By John Kennedy
The News Service of Florida
With both of Florida’s leading parties clouded by corruption cases, the leading Democratic contender for governor Thursday proposed an ethics overhaul aimed at cleaning up state government.
Alex Sink, the state’s chief financial officer, proposed a wide-ranging plan that would toughen conduct rules for public employees, shed more light on political party finances, and give the state’s Commission on Ethics authority to initiate corruption investigations.
“I think it’s critical, particularly at this time, that we restore faith in government,” Sink said in unveiling the package, which was quickly dismissed by her top rival, Republican Attorney General Bill McCollum.
“We applaud Alex Sink’s sudden fondness for ethics reform, much like her fondness for counting paper clips now that she’s running for governor,” said Matt Williams, McCollum’s campaign manager.
Sink’s proposals come amid a tumultuous year for both leading parties.
Sink returned $6,000 in campaign contributions from Broward County lawyer Scott Rothstein, who pled guilty earlier this month to running a Ponzi scheme that bilked millions of dollars from investors. The state Democratic Party also turned back $200,000 from Rothstein, and the Republican Party another $140,000 from the disgraced lawyer.
The Florida Republican Party also is conducting its own audit following reports of overspending under former Chairman Jim Greer and allegations of kick-backs stemming from a lucrative contract held by the party’s former executive director.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Davie, vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee, Thursday also called for Republican Gov. Charlie Crist to appoint a statewide prosecutor to examine state GOP finances, and criticized McCollum for failing to initiate a party probe.
Wasserman Schultz said the party’s use of credit cards gave party leaders access to a “personal slush fund.”
For his part Crist, who, likewise, was tarred by contributions from Rothstein, last month ordered a statewide grand jury to investigate public corruption, having removed more than 30 officials for wrongdoing during his three years as governor.
“These ethics reforms have really been on my mind since I came to Tallahassee three years ago,” Sink said, adding they now emerge against a “never-ending slew of continued scandal.”
Among the measures: Sink would ban gifts from vendors to state employees and require annual ethics training for state workers and officials. She also would empower the state’s Commission on Ethics to launch its own investigations without having to act on a complaint filed by a member of the public – an initiative the commission itself has sought.
Sink also targets the Florida Republican Party’s spending problems by suggesting that state party credit card statements be made public, along with the current itemized list of payments and expenditures. Scott Arsenaux, the Florida Democratic Party’s executive director, said Thursday that his party issues no credit cards to officials or legislators.
Sink also would require that statewide elected officials keep their private holdings and investments in a “blind trust” or in mutual funds to avoid potential conflicts, a practice she has followed since her 2006 election.
The Democratic candidate said state officials also should be barred from voting on matters in which they have a private financial interest, rather than just disclose the conflict. McCollum’s top rival for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, Sen. Paula Dockery of Lakeland, is sponsoring similar legislation this spring.
McCollum’s campaign, however, downplayed Sink’s attack on corruption – saying it is belied by her once close relationship with Rothstein.
“To roll out a political stunt masquerading as ethics reform when Alex Sink has yet to answer basic questions regarding her own transgressions is disingenuous,” Williams said.
