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Former Republican Party Chair Jim Greer expanded his lawsuit against the state party Tuesday to include Senate President Mike Haridopolos just days after taking a sworn statement from Haridopolos.
The original lawsuit named the party and former Chairman John Thrasher in a bid to collect $5 million in damages. Greer claims the party cheated him out of $123,000 in severance pay after he resigned in January 2010.
On his way out, party leaders signed a secret severance agreement pledging to pay Greer, but denied there was an agreement after he actually resigned. Greer says the party later sent political consultants Pat Bainter and Marc Reichelderfer to offer him $200,000 in "hush money'' if he would forgo making a claim against the party.
Damon Chase, the Orlando lawyer who represents Greer, said Haridopolos was added after he testified that he did nothing to enforce the severance agreement despite a clause that required it.
Haridopolos could not be reached for comment.
Greer has been charged with money laundering and fraud by the statewide grand jury and awaits trial next year. The criminal charges involve Victory Strategies, a company Greer set up to handle fundraising for the party. Thrasher, Haridopolos and other leaders say they were unaware of Greer's personal involvement in the company but Greer insists party leaders knew about the company.
Greer says the party's actions leave him unable to find a job and care for his family. He says party leaders went after him because he supported then-Gov. Charlie Crist in a race for U.S. Senate.
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Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon said there is no reason lawmakers should delay passage of the 2012-13 budget beyond the regular legislative session — not even to factor in sharper revenue projections available in mid March.
The latest estimates for next year's shortfall are between $1.2 billion and $2 billion. On top of an election year, lawmakers next session must deal with the once-a-decade redistricting process and more budget cuts. Still, Cannon said he is confident the Legislature can handle its redistricting and appropriations duties by the end of the 60-day session on March 9.
"I've seen nothing to indicate that there's a likelihood that our revenue picture will be substantially and unexpectedly much better by delaying two months, and therefore I see no reason not to act on the information we've got," Cannon told reporters Monday. "If it turns out that, wonderfully, there is a surprising injection of a half a billion dollars in revenue by May, I'm sure we can come up with a special session and figure out how to appropriate that money."
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Republican Gov. Rick Scott is taking his first vacation since spending a week at his Montana hideway this summer.
Scott is spending the week at his Naples home with family, which now includes a week-old grandson, August. Scott told us he'll be spending part of his Thanksgiving Day serving dinner at a homeless center.
Scott, who prides himself on long hours and seven-day weeks, does have some meetings scheduled, spokeswoman Amy Graham said. Call it a Scott-cation.
"A little time off for him is only working a half day," she said.
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Mitt Romney will be in Tampa on Nov. 29th for a fundraiser at the Tampa Museum of Art, for which the main hosts are Mel and Betty Sembler, Dr. R.R. and Kathleen Vijay, Trey and Nina Traviesa, and state Rep. Will Weatherford.
Times staff writers Adam C. Smith, Michael C. Bender and Katie Sanders contributed to this report.
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