Delmar Johnson: Exhibit A in Fla GOP mess

"If you don't love Delmar, you don't love life,'' Charlie Crist was fond of saying about campaign aide Delmar Johnson, and he had a point.

A giant beachball of a man, Delmar WoodrowJohnson III is boisterous, always gushing with enthusiasm, and treats everybody as a best buddy. It makes perfect sense that such a friendly, outsized personality would be elected president of the student government association at Florida State University. Or that he would cheerfully don a goofy duck costume to mock Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride in 2002. Or that a few years later Johnson would charm Crist and get hired as one of Crist's first gubernatorial campaign staffers.

It made a lot less sense in January 2009 when state party chairman Jim Greer promoted Johnson, 30, to be executive director of the Florida Republican Party. And it was downright outrageous for party leaders to learn that Greer and Johnson entered into a secret contract that brought Johnson's overall pay from the cash-strapped party to more than $400,000.

Sink kicks off week of senior workshops

CFO Alex Sink kicked off a week-long blitz of "Safeguard our Seniors" events to educate senior citizens about financial fraud. At today's event at the Cherry Laurel retirement home, she called for the Legislature to pass a bill to increase penalties for those convicted of scamming seniors. She noted that the bill passed unanimously out of the Senate last year but did not receive a hearing in the House.

"We didn't get past first base in the House," Sink told a group of seniors at the workshop. "That's because the special interests -- the people who didn't want to see more teeth in the law -- were able to get to just a couple of legislators and convince them to block this really good set of legislation."

For a full list of the workshops, click here. For video of Sink at the event, click here.

McCollum asks prosecutor and FDLE to review claims against utility

Attorney General Bill McCollum's office has asked the statewide prosecutor and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to review claims that certain executives at Florida Power & Light may have committed fraud and broken state and federal securities laws by forcing employees to provide inaccurate and incomplete information to regulators and shareholders.

Statewide prosecutor Bill Shepherd forwarded the letters to FDLE. "We are in the process of reviewing the letters. We have not opened an investigation at this point,'' said Kristen Perezluha, FDLE spokeswoman. McCollum spokeswoman Sandi Copes called it a routine referral.

Read more about the allegations here.

Viamonte Ros racks up $130k travel tab in 3 years

Dr. Ana Viamonte Ros, Florida's top health official, has spent nearly $130,000 on taxpayer-funded travel in her first three years on the job and has spent at least a third of her weekends in her hometown of Miami.

The state surgeon general's travel pattern has not changed despite a belt-tightening edict a year ago from Gov. Charlie Crist's office and recent scrutiny of state travel by agency heads.

Viamonte Ros said her trips to South Florida took her to an "important hub" that allows her to reach Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Broward and Collier counties and the Keys.

"If I did stay over a weekend, it was always at my own home and no expense at all to the state, and I was always back immediately first thing in the morning on Monday," Viamonte Ros said.

To be sure, all trips included official speaking events or meetings. Viamonte Ros reimbursed the state when she used her rental car on off days. Staying at her Coral Gables condo saved money on hotels.

But the trips at taxpayers' expense allowed the surgeon general to spend time at home on most holidays and many weekends. (Full story here)

Another troopers' group backs Crist for Senate

Gov. Charlie Crist on Tuesday picked up the endorsement of the Florida Association of State Troopers in his Republican U.S. Senate primary battle with former House Speaker Marco Rubio. FAST, which claims to represent 1,700 "active, reserve, auxiliar and retired" troopers, joins the Police Benevolent Association and Fraternal Order of Police in backing the governor.

Crist's support for a 5-percent pay raise for troopers in the 2008 session did not go unnoticed at the news conference. FAST executive director Tommy Owens recalled that was the same bill in which Rubio tried to attach language giving a supporter, Max Alvarez, a chance to seek a vendor contract along Florida's Turnpike. (The language didn't get added).

At a Hampton Inn & Suites near I-10 in Tallahassee, a "delighted" Crist accepted the endorsement from FAST Chairman Mike Kirby. "He's always been there for us," Kirby said. Crist urged the troopers present to put a bumper sticker on their cars. "Not the state car," Crist quickly added. "Ethics matters, too." 

Is Thrasher crushing Day in Fla GOP chair race?

