Republican Party of Florida

New Florida Law Will Speed Up Death Row Executions; Will Rick Scott Sign Bill?

A defining moment of Rick Scott's political career is at hand, in a form no one would have predicted. New legislation concerning the death penalty is on its way to his desk. If he signs it, the Sunshine State may embark on an official killing spree. Florida has long stood out among the 50 states in ... More >>

Florida Fracking: Sen. Jeff Clemens Says Name Your Poison

Name yer poison. Especially if you're messing with chemicals that have the potential to contaminate Florida's groundwater supply. That's the intent of legislation filed by State Sen. Jeff Clemens, which would create a registry of chemicals used by companies fracking for oil in the Sunshine State. S ... More >>

FAU Debacle: Internal Emails Reveal Faculty Revolt Against Administration

First, FAU tried to name its stadium after a private prison operator, GEO Group. Then, FAU President Mary Jane Saunders struck a student with her car in a panic-stricken reaction to the sight of a mere handful of youngsters in the vicinity of her 2010 silver Lexus. Amid these events, the univer ... More >>

Internet Cafés Ban Passes Florida House

Much to the harrumph of Florida senior citizens everywhere, it looks like internet cafés are closer to being no mas in the Sunshine State. On Tuesday afternoon, a Florida Senate panel voted unanimously to shutter internet cafés and senior arcades.

Jim Greer, Former Florida GOP Chair, Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison

Former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, Jim Greer was sentenced on Wednesday to 18 months in prison, plus a year's probation for stealing from the Republican Party. See also: - Jim Greer: Racism and Dead Bodies Ahead - Jim Greer Lied to Everyone: to Us, to You, to Himself. And Then, Cha ... More >>

Florida Voter-Fraud Investigation Charges Two Former Strategic Allied Consulting Workers

Voter fraud in Florida? OH DO TELL. Two ex-employees of Strategic Allied Consulting, which the GOPers hired to register voters prior to the November elections, were charged with a third-degree felony after they admitted they forged voter-registration forms, according to the Florida Department of La ... More >>

Rico Petrocelli Resigns as Broward County Republican Chairman

Rico Petrocelli, the broke Broward Republican chairman, has decided to go all Roberto Duran on us and say no mas. See also: - Rico Petrocelli, Broward County Republican Chairman, Broke as a Bad Joke The Broward Republican Executive Committee issued a statement on Petrocelli's resignation, while th ... More >>

Jim Greer, Former Florida GOP Chair, Pleads Guilty

Former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, Jim Greer, was headed to trial on fraud, theft and money laundering charges after allegations of big-time spending and shady behavior surfaced. But, in a surprising twist, Greer has accepted a plead deal Monday morning and has pled guilty. S ... More >>

Rick Scott Aide Shuts Down RedBroward, Blogger Claims [UPDATED]

Anyone making the rounds through Broward County's political blogosphere earlier this week might have found an unexpected detour waiting for them over at RedBroward.com. Instead of the site's usual serving of GOP insider gossip and thought, browsers redirected here, to a gloomy bit of existential boi ... More >>

Susan Bucher, Palm Beach Elections Chief: Champion of Civil Liberties

Friends in the Palm Beach Chapter of the ACLU recently asked us if we had any suggestions whom they might grace with its 2013 Harriette Glasner Freedom Award, "for a Palm Beach County resident whose life and work embodies the values and ideals of the Constitution and the ACLU." When do we ... More >>

Rick Scott Wants Your Money to Continue His Dumb Voter-Purge Crusade

Rick Scott, who got back on the voter-purge horse last week in order to weed out the hundreds of thousands 198 people who would totally compromise elections, is now asking for donations to help his cause. See also: Rick Scott Continues Dumb Voter-Purge Crusade In a letter signed by Scott, Gov. McC ... More >>

Democratic Candidates Being Attacked by Republican-Linked Liberal Named Group

People living in Delray might have received a mailer about Democrat Sen. Maria Sachs contributing to George W. Bush "more than once" and being in cahoots with Katherine Harris in disenfranchising voters. The mailers, from a group called Progressives, are intended to sound as if a liberal organizati ... More >>

