The Florida Tea Party became the latest organization Friday calling for Attorney General Bill McCollum to appoint a special prosecutor to continue the criminal case against former state Republican Party chief Jim Greer.
The Florida Democratic Party and McCollum’s Republican governor’s race rival, Rick Scott, earlier this week demanded that the case be removed from Statewide Prosecutor William Shepherd, a McCollum appointee.
Greer, who faces six felony charges for allegedly skimming off at least $125,000 in party fees and contributions, said in documents released this week that he believed McCollum and other party leaders played a central role in his ouster.
McCollum, Greer successor, John Thrasher and other party leaders supporting the attorney general’s candidacy for governor, were not included in a 63-person witness list released by Shepherd.
Those demanding Shepherd’s removal accuse him of tailoring the criminal case to avoid involving McCollum and others.
The case is set for an Oct. 18 trial.
“McCollum needs to turn the prosecution of Jim Greer and the ever-widening investigation into GOP corruption over to a disinterested, apolitical special prosecutor from outside of the state of Florida,” Tea Party Chairman Fred O’Neal said. “Having McCollum in charge of the man in charge of this investigation means there is a 100 percent chance the people of Florida will never know the truth of what went on.”
McCollum has defended Shepherd’s investigation. McCollum said that while the statewide prosecutor is housed his office, Shepherd works independently and does not seek counsel from the attorney general.
Source: The News Service of Florida
