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.

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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.

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RPOF

RPOF Audit: Greer Agreed To Pay Back $7K -- But The Check Bounced

Rachel Slajda | September 20, 2010, 4:37PM

Former FL GOP Chair Jim Greer

Former Republican Party of Florida chairman Jim Greer agreed earlier this year to pay back $7,337 in inappropriate expenses to the party. But, according to the results of an audit released by the party, the check bounced.

According to the audit, Greer's lawyer claimed in May that Greer had sent a check for the amount to the party. The check came a month later, and it bounced -- perhaps, as the audit notes, because his accounts have been frozen in connection with his federal fraud charges.

RPOF commissioned the audit from Alston & Bird LLP in the wake of spending scandals, stemming from reports of excessive spending by party leaders and eventually culminating in criminal charges against Greer, for allegedly creating a shell company to skim tens of thousands from the party.

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RPOF

Florida GOP Uses Scandal Audit To Attack Crist, Vindicate Current Leaders

Rachel Slajda | September 13, 2010, 12:39PM

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist

The Republican Party of Florida certainly knows how to make the best out of a bad situation. At its meeting this Saturday, leaders discussed a forensic audit that had just been completed after a string of scandals in which party leaders, including current GOP Senate candidate Marco Rubio, were accused of improperly using tens of thousands of dollars of party money.

The RPOF has not released the audit to the public. The party did, however, claim to reporters Saturday that the review revealed that Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican-turned-independent running for Senate against Rubio, ran up "hundreds of dollars" in bad expenses.

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RPOF

Former FL GOP Staffer: Officials Spent On Cigars, Lobster, Birthday Parties

Rachel Slajda | July 12, 2010, 9:07AM

Former Florida Republican Party Chair Jim Greer

Former top officials in the Republican Party of Florida, including chair Jim Greer and executive director Delmar Johnson, spent thousands of party dollars to buy themselves fine cigars, lobster dinners, souvenirs and, in one case, a Winnie the Pooh-themed birthday party.

The former office manager for the party, who says she was fired after she voiced concerns about top officials' spending, gave details on their spending in a story published Sunday in the St. Petersburg Times.

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Jim Greer

Greer Suing Florida Republicans For $120K Severance Package

Rachel Slajda | July 8, 2010, 10:07AM

Former Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer

Former Florida GOP chair Jim Greer is, as you know, in legal hot water for allegedly using a shell company to skim money from the party -- charges to which he pleaded not guilty last week. But he's also suing the Republican Party of Florida, demanding the severance package he says was promised to him when the party ousted him in January.

Greer was pushed out in January, as the party tried to scrub its image in the wake of reports of lavish spending. Party officials negotiated a severance package with Greer. According to Greer, that agreement is a binding contract. But according to the party, the agreement was never finalized and is null and void.

The severance package offered Greer 11 months of consulting fees totaling $123,750, close to his annual salary of $130,000, plus health benefits.

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