The Democratic Governors Association is going after Bill McCollum, the likely GOP nominee in the race for Florida governor, in the wake of TPMmuckraker’s report that the Republican Governors Association got a $200,000 from accused fraudster Scott Rothstein.
“Bill McCollum is spending the week with RGA leadership at their annual fundraiser - in fact, this is the same fundraiser where Rothstein contributed his $200K last year,” said DGA communications director Emily DeRose in a statement. “McCollum has two choices: Will he ask the RGA to return the fraudulent money, or will he thank them for using it to boost his chances in Florida?”
The RGA has not responded to multiple requests for comment about the money, which Fort Lauderdale attorney and Gov. Charlie Crist ally Rothstein gave to the group around the time of its national conference in Miami last November. Many recipients of Rothstein’s considerable generosity have given the money back since the fraud allegations emerged earlier this month.
The 2009 RGA conference kicked off today in Austin, Texas, with newly elected governors Chris Christie of New Jersey and Bob McDonnell in attendance.
A spokesman for Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who chairs the RGA, told TPMmuckraker he could not comment on the Rothstein money. The McCollum camp did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rothstein had broken with his typical support of Republicans in this particular race, throwing his support behind Dem candidate Alex Sink. She said last week she was returning $6,000 in donations from Rothstein.