Charlie Crist Continues His Sticking It to the GOP Tour, Will Speak at DNC Next Week

Charlie Crist is really taking this Republicans suck thing seriously. Coming on the heels of his endorsement of Barack Obama, the former Republican governor is now slated to be a speaker at the Democratic National Convention next week in Charlotte. Shocking? YES. Except that, no. Crist might be ... More >>

Jim Greer Case to Have Unlimited Embarrassment, Judge Promises

The latest ruling in the upcoming corruption trial of former Florida GOP Chair Jim Greer: A four-page report of unknown embarrassing accusations is public record and might be admissible in court, a judge said yesterday, and there is no limit on the records Greer's lawyers can subpoena from the party ... More >>

Don't Be So Quick to Jump on the Latest "Charlie Crist Is Gay" Rumor

There's been plenty said about the sexual orientation of former Gov. Charlie Crist, but if you've been seeing headlines the past few days similar to the Huffington Post's "Charlie Crist Gay? Former Governor Allegedly Paid Men to Cover Up Affairs," take them with a grain of salt. The allegations aren ... More >>

Florida Blamed for Messing Up Entire Republican Presidential Nominating Process

The Republican National Committee is not happy. It wanted a drawn-out primary contest, one that would give less-organized or less-funded candidates a shot to prove themselves.Instead, we're stuck with a brutal runoff between Guy Smiley and "the walrus of American politics," and yesterday, ... More >>

Gingrich Loses Florida Republican Primary, Asks for Delegates Anyway

"​Andy Bernard does not lose contests. He wins them, or he quits them because they are unfair."-- Andy Bernard, The OfficeRepublican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich lost Tuesday's primary by 14 points, which means he doesn't get any of the state's 50 delegates and front-runner Mitt Romney can ... More >>

A Few Palm Beach County Republicans Jumped the Gun on Ballots, but It Could've Been Worse

librarygrape.com...to a certain extent.​There have been a few news reports around the state about Republicans who got their absentee voting ballots in the mail a few weeks ago and sent them right back in with the Rick Perry/Michele Bachmann/Herman Cain/Jon Huntsman/Gary Johnson selection, which ki ... More >>

Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich Lead Florida Poll, but Bettors Go With Romney

​With a month to go until Florida's GOP presidential primary, the latest poll shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich essentially tied and well ahead of the rest of the field.For those who are putting money on Florida's GOP primary, though, they're pickin ... More >>

Broward GOP: Allen West Needs "More Favorable Treatment" in Redistricting

Rep. Allen West, who's apparently "in danger" of losing his congressional seat.​The Broward GOP has looked at the proposed congressional redistricting map for the state and has come to a realization -- Broward isn't going to have a Republican representative if that map becomes a reality.That l ... More >>

Florida Has Old People, Old People Love Newt Gingrich, Poll Says He Leads by 30 Points

​Former House Speaker Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is apparently a thing in the GOP presidential race now, with the most recent poll released this afternoon showing nearly half of Florida Republicans opting for him to be the party's nominee.Gingrich somehow managed to raise his poll numbers with a ... More >>

Jon Stewart to Florida: "You're Lucky We Even Let You Vote at All"

​Last night, Jon Stewart focused his beloved comic lens on the Florida GOP's recent decision to move its presidential primary date up from March to January. The Daily Show host gleefully ripped the state a new one for having the audacity to seek more power over the electoral process. And yes, ... More >>

Gary Johnson Invited to Fox News GOP Debate, Still Not Allowed to Participate in Straw Poll

garyjohnson2012.com​A campaign strategist for former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson confirmed that Johnson has been invited -- and will participate in -- tonight's Fox News GOP Presidential debate in Orlando, after being shut out of the previous four debates.The Republican Party of Florida repor ... More >>

Who Will Win Florida's Presidency 5 Straw Poll?

