Crist invites Thrasher, biz groups to bill signing...

Nope, not that bill signing. It's the signing of Bill McCollum's top priority of the session: limiting attorney fees when lawyers contract with the state.

Obviously Gov. Charlie Crist will be at tomorrow's ceremony. Who else is attending? Sen. John Thrasher. A bunch of folks from the Chamber of Commerce and AIF.

Um, can you say awkward....? You think Crist might also announce his decision on the teacher tenure bill?

Thrasher signs letter backing Steele

The name of the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida was nowhere to be found yesterday on a letter signed by 31 state party chairs. No longer. RPOF spokeswoman Katie Betta says this morning that state Sen. John Thrasher has read the letter and signed it.

Column on the uncanny similarities between Steele's problems and the downfall of former state chairman Jim Greer is here. And just for fun, here are The Daily Show's hilarious Steele spoofs.

Bonus: If Thrasher or Greer or any other Florida political figures were Muppets, who would they be? Post your nominations and I'll blog the winners.

What RPOF and Enron have in common

The Republican Party of Florida (finally) found a willing forensic auditor, hiring Alston & Bird -- the same firm that handled the Enron bankruptcy. The auditors started their work at party headquarters in Tallahassee on Thursday.

It's a connection the GOP isn't likely to appreciate, but it suggests they are seriously addressing the allegations of misspent money, lavish credit card spending and possible criminal charges against its former Chairman Jim Greer.

The firm's Special Matters and Investigations division "will review various internal contracts with other vendors as well as other potentially questionable expenditures to determine whether or not the Party may have been the victim of any improper financial dealings on the part of the previous administration," according to a party statement.

Party officials pledged to make credit card holders reimburse any personal expenses found in the forensic audit.

Crist told SB6 sponsor he would sign bill

Gov. Charlie Crist is wavering on whether he will sign teacher tenure bill. For state Sen. John Thrasher, the lead sponsor, it's mystifying.

"He’s told me he’s going to sign it, and I take him at his word," Thrasher told reporters Thursday. "He told me several times he’s going to sign it.”

Thrasher continued, “He told me personally he liked the legislation. But, you know, people can change their mind I guess.”

Thrasher also floated the idea of a "reconciliation" measure to address problems in the bill. House leaders are preventing any changes to the bill, apparently concerned about the Senate's slim 21-17 margin of approval.

Greer puts McCollum in center of severance talks

In all this mess about the Republican Party offering former Chairman Jim Greer a now-disputed severance package, there is little talk about Attorney General Bill McCollum's involvement. 

But a new document obtained by the Herald/Times describing Greer's negotiations with the Republican Party concerning his severance package illustrates his close connection to McCollum.

Greer writes to GOP general counsel Jason Gonzalez that he will honor the "commitments that I have made to the House, Senate and McCollum's campaign" upon his departure. It's unclear what commitments Greer is referring to.

In the document, Greer also takes credit for helping McCollum, "who I might add would not be without question the presumptive nominee if not for my efforts. McCollum's campaign spokeswoman Kristy Campbell said no commitments exist and disputed Greer's role as king-maker.

Months ago, McCollum received credit in helping oust Greer, a quiet, decisive presence behind the scenes. And now he initiated a criminal investigation by FDLE after earlier suggesting it wasn't necessary.

Read more here. And continue below for more of Greer's defensive letter to the party on Feb. 11, a month after his departure and a day before the party allegedly revoked the severance agreement.

Senators slip earmarked projects in state budget

Despite the emergence of the conservative "new Senate," budget documents suggest senators are using old tricks to spend more money in and around their districts.

Senators are asking for $86.7 million in spending for capital projects that the college system didn't request, according to Public Education Capital Outlay records. A number of major projects appear in prominent lawmakers home turf, including Senate President Jeff Atwater, President-designate Mike Haridopolos and budget chief J.D. Alexander, and GOP Chairman John Thrasher.

