Fla. Justices Approve Corruption Investigation

By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press Writer
Miami Herald
December 2, 2009

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Florida Supreme Court approved Gov. Charlie Crist's revised request for a statewide grand jury to investigate public corruption and recommend changes in state law Wednesday, just two days after rejecting his initial petition.

The decision follows the arrests of several public officials and major campaign contributors in South Florida.

"We must remain committed to creating an environment where any crime committed by a public official is exposed and addressed as quickly as possible," Crist said in a statement. "I encourage the statewide grand jury to swiftly make recommendations so that limitations in current law can be addressed during next year's legislative session."

The panel can issue public reports and recommendations as well as hand down indictments for crimes running the gamut from money laundering, official misconduct and bribery to kidnapping, carjacking and murder if they span at least two judicial circuits.

A similar effort a decade ago by then-Gov. Jeb Bush to toughen laws that would make it easier to root out public corruption was largely rejected by the Legislature. Crist has said he hopes the grand jury would revive that effort.

The high court said in a 6-1 ruling Monday that Crist failed to allege general crimes or wrongs to be investigated that cover more than a single judicial circuit as required by state law. Crist immediately filed an amended request that filled in those blanks.

In a unanimous order the justices appointed Chief Circuit Judge Victor Tobin of Fort Lauderdale to preside over the grand jury that will serve for a year from the time it is impaneled.

The members will be drawn from lists of prospective jurors in four South Florida circuits covering Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, Glades and Lee counties.

The governor made his initial request just two weeks after Dr. Alan Mendelsohn, a Hollywood ophthalmologist whose many political contributions include Crist's U.S. Senate campaign, surrendered to the FBI on charges of running a fraudulent fundraising and lobbying operation.

Since then, Fort Lauderdale lawyer Scott Rothstein, another prominent political contributor, was arrested on racketeering and fraud charges alleging he operated a $1 billion investment scheme involving phony legal settlements.

After the scandal broke, the Florida Democratic Party returned $200,000 in contributions from Rothstein and his law firm. The Florida Republican Party gave back $150,000 and Crist returned $9,600 from Rothstein and his wife, Kim.

Three prominent Broward politicians were arrested in September on federal corruption charges of accepting thousands in cash from undercover FBI agents posing as businessmen seeking illegal favors.

Crist has noted that he's had to remove 30 public officials during just under three years as governor. State Rep. Ray Sansom also is facing official misconduct and perjury charges. The Destin Republican stepped down as House speaker and quit a job at Northwest Florida State College he'd been given after funneling millions to the school.

 

Justices Deny Crist Petition for
 Grand Jury to Probe Public Corruption

By: Asad Ba-Yunus
Miami Examiner.com
December 2, 2009

TALLAHASSEE, FL – The Florida Supreme Court Monday voted 6-1 denying Florida Governor Charlie Crist’s request to empanel a state-wide grand jury to investigate public corruption throughout the state.

The high court found that the Governor’s petition did not meet the minimum allegations required under current law, and must "state the general crimes or wrongs to be inquired into and shall state that said crimes or wrongs are of a multicircuit nature."

The Governor’s office filed a Second Amended Petition later the same day, making the needed changes to move the request forward. The Court will re-consider the request in the coming weeks.

Governor Crist’s request for a grand jury came after a recent string of public corruption cases around the state, including most prominently, those in Broward County. Broward County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion, who was replaced last week by the Governor’s appointment of Al Jones, was indicted in a public corruption scandal involving an investment fraud scheme. Broward School Board member Beverly Gallagher, replaced by Kevin Tynan, stands accused of using her office to direct businesses to contractors for money. Former City of Miramar Commissioner Fitzroy Salesman was also charged with using his office to help undercover agents obtain contracts in the city. Recently, the City of Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones was charged with grand theft of $50,000 in city grant money to a family business, while another City Commissioner, Angel Gonzalez, was facing a potential misdemeanor charge for using his office to ensure a job for his daughter with a contractor.

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