|
Riding the soft money train
TALLAHASSEE - State Sen. Jeff Atwater can't accept a free cup of coffee when he meets with a lobbyist because of a gift ban intended to lessen the influence of special interests on Florida's Legislature. But the North Palm Beach Republican rakes in donations of up to $25,000 for a political committee under his control.
Roughly a year before he is expected to assume the Senate presidency, Atwater sits atop a $521,000 fund raised from a few dozen donors in the past 11 months. Among the $25,000 contributors were AutoNation, political action committees for car dealers and Realtors, and Hartman & Tyner, a gambling company. Atwater is one of more than two dozen lawmakers who together have amassed millions of dollars under a continuing anomaly in Florida' political fundraising laws.
More here.
Most Recent Blog Posts
About the blog
For Florida political news today, the Buzz is your can't-miss-it source. Tampa Bay Times writers offer the latest in Florida politics, the Florida Legislature and the Rick Scott administration. Keep in mind: This is a public forum sponsored and maintained by the Tampa Bay Times. When you post comments here, what you say becomes public and could appear in the newspaper. You are not engaging in private communication with candidates or Times staffers.
E-mail Times political editor Adam Smith: asmith@tampabay.com
Advertisement
Most Popular Categories
ON TWITTER
SPECIAL REPORTS
- Gov. Rick Scott
- Sen. Marco Rubio
- Inside the Gov. Scott's inner circle
- State government: All checks, no balance
SITES OF INTEREST
POLITICAL LINKS
- Republican Party of Florida
- Florida Democratic Party
- Division of Elections
- State of Florida
- State legislature
- Campaign contributions
- Federal campaign contributions
TIMES COLUMNS
- Tallahassee Bureau Chief Steve Bousquet
- Political Editor Adam C. Smith
- Senior correspondent Lucy Morgan
REAL CLEAR POLITICS BLOG
POLITICS HEADLINES from the AP
Comment Policy
| Please be sure your comments are appropriate before submitting them. Inappropriate comments include content that: |
| Is libelous |
| Is abusive, harassing, or threatening |
| Is obscene, vulgar, or profane |
| Is racially, ethnically or religiously offensive |
| Is illegal or encourages criminal acts |
| Is known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution |
| Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others |
| Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious) |
| Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises |
| Tampa Bay Times does not edit posts but reserves the right to delete comments that violate our policy. |
Registration FAQ
| Read our Frequently Asked Questions on how to register to comment on the site. |