Palm Beach State College, near Atwater's district, appears to benefit the most with $26.3 million that the college system never asked for. Valencia Community College in Osceloa County, close to Haridopolos' home, would receive the single largest chunk at $21.7 million for a library and high tech building. Polk State College, near Alexander's turf, would get a $12.2 million bonus. Florida State College in Jacksonville in Thrasher's domain would see another $2.5 million for a commercial vehicle driving center.

The earmarks, if they survive the final budget process, appear destined for a "turkey" list, parlance in Tallahassee for member projects.

Forensic auditors won't touch Florida GOP

Six weeks after newly elected GOP chairman John Thrasher promised an immediate "forensic audit," the state party has yet to hire a firm to conduct the exhaustive review.

The forensic audit — promised by Thrasher minutes after he took the helm on Feb. 20 — will likely cover the same ground as state and federal investigators once it starts. Thrasher said the delay is not hurting the party. He said he hopes to hire a firm by early next week and complete the investigation within a month.

The party approached the Big Four accounting firms without success. Apparently leery of being dragged into a volatile GOP scandal, none of them bid on the job. "I'm not sure they want to get involved in something that is this politically oriented," said Thrasher, a St. Augustine state senator. Read more here.

Thrasher on Greer severance: 'It was what it was'

A day before for GOP Chairman Jim Greer resigned, state Sen. John Thrasher signed a severance package for Greer as the party's future chairman -- even though he didn't win the post until Feb. 20, seven weeks later. In his first detailed interview since it became public, Thrasher brushed off questions about the disputed agreement and his role.

"It was what it was. People were trying to get the guy out," Thrasher told Adam C. Smith on Monday. "The bottom line is this guy abused his trust with the party by entering into a secret agreement with the executive director that nobody else knew about to take money out of the party for their own gain."

CFO Sink calls for special prosecutor to investigate GOP

Democrat CFO Alex Sink sent a letter to AG Bill McCollum (her gubernatorial rival) asking him to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate criminal activity at the Republican Party of Florida concerning former Chairman Jim Greer. This is the only way to avoid a conflict of interest, her letter states.

"It is only through a completely independent investigation that Floridians can have confidence that any criminal activity that may have occurred in the Republican Party will be properly addressed,” Sink said in a statement. “We need an independent prosecutor leading this investigation, and not a Cabinet agency.”

The request from Sink's office mirrors the one earlier in the week from Democratic Party Chairman Karen Thurman. McCollum played a key role in helping to oust Greer. When the party presented him with the latest audit showing the party paid a shell company Greer secretly owned, McCollum asked FDLE to investigate.

The emissaries in the alleged attempt to pay off Greer

Among the details that emerged in recent days involving the Republican Party's attempts to dethrone former Chairman Jim Greer, is how party leaders allegedly still tried to pay him weeks after forcibly removing him from office and revoking the offer of a golden parachute.

Greer's attorney said the incoming GOP leaders in the Legislature — future Senate President Mike Haridopolos and House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon — allegedly offered to pay Greer $200,000 in hush money, to remain quiet about the severance agreement. A spokeswoman for Cannon said Wednesday that he denied the assertion, calling it outrageous. Haridopolos didn't return calls.

"They said, 'We want to pay Greer $200,000, but we don't want the money to come from the RPOF because of the all the bad publicity,' " said Chase, who represented Greer in the negotiations, which took place in February and March, weeks after the party denied the severance agreement existed.

Chase said the lawmakers considered funneling the money through a political committee but they denied the offer because "it didn't pass the sniff test."

The lawmakers sent associates to discuss the payoff with Greer's ally Jim Stelling, the former Seminole County GOP chairman, Greer's attorney said. He said the two emissaries were Marc Reichelderfer and Pat Bainter.

Reichelderfer, a political consultant to Cannon and Thrasher, denies the claim. Bainter, a consultant for Haridopolos, didn't return calls. Stelling would not discuss the matter. More here.