Yesterday I posted an item - with plenty of qualifiers that we couldn't vouch for it accuracy - about a poll purporting to show that as of last Thursday Florida GOP chairman candidate Sharon Day was overwhelmingly leading John Thrasher among members of the executive committee. I was quickly persuaded (ie bludgeoned mercilessly by Sarah Bascom) to remove the item because the validity of the poll could not be established.

Well apparently Sharon Day supporters have been e-mailing around a screen grab of the Buzz post, much to the consternation of team Thrahser, which says its hogwash.  Thrasher spokeswoman Sarah Bascom:

Excluding elected officials, John Thrasher has released 70 public endorsements, Sharon Day has released 32.  In Sharon Day’s last release of 18 endorsers, more than half were already previously released by her campaign.  Specifically, she has publicly released the Lee County Delegation 3 times. 

Grover Norquist endorses Rubio

Tax hater in chief Grover Norquist endorsed Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate today.

"... Marco Rubio’s vigorous advocacy of his property tax reform plan remains a shining example of his willingness to stand up for pro-taxpayer policies, even in the face of opponents committed to the status quo.  Just as Marco fought for revolutionary tax reform, he also held the line on spending during challenging budget years when others were clamoring for more revenues and more ways to fund government.

"Marco Rubio is the only consistently anti-tax candidate in Florida’s U.S. Senate race.  When Marco Rubio makes promises to not raise taxes on taxpayers, he keeps them. I am proud to support Marco Rubio and am excited by the things he will do in Washington to stand up for taxpayers and advance free market, limited government principles.”

The Crist campaign responds by pointing out this PolitiFact item showing Rubio has supported a tax increase before, contrary to what his Web site has said.

Atwater agrees it's time to resurrect leadership funds

As incoming House Leader Dean Cannon asked to have $655,000 in Republican Party funds transferred to his political committee, the question of whether it's time to resurrect leadership funds is emerging again in Tallahassee.

The funds were banned in the 1990s but the practice continued with a wink-wink as incoming leaders often raised money and had it privately earmarked within party coffers. Now Senate President Jeff Atwater says it may be time again to revive the leadership-controlled funds in the interest of transparency.

Atwater says the legislation will be proposed again this year and "it's worthy of us wrestling with it.'' The idea has the support incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos and candidate for Republican Party chairman Sen. John Thrasher.

"Let it be clear: Senate funds go to a Senate campaign,'' Atwater told the Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times Tuesday. "You can hold the people's names who are attached to it accountable...I think transparency is the best way. I think it’s worthy of us wrestling with it.''

On other issues brewing at RPOF headquarters, Atwater is not quite willing to say it's time to open up those credit card statements, including his now-relinquished AmEx card. "As soon as we get our new chair in, they will bring in a level of independent-minded players that can assure contributors to the Republican Party that all of these have been looked at,'' he said. "This is who signed off on them. This is who used our money as contributors. At the very least, they should do that. If they don't there is always going to be a suspicion by those who have been contributing to Republican causes.''

He said if the new chairman feels "that there remains a unique cloud of suspicion around the behavior of anyone who had a card and they feel like they should open them up and release them to the public and to the press, I’d say absolutely.''

Sink gets feisty at Cabinet meeting

CFO Alex Sink lambasted the state's top financial regulator at the Cabinet meeting Tuesday for not aggressively pursuing litigation against Bank of America -- her former employer -- for its deal with Merrill Lynch.

"I'm not really impressed with the comments you made," Sink started. "The last commissioner lost his job because he hid behind not having the powers or not having the resources. ... My main frustration  ... is the sense of do-nothingness and inaction in the face of all sorts of scams in our state."

The public scolding of Thomas Cardwell, the commissioner of the Office of Financial regulation, stood out for two reasons: 1. It deviated from the normally cordial decorum at Cabinet meetings and 2. Cardwell was Sink's pick for the job.

Also because Cardwell fought back. "This is not an excuse," he said, preceding it with the standard "with all due respect."

McCollum distances himself from RPOF controversy

Quietly last summer, incoming legislative leaders Sen. Mike Haridopolos and Rep. Dean Cannon came to Attorney General Bill McCollum with concerns about how the party was raising and spending money.

McCollum supported a solution: a separate bank account to collect campaign contributions that required two signatures -- not just RPOF Chairman Jim Greer's -- to spend money as a way to restore confidence in donors who knew about Greer's lavish spending habits. McCollum asked former House Speaker Alan Bense to lead the the effort.