​About a month from now, most of the GOP presidential candidates will be in Orlando for the Republican Party of Florida's "Presidency 5" straw poll.It'll work a little differently than the recent Iowa straw poll -- the 3,500 delegates will be pre-selected, and neither Michele Bachmann nor Mitt ... More >>

Harry Sargeant III Under DOJ Investigation for Alleged Bribes to Jordanian Government

democraticunderground.comHarry Sargeant III (center) in between his buddies Charlie Crist (left) and Jordan's King Abdullah II. (right)​Harry Sargeant III -- the energy mogul, Delray Beach billionaire, and former Florida Republican Party finance chairman -- is under investigation by the Department ... More >>

Republican Party Asks For Help Spreading Propaganda On Gov. Rick Scott's Budget Signing

Florida Department of Transportation​Apparently spreading propaganda isn't easy -- that's why the Republican Party of Florida is asking for your help.On the Republican Party of Florida-sponsored website rickscottforflorida.com, they politely ask that you please take the "talking points" they have ... More >>

Charlie Crist's Spring Break Adventure on Palm Beach: War Profiteer Wedding

Crist attended his frat brother's soiree at The Breakers.​Dear diary,Saturday night, Spring Break 2011.I was wandering the lavishly carpeted halls at The Breakers on Palm Beach, searching for a bar serving $14 cosmos. Ostentatiously heavy chandeliers lit each long, winding hall. I passed medieval- ... More >>

Tea Party? Try Tea Puppets

I wonder if the nonsense-spewing Tea Partiers are really paying attention -- because if they are they'll know they're just puppets for war profiteers and the oil industry, which are one and the same. ​Case in point: A federal audit just found that former Florida Republican Party fin ... More >>

Should Florida GOP Return Donations?

Stephen Prosper JusticeHarry Sargeant III​Yesterday, The Washington Post revealed that Delray Beach billionaire and oilman Harry Sargeant III may have bilked to the US government -- and, by extension, the US taxpayer -- to the tune of $200 million, while supplying jet fuel to American troops in we ... More >>

Did a Florida Oil Man Bilk You?

​All of us belt-tightening, recession-hardened Americans love "fiscal responsibility" and "free markets." A politician merely says the words "free markets" or "fiscal responsibility" in a sufficiently grim tone and we go wild, like little Asian girls getting their first glimpse of a 22-year-old Pa ... More >>

Palm Beach GOP Leader Sid Dinerstein Isn't Picking on Opponents Because They're Not Rich

Dinerstein did not call himself an "excellent" fundraiser.​Palm Beach County GOP Chair Sid Dinerstein wants you to know that he did not, not, not write a mailer accusing his opponents for the GOP chairmanship of Florida of being stingy little peasants without the earning power to do the party a da ... More >>

Anatomy of the Gelber Attack: From Amway To Huizenga

Sometimes  negative campaigning lives up to its bad name. The weekend attack on Florida Attorney General candidate Dan Gelber is a perfect example of the kind of sleazy negative campaigning that should make your skin crawl. In the ads sent out this week ... More >>

It's a Small World After All: Republicans Use Audit of Jim Greer to Sabotage Charlie Crist

​They say that in every crisis, there's an opportunity. So it is with the Republican Party of Florida, scandalized by the sybaritic ways of its former chairman, Jim Greer, who's now facing charges of money laundering and fraud, a case that prompted a forensic audit of the party's books. And those ... More >>

Beth Kigel's Political Career a Casualty of Crist?

​A young political operative named Beth Kigel rocketed into Palm Beach County Republican leadership in 2006 after she put all her chips on the long-shot candidacy of Charlie Crist for Florida governor. Four years later, her champion has gone rogue, and now the vice chair of the county's GOP is in ... More >>

Mitch Ceasar Proves That HuffPo Will Pretty Much Let Anyone Write Whatever

Flickr: Broward Democratic PartyAs long as he's the chairman, Democrats have to laugh at Ceasar's jokes.​Mitch Ceasar, clown dictator of the Broward County Democratic Party, has lent his not-considerable wit to a column for today's edition of the Huffington Post. Since your time is valuable (and m ... More >>

Rubio Hits Crist Over GOP Chair Scandal

We knew that was coming, didn't we? Marco Rubio borrows footage from a Sun-Sentinel editorial meeting with Charlie Crist to show how the governor defended Jim Greer even as it became evident that the Florida Republican Party chairman had been mishandling -- if not stealing -- party money.There shou ... More >>

