Monday, August 24, 2009

Crist's A-Team


"(Two years ago / In 2006), a cracked group of politicians & lobbyist unit was investigated by the courts for some crimes but they could not prove.

These men promptly released into the public Fl. underground.

Today, still not wanted by most of the public , they survive as politicians of fortune.

If you have a problem, if you have lots of cash you can donate and if you can find them, when not on vacation. And they may get around to fix.. Maybe you can hire Crist's A-Team."

Governor Charlie Crist's former Chief of Staff George LeMieux has made millions since leaving state government. Now LeMieux's business dealings are likely to become the focus of Democratic attacks on U.S. Senate candidate Charlie Crist.

Huge State contracts with LeMieux's law-firm, awarded at the time LeMieux left the governor's office and which LeMieux claims he had nothing to do with, will be the focus of FOIA requests.

LeMieux's role in the negotiating a gambling compact with the Seminole Indian Tribe which granted the Indians card-games not allowed by state law, and subsequent contributions to the Republican Party of Florida from the Indians.

The Seminoles seem really happy with Crist and RPOF. The Seminole Tribe (since 1996) has donated nearly $912,000 to the state party, with 71 percent of that money coming in since Crist took over state party fundraising once he won the 2006 Republican primary.

Who paid for LeMieux's accompanying Crist on his European Trade Mission and what kind of largesse LeMieux got from the RPOF are both likely to become public now that Tallahassee State's Attorney Willie Meggs is getting access to the GOP party records in the House Speaker Ray Sansom investigation.

Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer, whose party disclosure reports to the Secretary of State hide more than they reveal, will be in the cross-hairs as well....Also worrisome to the Crist camp are conversations LeMieux had with indicted viatical scamster Joel Steinger of Mutual Benefits while Steinger was wearing a wire for the Feds.

We now know that Ex-Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom ran up at least $170,000 in inappropriate charges on his Republican Party of Florida American Express card including a lavish European vacation for himself and his family, expensive out-of State restaurants and even the New York City Apple store.

RPOF Chairman Jim Greer has been privy to the itemized American Express bills and was clearly aware of the Speaker's spending spree - yet he said and did nothing.

Why? Because Greer's spending on himself and his family makes Samson's expenditures look small-time. Greer has used the RPOF as his personal piggybank, spending donor's money on 5-star resorts, spa services, highly rated restaurants, green fees, luxury jet aircraft, limousines , sporting equipment, $800 bottles of wine, sports tickets and worse.

Former Party Chairmen Tom Slade and Al Cardenas flew commercial and drove themselves in low-budget rental cars when on Party business.

Reimbursement for meals was limited to real Party business, not taking the wifey out for a night on the town.

Both Chairmen presided over the growth and electoral success of the state GOP.

Governor Charlie Crist, who talks endlessly about transparency, has been aware of Greer's wild and inappropriate spending as it was an issue when Greer ran for re-election to his party post.

When news leaked of one wild and expensive weekend Greer spent at the Breakers in Palm Beach, where the cost of his room service alone could have elected a Republican to Congress, Greer said it was all a mistake - and sadly, the Governor did nothing.

Meanwhile, Greer continues to resist any attempt by party funders to see the actual American Express Bills, perpetuating the cover-up of the misuse of party funds. Read Here

Having lost the State for the McCain-Palin ticket (with left-over funds in the RPOF Federal account) Jim Greer is the first Republican State Chairman since 1964 to preside over the loss of the State by the GOP in a Presidential year, not to mention the loss of a Congressional seat.

The Mutual Benefits scandal will take down more Florida politicians who the company approached to stem the federal investigation that ultimately brought the company down. LeMieux may be the biggest fish. More Mutual Benefits news…

Ray Sansom, former speaker of the house in Florida was recently indicted by a Leon County grand jury on felony charges of perjury and misuse of office.
Part of the reason for that was six million dollars that Sansom diverted to North Florida State College for an "educational building" that turned out to be an airplane hangar.
During budget season, it missed Crist completely and was approved by the governor.Fast forward a few months and it has now been discovered that Sansom has racked up over $200,000 in credit card charges billed to the Republican Party of Florida.Charges include baby sitting services, purchases from Best Buy, and hotel charges in Nashville, New York, and Chicago.
Kind of sound like something you heard before maybe?
What is ironic is that some of that $200,000 was for airline tickets for Sansom's family and sightseeing tours in Europe while Sansom and family were ironically traveling with Governor Charlie Crist.
Hmmmm......On Friday, August 21 Governor Charlie Crist had the audacity to say that officials need to be frugal with other people's money.

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