Florida Republican Party: June 2010

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Florida Republican Party: June 2010

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Florida Republican Party

Crist Friend Paid Greer $10,000 Per Month For 'Business Consulting'

Justin Elliott | June 7, 2010, 2:30PM

Jim Greer and Harry Sargeant (inset)

One of the most eye-popping recent revelations about former Florida GOP chair Jim Greer is that, when he was struggling with money problems, one generous Republican donor ponied up $10,000 per month for over 18 months to help Greer out, according to the criminal fraud charges against Greer.

But the story just got even better: none other than Palm Beach County businessman Harry Sargeant, who has been popping up as a player in political scandals since John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, has acknowledged to the Miami Herald that he is the donor who stepped in to give Greer a hand. Sargeant is a friend of Gov. Charlie Crist and a former state GOP official.

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Topics: Charlie Crist, Florida, Florida Republican Party, Harry Sargeant, Jim Greer

Florida Republican Party

Greer Claim: Crist OKed Allegedly Criminal Fundraising Setup

Justin Elliott | June 7, 2010, 10:50AM

Gov. Charlie Crist (I-FL) and former Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer

The attorney for former Florida GOP chief Jim Greer is asserting that Gov. Charlie Crist personally approved a fundraising arrangement under which a Greer company got a cut of donations to the party -- which is now the subject of criminal fraud charges against Greer.

The Miami Herald has the story:

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Topics: Charlie Crist, Florida, Florida Republican Party, Jim Greer

Florida Republican Party

The Greer Charges And What They Mean For The FL Senate Race

Justin Elliott | June 2, 2010, 5:18PM

Former FL GOP Chair Jim Greer

The arrest of Jim Greer today marks the culmination of a year long scandal at the Florida Republican party that began with revelations of personal spending sprees on party credit cards and has now escalated to criminal charges of fraud and grand theft.

Greer, who spent three years as chair of the Florida GOP after being handpicked for the slot by Gov. Charlie Crist in 2007, allegedly skimmed 10% of GOP fundraising revenue for his own shell company, which had been secretly awarded a party contract by Greer. He was ousted from the party in January amid charges of financial mismanagement.

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Topics: Charlie Crist, Florida, Florida Republican Party, Jim Greer

Florida Republican Party

FLASHBACK: Greer Made Big Show Of Cutting Up His AmEx Card (It Wasn't His)

Justin Elliott | June 2, 2010, 1:35PM

Former Florida Republican Party Chair Jim Greer cutting up an AmEx card on August 22, 2009

In August 2009, with a burgeoning spending scandal already producing damaging headlines for the Florida Republican Party, state GOP chair Jim Greer appeared before a quarterly party meeting in Orlando and made a show of taking out a pair of scissors and cutting up his party-issued American Express card.

Except, we learn today in the arrest affidavit for Greer, it was not Greer's card at all -- and party staff had to scramble to stop the media from seeing the cut card.

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Topics: American Express, Florida Republican Party, Jim Greer

Florida Republican Party

Allegation: Greer Used Access To Crist To Shake Down Top GOP Fundraiser

Justin Elliott | June 2, 2010, 12:41PM

Gov. Charlie Crist (I-FL) and former Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer

TPMmuckraker is digging into the arrest affidavit for former Florida GOP chair Jim Greer and here's the first good nugget: Greer allegedly tried to strong-arm a professional fundraiser for the state GOP into giving him a percent of her earnings -- and when she refused, he cut off her access to his close ally Gov. Charlie Crist.

A veteran professional fundraiser who had worked for Crist's campaign, Meredith O'Rourke was on a $30,000-per-month contract with the state party. Greer approached her a few months after his election as chair in 2007 and "stated to her that he realized there was a lot of money to be made in political fundraising," the affidavit alleges. It continues:

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Topics: Charlie Crist, Florida, Florida Republican Party, Jim Greer, Meredith O'Rourke

Jim Greer

Greer Charged With Fraud, Grand Theft Over 'Shell' Fundraising Company

Justin Elliott | June 2, 2010, 11:53AM

Former Florida GOP chair Jim Greer is charged with six felony counts of fraud, theft, and money laundering in connection with a company he allegedly created to take a cut of the state party's fundraising revenues, Florida authorities announced this morning.

At a news conference moments ago, Statewide Prosecutor William Shepherd charged that the money gained by the company was "used by Mr. Greer to support his own personal lifestyle."

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Topics: Charlie Crist, Delmar Johnson, Florida, Florida Republican Party, Jim Greer, William Shepherd

Jim Greer

Former FL GOP Chair Arrested

Ben Frumin | June 2, 2010, 10:22AM

Former Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer

Former Florida Republican Party Chair Jim Greer was arrested this morning and charged with grand theft, attempt to defraud, and money laundering the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Greer -- a close ally of Gov. Charlie Crist -- was reported to be under criminal investigation for a contract worth around $200,000 that he awarded to himself and the state party's executive director. The Florida Republican Party revealed the news in March, saying it had uncovered the contract in the course of its annual financial audit, and referred the matter to authorities.