Miami-Dade state attorney formally closes investigation into David Rivera's finances

Miami-Dade prosecutors on Wednesday formally closed their investigation of Congressman David Rivera without filing criminal charges, and called on state lawmakers to stiffen the campaign-finance laws that they say frustrated their 18-month investigation.

Working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, prosecutors examined Rivera's spending from campaign accounts during his years as a state lawmaker and concluded that Rivera "essentially live[d] off" campaign contributions for several years, according to a memo released late Wednesday. But state laws on campaign and legislative spending made prosecution impossible, the State Attorney's Office concluded.

For example, the FDLE found that Rivera, a Miami Republican, charged travel expenses to both his campaign accounts and his legislative office account - resulting in $29,500 in double-billing from 2006 to 2010, the records show. But prosecutors said they could not charge Rivera with felony theft, because state law says any charges based on false travel vouchers must only be misdemeanors - and must be prosecuted within two years of the offense.

Through his campaign, Rivera issued a statement calling the prosecution memo "outrageous and libelous." He said the report fails to mention "detailed evidence refuting all of their false allegations" that Rivera provided to investigators.

"In the end, however, one fact remains. Congressman Rivera has been exonerated," the statement said. Story here. Read the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office closeout memo here and FDLE report here.

Connie Mack III doesn't like the way we cover Connie Mack IV

Former Senator and lobbyist Connie Mack III is complaining in a fundraising-pitch letter about the way we cover his son, Connie Mack IV, in the U.S. Senate race. He complains about a recent story about Mack's struggles (no mention of Jeff Atwater) and falsely accuses us of unspecified "unprofessional behavior."

Adam C. Smith has it in the Buzz blog (download problems on this end right now). Here's a link, though, to all the recent Connie Mack blogs and articles.

Game changer alert: Connie Mack's gotta Super Pac.

Freedom PAC, a new shadow political committee has announced it will be the second of its to play in Florida's nationally watched U.S. Senate race by supporting Congressman Connie Mack.

Mack, a target of the Super Pac called Saving Florida's Future in February, could use the help. He's losing straw polls these days and his performance has underwhelmed enough fellow Republicans that Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater is considering hoping in the race to unseat Democrat Bill Nelson.

While a recent endorsement by the American Conservative Union is some help to Mack, the Super Pac is worth so much more. If anything will keep Atwater from entering the race, it's the prospect of facing a political committee that can raise and spend unlimited sums from corporations to help an opponent.

The SuperPac is also a perfect antidote to the cash-gap between Nelson and Mack, who has $1.3 million in the bank. Nelson's campaign has $9.5 million. Nelson will also be a likely recipient of Saving Florida's Future help.

[VIDEO] Rick Scott signs $70 billion budget

Gov. Rick Scott signed a $70 billion budget Tuesday, hailing the spending plan as an "education budget" and striking out more than $140 million in individual projects.

Here's a story detailing the winners and losers in the 2012-2013 budget.

We caught up with Scott at Cunningham Creek Elementary School in Fruit Cove, where he signed the budget.

Here's the video:

 

@ToluseO

Sen. Nan Rich says she will run for Gov in 2014

 

Check out this clip of state Sen. Nan Rich declaring her candidacy for governor in 2014 and scoffing at the prospect of Charlie Crist challenging her for the Democratic nomination. It's no secret that Rich has been preparing for a gubernatorial bid, but fairly or not the 70-year-old Weston resident is not widely seen as strong favorite in a Democratic field that could include Crist, Alex Sink, Jeremy Ring, Rod Smith, and plenty of others.

Is she underestimated?

"It's not a surprise to see Senator Rich running. She's been the Florida Senate's most consistent voice from the left," said Republican consultant Brian Hughes, former spokesman for Gov. Rick Scott. "Given that her constituency is the heavily Democrat portion of the state, I don't see how she's anything but formidable in a Democrat primary. Party leaders may want to embrace a chameleon like Charlie Crist, but South Florida Democrats see Rich as a fighter for what they believe."

--Adam C. Smith

Congressional redistricting maps come under fire in Leon circuit court

Florida voters deserve not to have “another 10 years of partisan gerrymandering” so the court should throw out a congressional map drawn by legislators to protect incumbents, argued Democrats and a coalition of voting groups before a Leon County court judge Wednesday.

Armed with the Florida Supreme Court’s 5-2 opinion rejecting the legislature’s Senate map, lawyers for the a group of citizens, the Florida Democratic Party and the Fair Districts coalition said the congressional map is chock full of the same flaws and urged Circuit Court Judge Terry Lewis to reject them.

“If it’s left in place, even for one election, it will have reverberations that will be unfortunate,’’ said Paul Smith, lawyer for the coalition.