The fund, named Florida Victory 2010, mirrored other party election efforts and drew little attention.

"This was a very concise arrangement and it segregated itself completely," McCollum said Tuesday, recounting the summer meeting.

Behind the scenes, McCollum is a key player in the controversy surrounding Greer and party executive director Delmar Johnson but he tried to stay clean.

"I tried to stay back from this other than looking at it and trying to promote some end product that is fair to everybody and that would get the party moving in the right direction," he said.

McCollum said soon after he learned of the contract that paid Johnson a combined $400,000-plus salary he questioned it's legality. He asked Richard Coates, the party's former attorney, to scrutinize it. Coates concluded it appeared to be a legal contract.

"It was on the face of it a perfectly legitimate contract," McCollum said. "Was it outrageous? Absolutely. Was it something that should have never been entered into? Yes. Was it illegal? There is no appearance of that."

Crist: Delmar Johnson saga 'doesn't look good'

With the Republican Party of Florida buffeted by another wave of revelations of spending shenanigans, Gov. Charlie Crist stated the obvious Tuesday: "It doesn't look good."

In retrospect, Crist was asked, why was Jim Greer, his handpicked choice for party chairman, the right man for the job? "Well, you know, I think originally he did a great job, worked very hard, and tried to do the very best that he could," Crist said.

Is he disappointed in the latest reports of lavish spending? "I don't think that anybody could be ecstatic about it, but on the 20th of this monrh we will choose a new chairman, or new chairwoman, and I think that democratic process will be good to watch and be good for the party," Crist said.

Asked if former party executive director Delmar Johnson was worth the $400,000-plus in salary and bonuses he collected in 2009 while RPOF was hemorrhaging money, Crist said: "I guess that would depend on what he raised, but it doesn't look good."

Criminal investigation needed for Fla GOP?

Attorney General Bill McCollum doesn't think it rises to that level, said a spokeswoman. STORY: 

As a volatile election season gets underway, the Republican Party of Florida is facing its biggest crisis of confidence in decades.

Donors and party activists are livid over newly revealed records that suggest outgoing chairman Jim Greer used the party as a personal slush fund for lavish travel and entertainment. The records also show that executive director Delmar Johnson padded his $103,000 salary with a secret, $260,000 fundraising contract and another $42,000 for expenses — at the same time the once mighty Florida GOP was having to lay off employees amid anemic fundraising.

Dockery: I'm not just a one-train challenger

State Sen. Paul Dockery said she doesn't "want people to think that rail is the only issue that I have." But she also admitted to a Pinellas County Republican Party crowd of 200 on Monday night that she needs to introduce herself to voters who don't know her.

The county GOP's straw poll gave Republican rival Bill McCollum a 123-28 win in a straw poll on the governor's race almost a month ago. Here's a take-away from the Lakeland Republican's visit in Pinellas, which concluded with a partial standing ovation:

-- Top applause line: "The state party should not be choosing your nominee for you," she said, digging at McCollum's establishment support and the dissatisfaction with GOP leadership under Jim Greer. She repeated calls to release party credit card and spending records. But she also spotlighted her 1990s work trying to build the party, including helping the Republicans takeover the Florida House.

-- Her proudest moment in politics: Being named public servant of the year by Governing magazine in 2005 for fighting to develop better water sources. But she recounted the fight with a not-so-subtle dig at Gov. Charlie Crist and her encounter with him. She wanted to fend off funding cuts. At the end, she asked what he was going to do.

"He looked at me and said, 'Water is important,' " Dockery said. "Well, water is important. And he did not veto the cut. And now that water pie is down to zero. Every last bit of it has been cut. Those are the types of mistakes that we should not be making in the Florida Legislature, with a Republican governor, Republican House and Republican Senate."

Cannon stashes $665,000 RPOF money for safekeeping

Concerned about spending at the Republican Party of Florida, incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon transferred $665,000 from the party's coffers into a separate political committee called the Florida Liberty Fund.

The web site for the Florida Liberty Fund shows a transfer of $555,000 from the RPOF into the committee on Jan. 5 -- the day RPOF Chairman Jim Greer announced he was stepping down amid allegations of using party money for personal expenses -- and another $100,000 one week later.

Cannon, along with other members of the Republican leadership in Tallahassee, are key fundraisers for the RPOF.

