Charlie Crist Crisis: Hand-picked Chair Gouged Party With Secret Contract

I'd say the odds look pretty good you can stick a fork in Charlie Crist. And this news won't do him any favors if he's thinking of running as an Independent. Btw, it also looks like a good day for that Marco Rubio moneybomb.

But even the biggest critics of Gov. Charlie Crist's hand-picked chairman were stunned by revelations that he entered into a lucrative secret contract with a stealth company set up by his most loyal aide de camp, 30-year-old Johnson, a former Crist campaign aide. The contract would pay Johnson a 10 percent commission on all major donations to the state Republican Party.

As a volatile election season gets under way, the Republican Party of Florida is facing its biggest crisis of confidence in decades.

Donors and party activists are livid over newly revealed records that suggest outgoing chairman Jim Greer used the party as a personal slush fund for lavish travel and entertainment. The records also show that executive director Delmar Johnson padded his $103,000 salary with a secret, $260,000 fundraising contract and another $42,000 for expenses — at the same time the once mighty Florida GOP was having to lay off employees amid anemic fundraising.

Another sign of trouble came Monday with news that incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon transferred $665,000 of party money in the days surrounding Greer's resignation to a separate political committee called the Florida Liberty Fund, suggesting lack of confidence in the party election machine.

Greer has long been known as a flamboyant chairman who enjoyed entourages, charter jets and belting out Elvis at party galas. But even the biggest critics of Gov. Charlie Crist's hand-picked chairman were stunned by revelations that he entered into a lucrative secret contract with a stealth company set up by his most loyal aide de camp, 30-year-old Johnson, a former Crist campaign aide. The contract would pay Johnson a 10 percent commission on all major donations to the state Republican Party.

Comments

[Cartman]

I'm guessing it is a big gay mafia running the Republican party down there.

[LastRick]

Don't get me wrong: I think Rubio should be the candidate rather than Crist. But I'd prefer that happen in a primary, not with Crist dropping out. A primary would show the will of the voters; this feels more like what NY and the Times is trying to do with Gov. Paterson.

[Dan Riehl]

LR - that assumes Crist would hang in and risk being embarassed. I wouldnt be surprised if he bails no matter what if he accepts he's going to lose. Vanity factor.

[DaveP.]

...An 'Establishment Republican' candidate who's just a dirty as a Democrat.
Color me surprised.

[richard mcenroe]

Once again... This is not a war against Democrats or Republicans. This is a war against INCUMBENCY. They have all been at the trough too long.

[Mary La Plant]

Now the Crist campaign is dragging out Mrs. Crist, the phantom wife, in a sorry attempt to boost his sagging ratings. Sorry Charlie, this won't work either. I voted for him and have regreted it ever since. He won't get another vote from me. It looks now as if Kendrick Meeks may be the front runner for the Donkeys, so I'll be forced to vote for Marco. But until the FL GOP cleans up it's financial mess and image, it won't get a nickel from me.

[SacTownMan]

RINO must GO!!!!

[Fran Akridge]

There's a reason to give directly to the candidates and not to the party and this is it.

[crosspatch]

This is the sort of "business as usual" politics that has the establishment afraid of Palin and why they attack the tea party movement. People such as Palin threaten to cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars, personally. They don't want "outsiders" involved, they don't want people kicking them out of office. They have a syndicate going on where the political parties ARE the private slush funds of a lot of people.

I wouldn't be surprised to see this sort of thing going on in more than just Florida and with more than just Republicans, it has probably been "business as usual" for a very long time.

And it is time for it to stop.

[crosspatch]

heh, well, apparently Republicans aren't the only one's with slush funds:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/09/anti-tea-party-web-site-scheme-funnel-funds/

[Andrew]

Fran:

I agree. About 5 years ago I decided that my money would go to the individual, rather than the party.

I still get mailings every week from the RSC and RNCC. Got two today. They make really good starter material for my burn barrel.

I pledged to the Rubio moneybomb tomorrow. Can't wait to finalize the pledge and see how much he brings in. He had a very conservative figure. I bet he beats it greatly.

[ZREgime]

Score another win for National Review. Marco was on their cover two months ago and it went viral after that. Vamos, Rubio!

[DirtCrashr]

This is Mob-politics - the Chicago Mob vs. the DC mob vs. the Florida Mob... they're all in it - you've seen the San Francisco Mob ever since Pelosi became a made-Madam....

[Maggieo]

Is that the same Greer involved in the Schindler vs. Schiavo case? The one who was not keeping proper court records?

[Barry Soetoro (D-King Of The World!)]

Mob?!?!!,, did somebody mention the mob????,,

OsamaHusseinIslamObama 2012′
(the terrorist-Uighur-ACORN-media choice)
-It’s never too early to campaign-

[Old One]

RINOs like Crist and his hangers-on are elitist statist supporters of big government and are identical to the democorrupts. When you have no moral compass and no core principles to which you "cling" and believe in nothing other than expediency and winning the next election you will believe anything and do everything.