th: PBS/League of Women Voters/Florida Hospital Association in Orlando
October 20th: Leadership Florida and Florida Press Association in Davie
October 25th: NBC Debate in West Palm Beach