"The speaker designate has the obligation to help elect Republican House members, and moving the money to the (committee) was part of his plan for ensuring success in the 2010 election,'' said Andy Palmer, the state party's director of House campaigns.

Public records show the committee was created on Nov. 17. Cannon is listed as the director. Harkley Thornton, an Orlando fundraiser and former board member of the South Florida Water Management District appointed by Jeb Bush, is listed as the chairman.

Concerned about spending at the Republican Party of Florida, incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon transferred $665,000 from the party's coffers into a separate political committee called the Florida Liberty Fund.

The web site for the Florida Liberty Fund shows a transfer of $555,000 from the RPOF into the committee on Jan. 5 -- the day RPOF Chairman Jim Greer announced he was stepping down amid allegations of using party money for personal expenses -- and another $100,000 one week later.

Cannon, along with other members of the Republican leadership in Tallahassee, are key fundraisers for the RPOF.

"The speaker designate has the obligation to help elect Republican House members, and moving the money to the (committee) was part of his plan for ensuring success in the 2010 election,'' said Andy Palmer, the state party's director of House campaigns.

Public records show the committee was created on Nov. 17. Cannon is listed as the director. Harkley Thornton, an Orlando fundraiser and former board member of the South Florida Water Management District appointed by Jeb Bush, is listed as the chairman.

Florida Power hires outside firm to investigate whistleblower claims

In a letter to Florida Power & Light employees today, FPL Group chairman Lew Hay told employees that it has conducted an internal investigation and "identified no evidence supporting any of the generalized claims made'' in the first anonymous letter from employees. After the second letter, which offered more details, it hired the law firm of Carlton Fileds to determine if any of the allegations "have a basis in fact.''

Here's his letter:

PSC to investigate explosive allegations at Florida Power

 

Two letters from a group of anonymous high-level employees at Florida Power & Light, alleging they were forced to provide inaccurate and misleading information to regulators and shareholders by certain executives, have been filed and posted at the Public Service Commission. PSC Chairman Nancy Argenziano said the PSC "will not ignore them. We will look into it.'' Download FPLwhistleblower1 Download FPLwhistleblower2

When asked about the first letter, dated Jan. 20, FPL spokesman Mayco Villafana said "as a matter of policy, we do not comment on employee matters.'' A spokesman did not respond to requests for comment on the letters received by the PSC.

The letter dated Feb. 3 to FPL Group chairman Lew Hay, and another dated Jan. 20, were received independently by the Miami Herald/St. Petersburg Times and have been verified as authentic. Hay sent a letter out to all employees in the past few days, and he cited the Feb. 3 letter but blacked out the names of the FPL vice presidents, Eric Silagy, Tim Fitzpatrick and Wade Litchfield, whom the employees allege were responsible for the misdeeds. Hay's letter also links to the anonymous letter using an internal Web site at FPL.

The employees tell Hay that among the allegations, the disgruntled employees have been forced by managers to:

Justice rips Young on lobbyist ties

State Sen. Charlie Justice, D-St. Petersburg, has some harsh, not-so-unexpected words for the man he wants to unseat in the 2010 election, U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Indian Shores. It spins off the Times report on a lobbyist's lucrative ties to his old boss, Young. From the Justice news release:

“With our economy still digging out of the deep debt our government finds itself in, this abuse of power is exactly why the voters are angry with the current culture in Washington DC,” stated Charlie Justice, candidate for U.S Congress FL-10. “Not only does Cong. Young continue to be one of the worst abusers of pork-barrel spending, he is also so out of touch with the voters throughout the district who are fed up with this type of wasteful spending that he proudly brags about it.

Where did Meek get Super Bowl tickets?

ABC news was in Miami to investigate political fundraisers built around the Super Bowl. Here is part of the report:

Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla., did show up at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables for his fundraiser on Saturday afternoon. ABC News, which partnered with ProPublica in an effort to find out where the members of Congress got their Super Bowl tickets, also showed up at the hotel. But surprised Meek staffers quickly shut the door and asked the crew to leave.

The result was one of those delicate media moments that occur when politicians expecting privacy are confronted by a network news team hoping to film them. As the camera continued rolling in the hallway outside the event, Meek’s staffers peeled name tags off the lapels of the congressman’s departing guests. When Meek headed for his car, ABC’s news crew peppered him with questions about how he got the Super Bowl tickets he offered to partygoers who contributed $4,800. He didn’t have answers.