Lawyers for Florida’s Republican-dominated legislature, however, told the court to leave the map alone. They said it is a reflection of the delicate balance lawmakers had to make to protect minority voting rights while also complying with the new anti-gerrymandering standards. The court must give legislators the prerogative to draw its own maps and, they argued, if the judge has doubts about the map, he should wait until after the November elections to conduct a trial.

Dems say they're 'still going to win' in FL-26, though David Rivera won't face charges in state probe

Here's the reaction from the Florida Democratic Party on news we broke yesterday that U.S. Rep. David Rivera, a Miami Republican, won't face criminal charges from a state investigation into his personal and campaign finances: Nothing has changed.

"Rivera is still under investigation by the FBI and IRS," said David Bergstein, a party spokesman. "He's still failing to raise money. He still doesn't have the support of the GOP. And he's still on the wrong side of the issues that matter to Florida's middle class, and we're still going to win FL-26."

Stephanie Formas of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued a similar statement: "Although the state statute of limitations for Congressman David Rivera on these criminal activities ran out, Rivera is still the focus of a FBI and an IRS probe for possible tax evasion," she said. "Democrats will defeat Rivera in November because of his extensive record of cover ups, lies and distortions."

You can bet the party and Rivera challenger Gloria Romero Roses will still be referring to the pending federal investigation against Rivera, and that they will stress that state prosecutors blame legal ambiguities and the statute of limitations for not charging the congressman. Politico reported Wednesday that the DCCC could spend $1.8 million in advertising in Miami -- presumably in Rivera's district, the only congressional district in play here -- as part of a broader media blitz.

But the bottom line is Rivera won't be charged, at least not by the Miami-Dade state attorney's office. And, for now, that puts him in a stronger position than he was two days ago.

Rick Scott's opinion on Jeff Atwater's possible Senate bid is...

What does Gov. Rick Scott think about CFO Jeff Atwater's possible Senate run?

An Orlando radio host posed the question Wednesday, but Scott didn't bite.

“He left a message night before last that he was thinking about running for Senate," Scott said. "There’s a lot of people who’ve gotten in and out of that race."

Scott immediately switched to a rant about what's wrong with Washington, i.e. taxes. Maybe he'll have more to say when he returns Atwater's call.

Here's the full interview with Jim Turner on wdbo.com. It was one of seven interviews Scott gave Wednesday, including a meeting with the Orlando Sentinel editorial board, to talk about the $70 billion budget he signed Tuesday. Scott is scheduled to attend two ceremonial budget signings at schools in Tampa and Orlando later Wednesday.

Progress Florida pressures Fla. lawmakers with ALEC ties

The American Legislative Exchange Council--the group behind the rapid spread of Stand Your Ground and voter identification laws--has a big target on its back, and Progress Florida is the latest group taking aim.

Progress Florida  has asked Florida legislators with ties to ALEC to break up with the group, which has operated largely out of the national consciousness prior to the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, which put Florida's Stand Your Ground law on the national stage.

“ALEC represents what is essentially an unelected, shadow Legislature in Florida,” said Progress Florida executive director Mark Ferrulo, in a statement.  “Responsible lawmakers should disavow the group’s extremist and secretive influence on Florida law making.”

After the National Rifle Association helped pass Florida's Stand Your Ground law in 2005, ALEC used its massive network of state legislators and political insiders to get similar laws passed in two dozen other states.

Obama campaign releases Spanish TV, radio ads

Inbox:

Obama for America today released the first in a series of Spanish language television and radio ads. The ads feature first person accounts from Obama for America organizers sharing their personal stories of how the President's policies have empowered Latino families and communities.

The first set of ads highlight the President’s record on education—a record that includes improving the quality of services and accountability at Head Start centers that serve over 362,000 Hispanic children and doubling funding for Pell Grants, which help nearly 2 million Hispanic students pay for college.

The release of the ads coincides with the launch of Latinos for Obama, the largest ever national effort to engage Latino Americans in their communities and involve them in the upcoming election through voter registration, volunteering and voting.

In the month the President took office, more than 800,000 Americans lost their jobs. To rebuild an economy that gives everyone a fair shot and the opportunity to succeed, the President took action to keep two million Latinos out of poverty during the worst recession of our lifetimes, to help an additional 150,000 Hispanic students afford to go to college, and expanded access to credit for small businesses, including more than 9,000 Small Business Administration-supported loans that went to Hispanic-owned small businesses through 2011. The President also passed health care reform, which will ensure up to nine million previously uninsured Hispanics have improved access to affordable health care.

The ads, which will air in Colorado, Nevada and Florida, feature the following individuals telling their stories of support for President Obama: