Jim Greer

Lawyer Predicts Greer Case Won't Go To Trial

Ryan J. Reilly | August 25, 2011, 12:22PM

Jim Greer, former chairman of the Florida Republican Party, with his wife Lisa.

A lawyer for former Florida GOP Chair Jim Greer predicted that the case against his client for allegedly defrauding and laundering money wouldn't go to trail, the Miami Herald reported.

The Florida GOP announced back in 2010 that Greer was under investigation by state officials over a $200,000 contract he awarded to himself and his executive director. But lawyer Cheney Mason -- of Casey Anthony trial fame -- said after depositions of several Florida Republican officials that he doesn't expect the case to go to trial.

Read more »

Jim Greer

Judge Seals Tell-All Of Indicted FL GOP Ex-Chair

Rachel Slajda | January 20, 2011, 11:04AM

Former Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer

When the former chair of the Republican Party of Florida was arrested and charged with grand theft and fraud, investigators seized his computers. On them, they found unfinished book manuscripts that reportedly were packed with details about former Gov. Charlie Crist, to whom the ex-chair was close, and the conservative takeover of the party.

This week, at the request of Jim Greer's lawyers, a Florida judge sealed the manuscripts until the trial.

The computer files were called "Betrayal and Vengeance" and "The Rise and Fall of the Moderate Wing of the Republican Party." Judge Marc Lubet ordered them sealed until the trial begins.

Read more »

David M. Rivera

Rep-Elect Rivera Being Investigated Over $500K Received From Dog Track

Ryan J. Reilly | December 20, 2010, 11:22AM

Rep. David Rivera (R-FL)

Congressman-elect David M. Rivera (R-FL) is being investigated by the Miami-Dade state attorney's office for over $500,000 in secret payments from the owners of the Flagler Dog Track to a company tied to him, the Miami Herald reported.

Most of the money -- three payments totaling $510,000 to Millennium Marketing, a company co-managed by Rivera's 70-year-old mother -- was sent by Flagler Dog Track (now called the Magic City Casino) in early 2008, weeks after Rivera helped fund a political campaign to win voter approval for slot machines in Miami-Dade County.

Read more »

Alan Mendelsohn

Major Florida GOP Donor Pleaded Guilty In Fraud Scheme

Ryan J. Reilly | December 10, 2010, 11:32AM

Alan Mendelsohn

A Florida doctor who raised millions of dollars for Republicans and advised Gov. Charlie Crist pleaded guilty Thursday to tax fraud, mail fraud and making false statements for his role in a fraud scheme involving lobbying and fundraising for political candidates and organizations.

Alan Mendelsohn admitted that he and his co-conspirators siphoned approximately $330,000 from the political entities -- both directly in the form of third-party payments -- for Mendelsohn's benefit from 2003 through 2008, according to the Justice Department.

Some of that money was used to buy a love-nest for him and his mistress, as well as a car for the mistress, prosecutors had charged. Mendelsohn also admitted to failing to report $82,000 in political donations that he secretly gave to a former state senator. All in all, Mendelsohn underreported his taxable income by over $600,000, said DOJ.

Read more »

Florida

FBI Subpoenaed More Florida GOPers In Corruption Inquiry

Ryan J. Reilly | December 6, 2010, 10:14AM

Former Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer

With their former chairmen already under indictment, the Republican Party of Florida is facing an expanding investigation with the potential to ensnare even elected officials.

Federal investigators sought documents related to the spending of two top officials in the Florida Republican Party, the Miami Herald reported. The newspaper described the latest probe as a "wide-ranging corruption probe by the FBI, IRS and U.S. Attorney's Office."

Read more »

Jim Greer

Judge Throws Out Former FL GOP Chair's Suit Against Party

Rachel Slajda | November 24, 2010, 8:30AM

Jim Greer, former chairman of the Florida Republican Party, with his wife Lisa.

A judge on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit against the Republican Party of Florida filed by its former chairman, Jim Greer, who is awaiting trial on charges that he defrauded the party out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Greer was suing the party for reneging on his $123,000 severance package, which they negotiated after the party got into hot water for loose spending but before Greer's alleged theft was discovered. The party contends that the severance package was never finalized.