Morning Juice: School Official Shows Political "Bullet" Wound; Ex-GOP Official Dishes on Rothstein

​It's Friday in Broward and Palm Beach. Let's check the news:Jeffrey Hernandez, chief academic officer in Palm Beach County public schools, says he "took a bullet" for Superintendent Art Johnson after parents rejected a new curriculum designed to improve standardized test performance. [Palm Beach ... More >>

Jim Greer: Enjoyed the Spoils of Cronyism a Bit Too Much

Greer​If you ever find yourself being interviewed for a job with Charlie Crist, don't worry about such things as a crummy résumé or a pending criminal investigation. Just give an answer of "Hell, yes!" to the question of whether you'll be loyal to the Crist political franchise.Judging by this fa ... More >>

Morning Juice: Ex-Florida GOP Leader Faces Criminal Probe; BSO Deputy Was Speeding in Fatal Crash

​Local headlines for this Thursday morning:Divers along Alligator Alley discovered a submerged minivan that contained human remains, apparently those of Nelta Jacques, a 27-year-old Tampa woman who disappeared along with her two daughters during a 1999 visit to her father in Fort Lauderdale. [Sun- ... More >>

A Bad Time to Be Charlie's Frat Brother

Crist and his Delta Lambda brothers.​It used to be the best gravy train on the tracks: If you were a frat brother of Charlie Crist at Florida State, you could practically name your job. Harry Sargeant landed a prestigious gig as the finance chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Crist appoin ... More >>

Jim Greer Resigning as Republican Party Chair

Flickr: E.S. HunterJim Greer with his wife at a 2008 Sarah Palin rally in Fort Myers ​In a Florida Republican Party in which Charlie Crist is a mere mortal, there can be no saving his handpicked party chair, Jim Greer. The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Greer will resign his leadership post in ... More >>

Charles Bronson Stars in Political Death Wish

Everyone expected that Charles Bronson, commissioner of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, would opt out of the race for governor. The only suspense was whether Bronson would fire a parting shot at Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer. And... yep!doacs.state.fl.usCha ... More >>

Marco Poll-O: Rubio Unfazed by Unpopularity

twitter.com/marcorubioSure, Charlie Crist landed some big endorsements in his first week as a U.S. Senate candidate -- the National Republican Senatorial Committee for one. The Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, for another. And there were reports Crist might get the early endorsement of the R ... More >>

Republicans Slug Back at Sink

fldfs.govAlex SinkState Republicans are accusing Florida CFO and likely gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink of placing politics before the safety of children who'd be victimized by sexual predators.Last week, Sink demanded that Attorney General Bill McCollum explain why he gave a no-bid contract to hi ... More >>

Mysterious Candidates to Be Questioned in Suit, Rare Benevolent Lawyer Steps Up

A judge has cleared the way for the Green Party to figure out who's behind the Florida Five, a group of mysterious Green Party candidates who ran in contested races across the state last November. Most of the Florida Five were broke young people who couldn't have afforded the couple thousand dollars ... More >>

Con Man's Lobbying Dream Team Included Will McKinley

With his fraudulent viatical company Mutual Benefits coming under fire from state regulators, convicted felon Joel Steinger decided he needed to buy the influence of the state legislature. To do that he first purchased the people who had their ears -- the lobbyists. McKinley: A Man For Sale ... More >>

Man, What Does an Alleged War Profiteering Fat Cat Have to Do to Get Some Respect?

The economy is so bad...Juice readers: How bad is it?So bad that even a filthy stinkin' rich Republican fundraiser like Harry Sargeant III of Delray Beach can't get a loan. The tight credit market is to blame, apparently, for the demise of Tampa Port Authority's agreement to lease 43 acres to an aff ... More >>

Letters from the issue of December 4, 2008

Undercurrents

Uncounted Presidential Ballots

Hypocrisy Ahead

Team Bush loses its case-and loses sight of Dubya's so-called principles-in a Miami court