Full report is here. Campaign spokesman Abe Dyk tells the Buzz the tickets were "purchased by the campaign in a completely appropriate manner." He said Meek bought two tickets on his own (members of Congress can get some at face value) but those were not the ones used in this fundraiser.

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Cartoonist to DOT: Food for thought

Lakeland cartoonist Ric Leonard sends along this 'toon in response to Friday's story about pancake e-mails at the Department of Transportation.

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Rubio 'stimulus bomb' raises more than $400K

Marco Rubio says his Stimulus Fundraising Bomb (www.StimulusBomb.com) has raised $411,000, just one week after launching with the goal of raising $787,000 by Feb. 10. 

“There is no better symbol of Washington’s broken politics and policies than the failed stimulus,” said Rubio campaign spokesman Alex Burgos. “Through StimulusBomb.com, we’re offering people a way to voice their support for limited government and opposition to the Crist-Obama agenda of tax, borrow and spend. With two days to go until the anniversary of the unforgettable Crist-Obama stimulus rally, we’re pleased with the positive response we’ve received so far.”

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Delmar Johnson swimming in AmEx points

Here's another nice departing gift to former Florida GOP executive director Delmar Johnson: As of last fall, he had earned more than 1 million American Express Reward Points from his state party credit card. Think of the fun one can have redeeming those points.

UPDATE: Jim Greer said those points will stay with the party.

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Mother Nature, the ultimate filibuster

You can't have this kind of fun in Florida.

David Peluso, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, got some sledding in over the weekend, making the best of the blizzard. His girlfriend snapped this photo of him Saturday.

The storm still has Washington in its grip, and Congress called a snow day today.

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Crist gets a pop-star welcome at high school

TAMPA — High school girls screamed when he walked through the hallway. They stretched out their hands toward him, hoping for a quick shake. They took out cell phones and snapped tiny, grainy photos.

Was there a Jonas Brother in the house?

“Hi, I’m Charlie Crist,” the 53-year-old Florida governor said over the crowd’s roar.

During a quick visit to Tampa Bay Technical High School on Monday morning, Crist was scheduled to tour four classrooms, but he only made it to two. When he and his wife, Carole Rome, approached the school’s front office, students just about mobbed him.

One girl shook his hand and then proclaimed to a friend that she’d never wash it. A boy posed for a picture and wondered out loud if he would now be famous.

Crist first popped into a digital commercial art class, where students were designing mock ads and logos. He complimented junior Gabrielle LeGendre’s design on a magazine cover, and she started blushing.

“I can’t think right now,” LeGendre said afterward.

More on the jump, including Crist's reaction to accusations of meanness.

A straw poll that matters more than most?

The Brevard County GOP held a straw poll Friday night that arguably is more reflective of the overall GOP electorate than other GOP straw polls in recent months, where voting was limited to executive committee members. In Brevard's case, we're told only about one in four voters were executive committee members. The results only include the top two vote-getters:

U.S. SENATE: Marco Rubio: 321, Charlie Crist: 45
GOVERNOR: Bill McCollum: 305, Paula Dockery: 43
ATTORNEY GENERAL: Jeff Kottkamp: 134, Pam Bondi: 127
CFO: Jeff Atwater: 241, Pat Patterson: 56
AG COMMISSIONER: Carey Baker (the day he withdrew): 146, Adam Putnam:143

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The guys who said all's hunky dory with Jim Greer's spending

State Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer hasn't had anything to say about the scandal over Delmar Johnson's lucrative contract, but he did fax us the following sworn statement from the party's treasurer and assistant treasurer.

We the undersigned at the request of Chairman Jim Greer have reviewed and evaluated financial information of the Republican Party of Florida and concur and stipulate that all RPOF expenditures made during Chairman Greer's term as RPOF Chairman were proper, lawful, appropriate and served the interests of the RPOF, and RPOF specifically acknowledges that all expense reimbursements of any kind, American Express account expenditures, consultant fees, fundraising fees, traveling and dining expenses were proper and authorized and otherwise ratified by RPOF.

Signed and executed this the 5th day of January, 2010

Joel Pate, Treasurer   Allen Miller, Vice Treasurer

Marco Rubio allies say Charlie Crist is really mean

Either Charlie Crist's campaign is repeatedly showing its willingness to hit below the belt, or Marco Rubio's allies are a bunch of crybabies, or maybe both. Twice in recent days the Rubio campaign or its surrogates have cried foul over comments made by team Crist. First came the horror over Sen. Mike Fasano calling Rubio a "slick package from Miami."