Read more »

voter fraud

Rick Scott: Dem Allies Have 'Shown Willingness' To Commit Voter Fraud

Ryan J. Reilly | November 2, 2010, 7:10AM

Rick Scott

Allies of the Democratic Party "have shown a willingness to commit fraud across the country, in both this election cycle and recent years," the campaign of Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott said Monday in announcing his campaign's "Honest Voter Hotline." Voters are encouraged to "report any instances of irregularities at the polls, including voter fraud, intimidation, violence and electioneering."

Rob Jakubik, a Scott spokesman, said in the statement that, given the tightness of the polls, "all examples of fraud must be addressed to preserve the integrity of the election." But a spokesman for the campaign told TPMMuckraker they haven't had any indications of voter fraud so far.

Read more »

David Mauricio Rivera

Marco Rubio's Ex-Roomie Attacked Over Car Crash, Alleged Domestic Violence (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | August 20, 2010, 9:49AM

A 2002 flyer attacking current FL-25 House candidate David Rivera (R).

Meet David M. Rivera. In 1994, a woman named Jenia Dorticos filed a petition for a domestic-violence restraining order against him in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.

Now, meet David Mauricio Rivera. He's a Republican candidate for Congress in Florida's 25th district -- one that the National Republican Congressional Committee singled out as a "Young Gun." Since 2002, he's been a member of Florida House of Representatives, working his way up to his current position in which he oversees the state budget for education, transportation, housing and economic development.

Rivera has worked closely with GOP Senate nominee Marco Rubio. They are so close, in fact, that Rivera refers to himself as a "disciple" of Rubio, and the two owned a Tallahassee house together until last month, when it went into foreclosure (a fact Rivera initially denied).

And so begins the story of another strange election controversy in the Sunshine State, revealed in an joint investigation by the Miami Herald and a local television station.

Read more »

Charlie Crist

Indicted Ex-Florida GOP Chair Jim Greer Asks Crist For His Money Back

Eric Lach | August 16, 2010, 1:16PM

Former FL GOP Chair Jim Greer

Jim Greer, the former chairman of the Florida Republican Party, who's now facing felony charges for grand theft, fraud and money laundering, has a small favor to ask of Charlie Crist.

Read more »

FEC

FEC Clears Obama, Crist, Others After Complaints

Rachel Slajda | July 9, 2010, 9:12AM

Gov. Charlie Crist (I-FL)

The Federal Elections Commission announced yesterday that it found no evidence of wrongdoing in six complaints, including ones against Charlie Crist's Senate campaign and President Obama's Victory Fund.

The complaint against Crist, filed late last year by Tampa Republican Club president Liz Wessel, alleges that he and a lobbyist friend violated FEC law when his friend, Rich Heffley, created an anti-Rubio web site without disclosing who he was.

Read more »

Jim Greer

Greer Pleads Not Guilty To Fraud Charges

Rachel Slajda | July 6, 2010, 9:34AM

Former Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer

Former Florida GOP Chair Jim Greer pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud on Thursday. A tentative trial date was set for Oct. 18, two weeks before Florida's Senate and gubernatorial elections.

Greer is facing six felony counts of grand theft, fraud and money laundering stemming from allegations that, as chair, he secretly awarded a party contract to his own shell company and funneled 10 percent of the party's donations to the firm. He was ousted as chair in January over charges of financial mismanagement of the party.

Read more »

Jim Greer

Greer's Defense Attorney Plans To Call Crist, McCollum To The Stand

Evan McMorris-Santoro | July 5, 2010, 4:08PM

Former FL GOP Chair Jim Greer

Embattled former Florida Republican Party chair Jim Greer is ramping up his defense against fraud charges in the Sunshine State -- and he plans to enlist some of his old friends to help. At a press conference Monday, Greer's attorney, J. Cheney Mason, told reporters that he'll call past and current heavy-hitters in the Florida GOP to the stand as he defends Greer, including Gov. Charlie Crist, state Attorney General Bill McCollum and current state GOP chair John Thrasher.

According to the AP Mason told reporters that the multiple fraud charges Greer faces in state court are due to "right-wing conservatives who turned against Crist, the man who picked Greer to head the state party, and decided to punish the governor by ruining Greer".

