Cannon gives back RPOF cash, too

Several weeks ago, Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos gave back the $294,000 he had stashed in his campaign committee in the chaos of former RPOF chairman Jim Greer's resignation. Well, now future House Speaker Dean Cannon has followed suit.

His committee reports that on March 15, two separate payments totaling $655,000 were returned to the party.

With that much money at stake, it seems the two lawmakers are satisfied with the current party leadership -- colleague John Thrasher.

All the people that supported Jim Greer

In the political fallout from the criminal investigation of Jim Greer, one question remaining is who it will hurt. Gov. Charlie Crist was the obvious target when the initial news broke, given that he handpicked Greer for the GOP helm. But this flier for Greer's re-election -- slogan, "The service we trust. The leadership we need -- as chairman includes many more bold-faced names: including Attorney General Bill McCollum, Senate President Jeff Atwater and disgraced Speaker Ray Sansom and former Speaker Marco Rubio.

See the invite here.

Greer to sue Republican Party for contract breach

UPDATED: Attorneys for former GOP Chairman Jim Greer plan to file a civil lawsuit in Seminole County against the Florida Republican Party later today, alleging breach of contract.

At issue is the severance agreement signed by Republican party officials and current Chairman John Thrasher, along with incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos and Speaker-designate Dean Cannon. The party contends it was never signed by Greer. But Greer's attorney said it was and has a signed copy.

While the legality is at issue, it's clear a further dispute will keep the party's dirty laundry in the news for months to come, even as the party tries to move past its bad publicity and help elect GOP candidates.

Republican Party Executive Director Ronnie Whitaker responded later in the day with this: "We were all disappointed to learn about Jim Greer's apparent concealed ownership in a company that had a lucrative contract with the Republican Party of Florida during Greer's chairmanship. It is abundantly clear that Jim Greer has some significant legal problems, and appears desperate to do anything possible to deflect those legal challenges at the further expense of the Party and our core mission of supporting and electing Republicans. Chairman Thrasher believes there is nothing more important than restoring the integrity of our party, the faith of our membership and the public's trust, and he looks forward to the conclusion of this criminal investigation."

Here it is: the secret severance offered to Greer

The state Republican Party is denying the severance agreement (download here) with Jim Greer is valid, saying the former chairman didn't sign the documents. Greer's attorney contends otherwise in a letter to the party written Tuesday (download). But what is lost is the fact the party offered him a severance and the party treasurers offered to absolve him, despite previous denials to the contrary. 

RPOF gave Greer severance. And 'hush money'?

UPDATED: The state Republican Party signed a severance agreement with ousted Chairman Jim Greer upon his departure that cleared him of all wrongdoing and paid him $11,250 a month and health insurance to serve as an outside consultant, according to documents obtained by the Herald/Times.

State party officials have long denied the existence of the Jan. 4 agreement, which was authorized by now-party Chairman John Thrasher, Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos, Speaker-designate Dean Cannon and party officials, including General Counsel Jason Gonzalez.

Gonzalez said in an interview late Wednesday that the contract is worthless because Greer never signed the document. (The copy obtained by the Herald/Times includes Greer's signature.)

"As we have previously stated, no agreement was fully executed," he said. "We haven't made any payments and we never will."

A letter written to the party Tuesday from Greer's attorney Damon Chase also alleges that associates of Haridopolos and Cannon offered to pay Greer $200,000 of "hush money" to stay quiet about the agreement.

Gonzalez also disputed this fact. "That's ridiculous," he said.

Greer is facing a criminal investigation for diverting party money to a company he controlled. But its unclear whether it would insulate Greer from any consequences.

As signed by party treasurer Joel Pate and vice treasurer Allen Miller, it states that "all RPOF expenditures made during Chairman Greer's term as RPOF Chairman were proper, lawful, appropriate ..."

Gonzalez said he believes Greer "procured that document ... by fraud and they had no idea that he has an ownership in Victory Strategies."

--Beth Reinhard contributed to this report

Greer calls investigation a 'political vendetta'

Former GOP Chairman Jim Greer's attorney released a statement responding to the allegations that he is the target of a criminal investigation. "The statements and actions of John Thrasher today against his predecessor, former GOP Chairman Jim Greer, are without merit and the continuation of a political vendetta intended to conceal the actions of others and blame Chairman Greer, a private citizen, for the conduct of elected officials," his attorney, Gregory Miller, wrote in a statement.

"Mr. Thrasher’s accusations are a heavy-handed attempt to avoid the Party’s formally documented financial and legal obligation to Mr. Greer, who has not committed any criminal activity and looks forward to cooperating fully with any investigation."

The Greer fallout leads to divergent reactions

Amid the fallout that Jim Greer, Charlie Crist's handpicked party chairman, is facing a criminal investigation, the speculation is rampant about how this will affect the political dynamic on the campaign trail.

Florida political consultant Rick Wilson said this would void Crist's ability to attack GOP U.S. Senate opponent Marco Rubio as a corrupt big-spender when Greer, his close friend, "used the party like his own ATM."

"Charlie is at the minimum going to be on the witness stand in this affair," said Wilson, who is supporting Rubio.

Ethnic tension cloud bail bondsmen bill

The absence of two Republicans from the House Criminal Justice Appropriations Committee forced Rep. Chris Dorworth to make a compromise to get a victory on the controversial legislation to restrict pre-trial release programs, which will benefit of the powerful bail bondsmen industry.

Dorworth convinced Democrat Darren Soto of Orlando to sponsor two amendments that removed controversial provisions of the bill (HB445). Chairwoman Sandy Adams later forced a vote and Soto cast the deciding ballot, giving it the edge 6-5. No one expects the bill to remain as amended and Dorworth refused to give his word to keep amendment language, which struck a provision that mandated all defendants in pre-trial release programs must be deemed indigent.

Miami Republican Rep. Juan Zapata, who argued strongly against the bill because minorities would have trouble posting bail, confronted Soto after the meeting, waiving his finger and scolding him in Spanish. The only words we understood: "Puerto Rican."

In the Senate, John Thrasher didn't have the votes in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee to get his version approved, so he temporarily postponed it.

ER immunity poses political quandary for GOP

Even as the GOP assails President Barack Obama's health care overhaul as a "government takeover," top Florida Republicans are pushing a measure that opponents say would do the same for the state's emergency rooms.

State Sen. John Thrasher, the Florida Republican Party chairman, is pushing legislation to make all emergency room health care providers — nurses, doctors and even paramedics — "agents of the state" and consequently immune from medical malpractice lawsuits.