Yesterday came Crist's eyebrow-raising quote about Rubio to the AP: "The other guy has been running around the state, he does it all day long. I have no idea how he feeds his family when he does this all day long, but I know how I feed my family, by working for you being your governor."

The quote (coming the same day Rubio lamented in Pinellas missing his four-year-old son's T-ball game) was a little unusual for a 53-year-old man who's never made a mortgage payment or raised children, and it mightily ticked off Angelette Aviles, a Tampa consultant and Rubio organizer: What was Charlie thinking when he brought up his opponent’s “family” during his first campaign swing in the state of Florida? Why should the dynamics of one’s family personal decision be of any importance during a campaign?

Lobbyist has an edge in ties to Rep. Young

WASHINGTON — To understand how this city works, how it is fueled by connections and insider knowledge as much as it is by bills, amendments and debate, consider Doug Gregory.

The St. Petersburg native worked as chief of staff and House Appropriations Committee aide to U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young for 36 years. Then he became a lobbyist.

Gregory's job now is helping defense contractors get money from his old boss. This year, he got $10.6 million.

Young, 79, is one of the all-time appropriations kings, using years of accumulated power to secure hundreds of millions in "earmarks," the insider term for money lawmakers siphon off for projects of their liking. Young and Gregory prefer a softer description: "congressional initiatives."

Gregory, 61, is only doing what scores of aides-turned-lobbyists do each day. But he and Young play roles in a system that many feel is flawed and wasteful, a web of cozy ties, campaign contributions and lax oversight.

Story here.

Winner and loser of the week in Fla politics

Winner of the week: Adam Putnam

The Republican congressman from Bartow was always the frontrunner for commissioner of agriculture, but the exit of state Sen. Carey Baker from the Republican primary, means he can focus on the general election. Runner up: Deveron Gibbons. Revenge is sweet, and  Gibbons got his -- sticking the knife into his old ally, St. Pete Mayor Rick Baker by aggressively helping defeat Baker's bid for president of St. Petersburg College. Unfortunately for Gibbons, his blatant bitterness over Baker not endorsing Gibbons for mayor will do nothing to help Gibbons' next campaign.

Loser of the week: Delmar Johnson. The former Florida GOP executive director may be laughing his way to the bank, but today nobody is more radioactive in Florida politics than Johnson. Charlie Crist's former field organizer had a secret contract, under which the state GOP paid the 30-year-old Johnson more than $400,000 last year. Donors and party officials are livid, and scratching the heads about what's happened to the once venerable state party. Runners up: RPOF Treasurer Joel Pate and Assistant Treasurer Allen Miller. Don't wory, everything's peachy, they kept assuring fellow party leaders  asking about party finances. Gotta wonder: Were these guys more interested in protecting donors' money or Jim Greer?

Marco Rubio on the "dark period" of Jim Greer's GOP leadership

Buzz caught up with Marco Rubio in Pinellas County at a Christian Coalition meeting this morning that drew more than 200 people. We chatted briefly about term limits, including illegal immigrants in the Census, releasing his own party credit card records, and the Delmar Johnson contract scandal that has shaken the Republican Party of Florida. "It was a dark period in the party in terms of what's gone on over the last couple years," Rubio said. "The next chairman of the party should come in and fully understand mistakes that have been made in the past and that would involve a full audit ooking at how expenditures have been made in the past and make sure that going forward people are confident when they give money to the Republican party it's going towards good things."

PolitiFact: Sands 'half true' on class size

After spending nearly $16 billion to implement Florida's voter-approved plan to reduce class sizes, Gov. Charlie Crist and the Republican Legislature are now talking about reining it in. But a leading Democrat says the idea would leave the state not much else than a big bill to show for the investment.

"I am hesitant of the governor's call for changing the class-size amendment in the state Constitution," House Democratic leader Franklin Sands of Weston said in a press release Jan. 29. "I seriously doubt that Floridians will want to undo what they approved in 2002. I strongly support giving school districts the flexibility they need to deal with small increases in the student-teacher ratios. But it is important to remember that Florida still averages more students in its classrooms than any other state in the Southeast."

We wondered if Sands' claim, that Florida averages more students per classrooms than other states in the Southeast, is right. See PolitiFact ruling here.