Greer is the "victim" in the case, Mason said.

Read more »

Jim Greer

FL GOP Sexism Allegations: Party Chair Talked 'Orgasms' To Female Fundraiser

Justin Elliott | July 2, 2010, 2:32PM

Jim Greer, former chairman of the Florida Republican Party, with his wife Lisa.

Police documents released this week in the Jim Greer alleged fraud case make the Republican Party of Florida out to be a fairly ugly, sexist place to work.

A while back, we noted the allegation that Greer became jealous of Meredith O'Rourke, a top fundraiser for Gov. Charlie Crist, after Greer became FL GOP chair in 2007 and saw she O'Rourke making $30,000 per month in fundraising fees. Greer allegedly tried to convince her to give him a share of her profits, and, when she refused, he cut off her access to Crist.

The new documents include a police summary of investigators' interview with O'Rourke in which she describes Greer making "inappropriate sexually related comments in her presence."

Read more »

Jim Greer

Docs Detail Scandal Within Florida GOP Including Hooker Allegation

Justin Elliott | July 1, 2010, 4:23PM

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

Prosecutors Wednesday released hundreds of pages of documents of evidence in the fraud case against former Florida GOP chair Jim Greer.

A couple highlights:

According to a female party official who spoke to investigators, Greer organized a men-only trip to the Bahamas with major donors and "women were involved and paid." Gov. Charlie Crist, who was on the same trip and hand-picked Greer for the top GOP job in 2007, said today that the charge there were escorts or other paid women involved is "absurdly false."

Read more »

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.

Read more »

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:

Read more »

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.

Read more »

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.

Read more »

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:

Read more »

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."

Read more »

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.

Read more »

Florida Republican Party

Fmr. FL GOP Official: Forensic Audit Of Party Books Will Show Widespread Cronyism

Justin Elliott | April 29, 2010, 1:57PM

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and former Florida Republican Party Chair Jim Greer

Forensic auditors going through the books of the Florida Republican Party recently discovered that a close friend of Gov. Charlie Crist was paid over $350,000 for unspecified consulting work that no one seems to have known about. But, the former No. 2 at the state party tells TPMmuckraker, that revelation may be only the beginning.

"I think there were a lot of cronies that were receiving pay washed through the Republican Party of Florida," says Allen Cox, who stepped down as vice chair of the party in January after going after chairman and Crist ally Jim Greer, who was ousted soon after, for financial mismanagement.

Read more »

Florida Republican Party

Crist Switch Puts GOP Spending Scandals At Center Of Florida Race

Justin Elliott | April 29, 2010, 9:09AM

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio

With the expected news that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is opting to run for Senate as an independent, the general election is set to have two major candidates -- Crist and presumptive GOP nominee Marco Rubio -- tarred by the wide-ranging spending scandal that is rocking the state Republican Party.

The scandal -- in which GOP officials are accused of spending party money on lavish personal expenses along with other financial malfeasance -- is tailor-made for attacks ads come the general election season, which is shaping up to be a three-way contest among Crist, Rubio, and likely Democratic nominee Rep. Kendrick Meek.

Read more »

Florida Republican Party

Report: Feds Eyeing Crist Role In Probe Of Florida GOP Spending

Justin Elliott | April 22, 2010, 10:05AM

Florida Governor Charlie Crist (R)

Earlier this week we learned that federal authorities are investigating Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio. Now, the St. Petersburg Times reports that investigators are interested in the role of Rubio's opponent, Gov. Charlie Crist, in the seemingly ever-expanding scandal over lavish spending at the state GOP.

The paper, which has been on a roll with this story, talked to a GOP fundraiser named Al Hoffman, who says he was interview by the FBI last month:

Read more »

Florida Republican Party

FL GOP's Latest Spending Scandal: Junior Staffer Allegedly Racked Up $1.3M On Party Credit Card

Ben Frumin | April 12, 2010, 11:38AM

The Florida GOP has a spending problem.

In the latest installment, a junior Florida Republican Party staffer racked up nearly $1.3 million in charges on a party American Express card over two and a half years, according to records obtained by the St. Petersburg Times and the Miami Herald.

Read more »